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Togo Mission 2007with Kipuke Ministries
Thursday 19, july,2007
The Road to Benin or “don’t take photos at border crossings”
Yesterday , as I am writing this on the 18th, started out uneventful. We arose ate bread and water, Nescafe and the 3 of us packed and prepared to leave for Lome’. We had cookies left that Margie Moulton so graciously provided ( she also sent school supplies which we took in an extra suitcase along with sewing supplies Mary’s sisters bought ).
We gave the to the kids next door in the village at Kara. This kid is so cute, but he desparately needs a new pair of underwear. He has been seen in the same raggedy pair since we have been here. Each time Esahu drives by they run to the road and he gives the little one a 100f coin “for Le pan ( bread)”, he tells him.
We have decided to go to the international Vacation Bible school in Benin for a couple of days after we leave Kara. Benin is the next country east of Togo, between Togo and Nigeria.
Benin and the town we are going to is considered the witchcraft capital so to speak. It is where Vodoo originated.
We stopped at the school and attended assembly and prayers, said our goodby’s and Esahu put out a fire between a teacher and student. Then we stopped at the University of Kara Hospital and were given a tour.
This is nothing like what you are experiencing in the US. Be happy for what we have. There is no emergency medical response, no EMT’s, unless you have money in Togo. If you see an accident and take a dying person to the hospital, they want you, the good Samaritan to pay for this stranger. Thus this cuts down on the good Sam’s.
The hospital is in desparate need of equipment, We saw some newer hospital beds that were donated by some benefactor in Europe. We saw some working and some broken equipment. I have photos of much of it. Perhaps we can organize hospiatals to donate things. I believe they already do. Shipping would be a problem. We toured their maternity center as well. They do provide a patients family a room to sleep and food when you are hospitalized. This was a sad but informational part of the trip
Well, I was mistaken about the speed at which we drive, I have seen as much as 150 km/hr on the speedometer. As we RACE towards Lome, we pass thru the 3rd largest city and pass thru village after village, honking at pedestrians and motorcycles, stopping 3 times at the Mango market in one village and the pineapple market ( 5/$1 ) and the banana market, All different villages.
We arrived in lome prior to dark , but by the time we pottied and packed a new bag it was dark and we were working in the dark again with torches ( flashlights ). The house needs a generator because the power in Lome is so unreliable. Every where you look there is a need.
Now it’s dark and early evening and the streets are filling up with people and motorcycles by the 1000’s and cars. Try to imaging an ant swarm, they are going this way and that in an organized fashion, some going and some coming. Those are motorcycles. Now add in cars bumper to bumper, pedestrians by the 1000’s and a 4 way intersection with a traffic cop, which is mostly ignored, but he is doing the best he can. Now add in that many of thses motorcycles and yes bicycles also have no lights. I am a nervous wreck. If there is a few inches, it is filled with motorcycles. Total chaos to am American. We finally inch our way thru the intersection by almost bumperhitching the car in front of us and then drive thru more traffic at too high a rate of speed narrowly missing everyon and hitting no one. The road is very bumpy, full of pot holes going to the border. You have to avoid these and again motorcycles, people run out in front of you.
We finally make the border crossing into Benin and the car has to be registered as we cross and then we have to have Visas ( $50 usd a piece, 50,000f ) Well Esahu leaves us in the car, takes our passports to process and it is getting steamy, the Golf has air but the car is off. I decide to step out stretch and I take son photos of the lighted areas.
A few minutes later a civilian I thought approached and spoke to me in French and motioned for me to come with him.
Well this is the situation, foreign country, Esahu over there 40 yards away , no passport and no visa yet, Mary in the car, so I stall.
“je parle englais”,
He states he does not speak english only French ( I understand some basic phrases) and gets a uniformed officer to come over. He speaks a little English and tells me to go with this man. I am more than a little worried here. I have about $200,000 f and $50 usd and I think they are fixing to relieve me of it or worse. Thank goodness Mary stays in the car.
I say “NO”. Now I argue in English with them speaking French
The officer states this is the chief, I argue that I will go over there where Esahu is pointing in that direction. I keep asking where do they want to take me, “I will go there” and then as they are asking me something, I speak a phrase I know, but should not have,
“Je n’cest pas” –( I don’t know)
There expression change to pissed, they now think I lied about speaking and understanding French. My anxiety increases and finally they go get Esahu, they are talking in French and we are escorted to the chief’s office. Esahu apologizes, I apologize, the chief wants me to delete the photos I took, I did with his witness and they allow us to finish to visa process.
We are now on our way to the village where the bible school is . We are stopped by the military at least 6 times at check points along the 100km trip. Some of the military are polite and efficient and sometimes they look almost dangerous. Esahu is waved thru some checkpoints, has to exit the car at others, open the trunk at one. Welcome to Africa!
He says the checkpoints are worse in Nigeria.
We arrived about 2am finally found the hotel we were to stay in. This is probably a nicer African Hotel.
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