TESTIMONIALS

ALINE

My name is Aline, and I live in Strasbourg, France. I am a nurse by profession. In 2018, I discovered the association Bâtisseurs Réunis on Facebook and contacted the coordinator, Daniel. After several conversations, I finally took a flight to Togo, where I spent three weeks doing a nursing internship at a health center dedicated specifically to people affected by leprosy in AKATA DZOKPE. I can say that the experience was very positive, with a warm welcome from the team, the patients, and the villagers.
Activities carried out: wound dressing, antibiotic injections, vaccinations, consultations, and temperature checks. Thank you.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FkYXz26rq/

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ASSOCIATION HORME

Number: +33 6 85 60 02 96

Our association, « Hormé, Vers un Monde Solidaire » has been working in close collaboration with the association “Bâtisseurs Réunis” since our creation in 2022. Bâtisseurs Réunis plays a key role in coordinating activities on the ground and managing the funds for our successive projects since 2022. These projects focus on supporting the education of underprivileged students in the village of Avexo-Tugbli (Plateaux region, Kloto prefecture), notably through the purchase of school supplies and the provision of breakfasts.

Every year, we implement this project together with Bâtisseurs Réunis, and since 2023 we have been working with them on the development of a larger-scale initiative aimed at empowering the women who are guardians of disadvantaged children by funding income-generating activities.

I therefore highly recommend the association Bâtisseurs Réunis to any structure or organization.

E-mail: paul.ballange@univ-tlse3.fr

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PAUL

I am a French student living in Toulouse. I am in my third year at the Faculty of Adapted Physical Activities for Health at the University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier. For my internship, I chose Togo, and my mission was carried out thanks to the association Bâtisseurs Réunis. It has now been a month since I set foot on Togolese soil. The question I ask myself is: "If I had to explain a month of travel to someone who doesn’t know Togo, how should I go about it?"

We had to start somewhere, and what better starting point than a culinary one.

In one month, we have already created some shared traditions. The first: every weekend, we must eat foufou at least once. A traditional Togolese dish made from yam, the root is peeled, cut into pieces, and cooked. Then, as the boys do in the photo, a mortar and as many pestles as available arms (usually 4 to 6 maximum) are used to pound the yam with a little water until a uniform dough is obtained. The foufou dough is served with a sauce, mainly made from concentrated tomato, spices, and meat (beef, goat, chicken).

As you can guess, I have become a big fan of foufou.

Let’s continue this summary by returning to the core of the project, which is an internship mission in teaching in the field of sports. The image above shows the weights we use for the throwing cycle, the second cycle chosen by Mr. Saba. All students go through it (from 6th grade to final year), sometimes successfully, often with difficulties.

Unlike the climbing cycle, I took charge of many classes in this cycle. I realized the challenge of having 80 students at the same time, each holding a 3 kg weight. But practice makes perfect, and teaching makes me a better teacher. We start with ensuring everyone’s safety, which is our number one priority agreed upon with my colleague.

Imagine this situation: it is 7 a.m., and a class of 90 students arrives, full of energy. We line them up in 4 rows (about 23 students per row). We give a signal, and they must try to throw simultaneously to avoid accidents. Do they manage to throw at the same time? Of course not. Do they try seriously? Of course not.

So we stop everything and take time to explain the instructions again. The problem: the children are on average 12 years old, their French level is varied, and even the best students have pronunciation and speaking speed very different from what we have in France. In the first days, I faced 90 incredulous looks, not understanding anything of my explanations. I had to adapt, find solutions, because the students are as clever as they are energetic.

The project I am leading here is possible thanks to the help and support of the association Bâtisseurs Réunis, which allows volunteers from all countries to carry out humanitarian missions in Togo. Their causes are non-profit, and their objectives aim at all Togolese residents, without expectations or conditions.

I also had the chance to participate with the association in a awareness campaign about the importance of identity documents. The president and his association were keen to remind parents how crucial it is to obtain birth certificates for their children. These documents allow everyone to acquire citizenship rights in Togo, including the right to education. Without this, students cannot claim their rights and are sometimes prevented from taking state exams.

Before coming, I doubted the association, as some Togolese associations are criticized for not being serious. But after long discussions with Kosi, their representative in Paris, I gained trust, and thank God, I have no regrets about this mission. I can affirm that Bâtisseurs Réunis is a serious association, and I recommend it to anyone wishing to participate in a humanitarian mission in Togo or to any association, foundation, or NGO wishing to carry out a project with them.

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GERALDINE

The members of the association are motivated to work with the volunteers and do activities together. The organization takes the time to show the country to the volunteers, to introduce them to African culture and to have them try tasks such as cooking, washing pagnes (traditional wax-print cloths) in a river, and carrying water on the head in a bucket.

During my stay, I lived with local people, and it was a wonderful experience that showed me a different way of life. I always felt that I could contact the organization to talk about anything with them and be taken seriously. We did several activities; at the school I attended the holiday classes in a CP2 class (second-year primary). I gave lessons and helped with the correcting.

In Danyi, I was able to take part in a village festival where I performed dances that I had learned with a member of the organization, and I sang a European song in front of an audience. It is a unique opportunity that does not happen often.

The organization offers a very good experience in Togo; I always felt well integrated and safe. I enjoyed the activities and the tourist visits we did. The association adapts to your needs and treats you with a lot of respect.

Togo is a country with very kind and welcoming people. There are magnificent places in nature, and you can walk around and travel easily without much worry. To go out and discover the neighborhoods, you just need to inform the organization first.

Country: Switzerland, Zurich

Number: +41 76 529 54 47

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ELENA

THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AFTER ME AND TRYING YOUR BEST TO MAKE ME FEEL AT HOME. TEACHING ENGLISH IN KPALIME WAS VERY REWARDING. THE DIRECTOR AND ALL THE TEACHERS WERE KIND AND SUPPORTIVE. HOPE TO HEAR YOU ARE DEVELOPING MORE PROJECTS AND KEEP ME POSTED. I’LL HAVE XMAS PRESENTS TO KIDS NEXT YEAR.

Country: Italy, Florence

Email: Elena.zardinie@gmail.com

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MATHIS

The association Bâtisseurs Réunis was created around the essential pillars of society, notably education, health, the environment and many other areas. That is why I find it particularly interesting and useful.

The challenge is great, but so is the heart of the association's members. We were very well supported and reassured throughout our experience. The association also showed excellent organization and real commitment.

During my stay in Danyi Todome, we carried out various activities. We notably taught French and mathematics to CM1-CM2 pupils (4th–5th grade of primary school), then organized music and singing learning activities. Entertainment activities with the children were also held, including dancing, sports, singing and card games.

In addition, we also took advantage of our stay to discover several places in Togo, notably the capital, Lomé, the waterfalls, Agou Peak and the city of Kara, where we had the chance to see lions and elephants. Our stay also allowed us to make many culinary discoveries and to discover different local plants and products, such as sodabi, maize, coconut, pineapple, beignets and fufu.

We also made historical and cultural discoveries, notably by visiting the Dzogbégan monastery and the great market of Lomé.

Finally, the president of the association took the time to tell us several stories about the country, which allowed us to better understand and appreciate the culture and history of Togo.

I will recommend Bâtisseurs Réunis to the future work-study students of my engineering school who will also have to complete a stay abroad.

Number: +33 6 51 40 21 92

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LAURA

After the mission and the visits to the Le Seul health center, a center created by the association, as well as the Kpalimé secondary school, and the many discussions with the members of the association, notably Daniel and Exonam, I can say that Bâtisseurs Réunis is a committed association that carries many projects for the benefit of the people.

Its actions focus on several areas, notably access to healthcare, education, the distribution of school supplies, and the organization of sociocultural activities. I was able to see that the members of the association are motivated people, eager to help the population even though the means at their disposal often remain limited.

I greatly appreciated their warm welcome, their availability and their explanations, not only about their work but also about their cultures and traditions.

Through their initiatives, they help convey a message of solidarity, development and openness, even in the towns and villages.

Regarding the country, I found that Togo is a country of great geographical richness, with many assets and significant development potential. Despite difficulties in terms of development and a lack of jobs, Togo is made up of hardworking and very welcoming people.

The activities carried out during this mission were of different kinds:

1. Teaching activities

I taught French, mathematics and music to children aged 5 to 8. The music activities notably included learning songs in French and English.

2. Sociocultural activities

We prepared one or two choreographies to modern Togolese music with children aged 10 to 12. These choreographies, along with the songs learned at school, were then performed in the village of Todomé.

3. Tourist and cultural activities

The association offered us several visits to discover the natural and cultural riches of Togo, notably a farm, the Kpimé waterfalls, Agou Peak and the Danyi monastery. We also organized an excursion ourselves to the north of the country, in the Kara region, to visit an animal park where we were able to see different species, including elephants and lions.

If you are hesitating about coming to Togo with the association Bâtisseurs Réunis, have no fear. It is a serious association that carefully looks after your accommodation, your meals, your health and your safety throughout your stay.

Number: +33 7 65 52 89 78