YovoTogo Diary-2017-4

Monday October 23, 2017

At 8AM this morning we are at the CRETFP (Regional college for technology education and vocational training) in Dapaong to meet with the responsible persons for this school and those of Jump Lab’Orione, YovoTogo and the Tandjouaré-Dapaong Rotary Club. The goal of this meeting is to define the conditions under which the “FabLab-OrthoLab” project will be implemented, this project including a computer room, an incubator for digital activities, supplemented by a 3D printing unit to produce parts for the disabled children orthopedic center of Bombouaka. The managing director is obviously delighted to hist this project in his educational institution, and to add it to his training program portfolio. Together with his deputy and the head of works we visit not only the room initially assigned to the project, but the whole building (see photo below) consisting in 3 rooms, 2 of which being air-conditioned.

In the afternoon, while Patrick is conducting a training session in Dapaong, together with Eric form the France-Togo association we go back to the Don Orione center in Bombouaka, where, after lunch, we take a tour of the facilities guided by Father Alain Kini, who among other things introduces us the very latest achievements like the postoperative building, another building hosting the lab, the pharmacy and the future x-ray room, as well as the teenagers lavatories, the TV set and the fridge that we financed this year. The playground, including a merry-go-round and a toboggan, will be open for Christmas. We take the opportunity of our visit to the orthopedic center to hand over a batch of leather offered by our “Cuir en Stock” (Leather in Stock) partner.

Tuesday October 24, 2017

Today is a very special day since we inaugurate the first of the six class rooms built this year. Arsène Tindame of the Tandjouaré Dapaong Rotary-Club did organize a meeting with DOUTI Tchimbiandja Yendoukoa Christophe, prefect of Tône, before he presides the opening ceremony. We watch together the promotional videos concerning our actions, and we gibe him as souvenir several parts produced by the 3D printer that will be supplied.

The prefect payed tribute to our focus on the development of the Savannah Region in general and his prefecture in particular, and assured us of his full support for our project, by facilitating the administrative procedures conducted by the CRETFP school director toward the authorities. We meet again with him around 10AM at the Naki-West high school, facility which remains an example in term of involvement in our project. In fact, a little month ago, the ball was sent in their court in order to fulfill the conditions to receive a computer donation from our JUMP LAB’Orione partner. Thanks to the passionated energy of David, member of the village committee, to the managing director of the facility and to the financial participation of everyone, it was possible to secure the access to a room, to bring electricity to it and to furbish it at recors speed. These commitment and enthusiasm have indeed be highlighted by the prefect during his speech.

Then, we go through the village which seems to be very lively and energized, to end our visit at the health and maternity center. The project “Ortholab-Dapaong : the software libre serving the youth to alleviate the disabilities in North Togo” is now on track, to the great satisfaction of YovoTogo, JUMP Lab’Orione, the Emmabuntüs collective and their partners Roberto, the Belgium ortho-prosthetist, and – of course – the Tandjouaré Dapaong Rotary Cliub which helps tremendously to push forward this project. Moreover, by the end of the afternoon, Arsène receives via WhatsApp messages of congratulations and encouragement from the minister in charge of Security and from the one in charge of Education.

The original French post of this article can be found here , courtesy of our friend Ordinosor, which was itself written after the diary of the 2017 solidarity journey of our YovoTogo friends friends : https://www.yovotogo.fr/nos-voyages-solidaires/2017/