making a difference

29 December 2008

On my return to Lome after Christmas, I picked up my emails and found several nice and unexpected messages – including one from the man who was a volunteer in Mission Tove in the 60s. What a delightful surprise!

I’ve spent the past few days checking up on all my non-school related projects and friendships. I really do feel I have made a successful start on all the key aspects of my time here – work, integration and encouraging people back home to be interested in Togo/Africa.

My “cultural integration” post of a few weeks ago was a particularly frustrating incident, but it is not my normal experience nor my usual attitude. I considered taking the post down but I prefer to keep the story there and just continue telling you about all my positive adventures as well.

Chasing down the friends and acquaintances of the previous volunteer should be particularly enjoyable – apparently there’s a cistern here somewhere that has his name on it. I’m on a picture quest now – trying to document lasting impressions of the former volunteer (perhaps in the hope that I, too, will be making a sustainable difference).