Building Community Bridges

Happy New Year!! BCB returns back to the Land of Blog

Building Community Bridges — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:28:12 +0000

SOOO much to come with BCB.
First, Happy New Year to all in the land of blog and beyond. This new year 2012 is going to be one of the rising…. the rising of the Bcb’s Phoenix! Stay tuned for more.

11 Days to Raise $4000 dollars to be Match by the Segal Family Foundation!

Building Community Bridges — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:29:11 +0000

We are so empowered by this challenge. Besides helping us to raise funds it is also teaching my team and I the necessity of repeating a message to reach our audience! We have just completed an amazing solar energy water pump the first of its kind in the Plateaux Region of Togo! Support our activities as we bring clean water to the most remote villages in Togo. I wish I could somehow have you all come here and go into the field and talk with these women, men and children! Your lives would be forever changed. Join me and BCB in building bridges! Are you a builder? Please make a $50 dollars watchable donation today@www.bcombridges.org

After a Wash meeting in the village of Koussougba, the women are ready to get to work!

Recap: 3rd Day of WASH Training

Building Community Bridges — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 13:17:35 +0000

The third day was the most saturated day of the training.  The team had
decided the day before to begin a little earlier for this day, so we would
be able to have morning review time.  At 6:30 am, the participants arrived
and we began with one hour of recap and revision before breakfast.  I really
do believe returning the participants into their own village during the
training, incorporated the whole village into the training and emphasized
the urgent task of returning and putting plans into action.  This seems to
have had added a small amount of pressure on the women to really know what
they are talking about.  Every day since the beginning of the training we
have allotted an hour and a half for recap and revision where trainers,
become trainees and two sets of participants go in front of the group to
recap the lessons of the day.  Asking the ladies to present everyday allows
them practice time to build their confidence to speaking in front of a
group.  The reality was also fitting in that we (the trainers and I and two
representatives from the Ministry of Health, the chief of development Mr.
Ohonou, and a few others) were unfamiliar and so these women had to really
summon their courage to stand up and speak.  

We had breakfast and then returned to our lessons.   Djoumai and Amen both
continued with sanitation and hygiene, toilets, Econ-San and VIP and then a
general review to further tie in all loose ends. Our goal is for our
participants to assimilate this information given to them formally, into
their own realities and connect the dots and embraced new behavioral changes
that will benefit them.

I must say that the women are proud of what they have learned and of
themselves.  There is a new feeling in the group of familiarity and real
comradery.  Now, I am seeing, the participants helping each other in their
lessons.  Afi Abalo is a star; she is going to help bring about some amazing
changes in her group.  I am also very confident about Amina Adoh: the woman
has a grace and simplicity with a readiness to laugh that is both disarming
and effective.  Ms. Adoh is able to relate to everyone easily because she is
this way.

By the end of the third day, it was apparent that our participants were
coming into their own, they were now feeling comfortable with our initiative
and the subject matters of our training and were excited about the coming
days.

2nd Day of WASH Training

Building Community Bridges — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 13:06:30 +0000

The second day of the training again I woke up early. There is no hot water
in the village, so with cold water we prepare ourselves for our day.  Djoumai
Badamassi, the trainer from Crepa is wearing a beautiful outfit with a head
wrap.  By the time I come out, around 6:15 am, the breakfast table is being
set for about 10 people.  Around 7:30 onwards, the ladies start to file in.
Afi Abalo, one of our participants is very funny and keeping the group in
good cheer with stories and jokes.  I am also delighted and humbled when I
look at the three babies that came with their mothers.  Afi Abalo had a two
year old son, Mahasse Awomba had a 15 month old, and Afi Agbokli had a 3
year old daughter.  I am inspired by these ladies, without a whole lot of
fuss, these women lead numerous responsibilities at home to come here and
even when they do this, they still have active duties which require that
they multitask.  They just don’t claim the acknowledgment of doing so.

We begin our day with Djoumai going into sanitation and hygiene in depth.  The
trainers and I came to the realization that in order to be more effective,
if would need to do the training in the vernacular, which is local language
of Ewe.  This choice would mean more work for the training organizers and
team.  This required also that we adapt the method we were going to use to
conduct our surveys and changed it from written to verbal documentation.  Our
target population is rural, if we were to require that the women work with
speak, French, it would reduce the pool of potential women leaders.  Many of
these women may not have formal education, but they are the backbone of many
of these communities and have intrinsic knowledge of them and of what to do
to survive and live and have been doing so for many generations.

One of the unique aspects of our approach is that we are flexible and
embrace adaptation when necessary to realize the maximum effectiveness of
our project.

Today was also the day that we learned about the hand washing stand that
CREPA provided.  It was amazing, basically a natural sink where you have two
poles and a connecting third pole on top.  You take two plastic 8 ounce cups
and put small hole at the bottom.  You have a pail of water and wires
connected to the cups to use as handles.  You take the cup with the handles
and put it in the pail of water, hook the cup onto the stand and put your
hands underneath the cup; water comes out to wash your hands.  And imagine
that the participants were further delighted to be able to use ash to clean
ones hands.

As the day went on and concluded, I would say the second day is when the
reality of the training sunk in for everyone.  Trainers are aiming to teach
their best, and trainees are focused and concentrated on learning.  Today
was also the day that the group starts to let their guards down a little and
interact with more easily than the first day.  Today we all realized, “okay
we are in this together”. After dinner, Djoumai and I and our assistant,
were pleasantly surprised when the women started to sing and dance.  Everyone
started clapping and I joined in with my heart full of joy!  And the women
sang traditional songs, the call and response, and it was so moving.  Afi
Abalo would sing a phrase and the rest of the women would respond and back
and forth.  To me, the moment when all the women started to sing, is when
the village divide become less relevant.  In that women we were just women,
African women at that.  Afi Agbokli's  little girl  also danced, in her
little dress, with her 3 year old arms, looking like a little angel.

Today was a great day!

-Enyo

A message from Enyo

Building Community Bridges — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:03:14 +0000

“The first day of the training, I woke up very early, around 5 o’clock in the morning. I prayed for a great day and that the universe blesses and touches the work that we would be doing. Actually I should start with the night before! Around 10:00 am, was wrapping up the last activities of printing before my team and I headed for the villages. BCB is in the process of partnering with an organization called CREPA! CREPA stands for Regional Center for Water and Sanitation. Created in Burkina Faso back in the 80s, CREPA has been in the sanitation and hygiene training business for quite a while. This is the main organization used by UNICEF TOGO, the European Union, and Plan Togo, to train and educate villages after project implementation.

The Head of CREPA Madame Tepe, and I met earlier during the week and she in a sense agreed to take BCB under their and her wings. She admitted that there were few women in the domain that we were both working in, so she was encouraged that BCB had arrived and would be doing this work. She then agreed to send one of CREPA’s trainers to our workshop. Djoumai Badamasi was the selected trainer and she was simply amazing at the training. BCB had also located a second trainer whose name is Amen Atike. Her first name is Amen, and her last name translated from Ewe language means medicine, so as a joke during the training, we would say, if you get sick, you take medicine say a prayer and add Amen at the end and you’re done! Lol, she is truly a wonderful teacher!

So to resume, with our rented taxi after the printing was finished, we went to CREPA headquarters to pick our second trainer and then the cab began the three hour drive to our village hub Glei. The ride was pebbled with some conversation amongst the four of us, and Djoumai and I were talking about the work ahead. She shared stories of how she started the type of work, which was not common for women. She stated that with a shortage of jobs in the country, one would not refuse a company that offered to train you in a certain domain. We stopped at a gas station with a store so I could get batteries for our flip camera. Although we are

told they were the originals they end up dying out in 5 minutes. Lol. If you don’t laugh, you would have to cry right? Finally we arrive in Glei and are greeted by Mr. Ohonou our village development chief and our service folks for the week. We are guided to our lodging arrangements and we put our bags down, and prepare to settle in. While the group does this, I go ahead and pay the driver and have him sign our receipt book and wish him a

save journey back home. When I am done, I come back in and sit down with Mr. Ohonou and pay him the majority of the money for the training. Remember this included lodging for 6 trainees plus one trainer and myself and an assistant. This week period also included three meals a day for our group and provision of water and assisting with little requests.

I must say I was so impressed and happy with Mr. Ohonou again, not only coming out with full support but doing so with so much enthusiasm is what moves me. I am thankful for him.

My aunt had cooked food from home which I brought and which was our dinner for that Sunday. Once we finished we took a few minutes to ourselves to freshen up and about two hours later, came back out to prepare our conference zone and area for the next day training. I have video clips of EVERY DAY including the day before, but with the internet connection here, almost impossible to upload! I will keep trying though until we can share our videos with you.

So anyways, the eve before our training was humbling, magical haunting all at once for me. I, Cheri Afolabi and Djoumai Badamasi were present. For me, after SOOOOO many years of work, after going though the fire….I finally would receive the opportunity to sit before 6 women and help them discover their own power, share and transfer knowledge and inspire these women to keep the chain alive by education and empowering others! Cried with thanksgiving before I went to bed that day. Haunted because I was now facing the moment for which I had toiled so many years, now here was this moment sitting right there before my eyes! The beginning of a dream realized is an incredible space to find oneself! I was overwhelmed with gratitude! Thank you to all of you who have supported BCB all these years.

Please continue to support our work. SOOOOO much more to come. Every day, I will blog from my diary entries. Happy Holidays to you all and blessings abundant!”

Walk of Shame

Building Community Bridges — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:42:00 +0000

This is Liz reporting on behalf of Enyo who just finished conducting the WASH training where 6 elected women were trained in water, sanitation and hygiene practices. It was a week long training that culminated in the women then going to their respective villages and educating their fellow villagers on what they had learned. This is what happened:

BCB’s Women Leader Amina Adoh conducting the WALK OF SHAME in her village to help raise awareness of the dangers of open defecation and the need to use dug pits or latrines and adopting sanitary practices! She was impressive, and passionate as she had understood during BCB training that she and all her fellow villagers were eating each other’s feces, since flies land on their food after landing on uncovered human waste! And she shared this fact with her fellow villagers; they were all disgusted by the old practice and looking forward to changing it! Educate one woman and she will change her entire village.

Amina conducting the WALK OF SHAME in Madjamakou (three pictures above).

After BCB’s WASH training, the three newly elected Women Leaders return to their community with BCB’s support to encourage them, and began educating their community on the simple technologies that they learned. Our women leaders here are speaking to their village about the importance of sanitation and hygiene and what it is and means since most of them had never before heard those terms or had been taught the technologies. The next steps were inviting the village to create strategies of how they will implement sanitary and hygienic practices in their village as an entire village and together! Earlier during the day, these same women leaders also conducted the Walk of Shame in their villages. It was a beautiful and motivating sight to behold. The power of education is one of the greatest gifts that one human being can give or share with another!

After a week of trekking through the villages, all the dust has exacerbated Enyo’s asthma so she’s in the capital city, Lome, visiting with the well company and hoping to set up a start date for Phase 2 of the water project which is the building of a solar powered well in Koussougba. No rest for the weary.

WEEK 1 News From Togo Front 11.29.10-12.5.10

Building Community Bridges — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:49:21 +0000

Enyo: Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, nothing has changed here in Togo. The majority of the people are still living below the poverty level and it shows very visibly in the mannerisms and behavior of the people. Now, of course, the children are still pretty happy despite their circumstance. Most of the younger generation is pretty degenerate and miserable, and the elders look as if they have lost hope. Walking in the streets is a bit sad because the general mood of the people is very, very somber. Nevertheless, I remind myself that I did not come here to pity or wallow in sadness about the state of the people.

Actions completed to date:

1. Established communication, restored my cell, and got my visa.

2. Secured a vehicle for transportation.

3. Traveled to Atakpame, to Madjamakou and Koussougba.

4. Met with Mr. Ohonou and the Chief and Chief’s council of Koussougba, and the School Director in Madjamakou.

5. Delivered the Education Project Letter. The teachers were very happy and they will all write a response to Francoise!!! She should be getting 4-5 letters soon!

6. Met with Mr. Ohonou to plan the logistics of the workshop. We discussed the workshop timeline and program outline, lodging for 6 trainees and one workshop trainer including myself. Discussed: cost of food, transportation for the different parts of the workshop, because two days of the workshops will be conducted in their respective villages, and Celebration and Certification and Graduation Day (Saturday).

7. Came back to Togo and worked on Voss Foundation Grant.

8. Met with WASH Trainer and secured her for the training.

A very exciting discovery that I am simply elated to share is that the villagers have found a solution for repairing their own water pump that they innovated right there in their own villages! Most unbelievable! The innovation and their improvements to the water system design has saved them 5 reparations this year alone! I am so proud of their innovation!

Our project is unfolding very well.

Enyo to conduct training workshop in Water, Sanitation & Hygiene techniques

Building Community Bridges — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:36:03 +0000

So, as a member of the BCB team, I have to just relate to all our readers how proud I am that Enyo’s vision and passion to help those less fortunate is coming to fruition. With funding from a recent grant she is traveling to Togo soon to teach 6 elected village women in WASH (water sanitation & hygiene) techniques which she learned at the Global Women’s Water Initiative 2010 conference in Ghana some months ago. For phase 2 of this water project, we will be following up with the building of a solar-powered well in Koussougba, but the training and work shop is the critical part whereby Enyo will not only be teaching sanitation techniques but empowering village women and instilling accountability, purpose and ownership in all projects going forward. She is a true visionary and will be undertaking a huge task for which she will need much support. Please follow her progress. She will be keeping us updated with pictures and videos and her blog posts on the website. Your support, now more than ever, is needed in the way of blog comments, Facebook messages, and if possible donations. But especially during the holiday time, it’s nice to be aware that good things are happening and one by one, bridges are being built. Congratulations Enyo. You are a true visionary and your work is always appreciated.

The Journey of BCB! Part ONE The BEGINNING!!!

Building Community Bridges — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:21:37 +0000

For quite some time, Building Community Bridges, Inc has been striving to establish the capacity to accomplish its mission. It has taken us some time, yes. Our approach is different from other organizations in that we sought first to establish our foundational process, so that once we started to receive funds, we could initiate our projects in full force….more to come

How Can We Make the World Worthy?

Building Community Bridges — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:27:44 +0000

What should we teach our children? You are a marvel! You are unique! There has never been another child like you. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. When you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? We must all work to make the world worthy of its children. So said Pablo Picasso.

Help BCB make the world in Togo worthy of its children! Join us!