8. Report: No travel, yet the final report Friday, 12/11/2009
My year in Togo is now long gone and where I happened to me again look at my old blog, I realize I've uploaded my last report had not been. There is so much happening again, since I came back, it's hard for me to bring all of this in relation to each other. Since I was still in Agou recently on the sports field and have shown my students Frisbee, and now I am a student at a German university, I can again among the smallest and learn even Frisbee in high school sports. When I look back, I can believe people of what all happened and I have experienced. I learned an awful lot about myself, know my limits and horizons expanded. During my entire stay and even now I have not regretted the decision of my stay, even if it was not always easy, I was overwhelmed with sitaution and I have made mistakes. Nevertheless, the stay as a unique asset to me. My wish and hope is also to continue the enrichment and can return. Nyadogolo - à bien tôt.
Saturday, 06/20/2009
One last trip, this time to Benin, the last weeks of school and the recent experiences in Togo, which will also refer to the most recently uploaded photos, it is my last, written in Togo report. One last time I would look at what happens around me and to me acting before I return from Germany in a final report, look for a conclusion and an assessment to draw my stay.
Holidays
On 04/27/1960 Togo won its independence, now celebrated as National Day, on 01/13/1963 Togo was the Honor the first African country to be subject to a military coup. Eyadema Gnassingbe's seizure of power is to be celebrated to this day also from the people - for the opposition, it is either a commemorative day to honor their fallen president. Both events are equally celebrated, and both times I looked at the spectacle taking place across the country in which large rallies by students, unions, workers associations and organizations.
In Agou, my village, region, form several thousand students of all surrounding schools, from elementary school (from the third grade) to the Lycee (high school), the largest part, because for them it is a Required course. In their khaki-colored uniforms, the students gain first school way around then sorted into small blocks, then by age and sex to position. A marching music sets the clock to the parade with sweeping arms and legs, the students face serious at the same pace in front of the Préfecture (local government). Even if it's only a few hundred meters, only the full Schülerzug takes over an hour, then align themselves with other groups of soldiers on dance groups to tailor associations, groups of hunters and last but not the moto-drivers who are irresponsible with daredevil stunts the amount of their driving skills . Present From the first paramilitary deployment is thus ultimately a kind of people moving in the colorful costumes and presents the audience to be entertained. The whole procedure is always already rehearsed the day before, which means it paralyze all traffic both times.
During my first time in Togo, I was constantly asked what are the many, confusing road markings, well, I could find in Lomé, until I saw the first move its usefulness as a means of orientation of the marchers. Me as a German, might seem slightly odd, the parades and even though for many students it is merely a free lesson required course is, can detect a certain pride in the students as it accrues for their school closed before all.
is now teaching all over, and all final exams, including the BEPC (the audit of the 3eme) and BAC (Abitur), which queuing last. What is being introduced in Germany, with headquarters audits only gradually, here's a long walk and add. For the BEPC all the pupils were split from Agou the largest schools in order to deposit their checks. At my school, as the largest, the students came from eight different schools together, while the teachers to other schools also divided so that no one supervised either his own students, nor was able to correct their exams. As with normal exam, all subjects are tested after the other off, both morning and evening. After a week it's all over and the teachers to make the corrections to send it in. Finally, the Préfecture .
will the moment of delivery note, I no longer noticed, but last year there were reportedly 70% at my school, the BEPC and in the other cohorts were on average 50-60% over the next year added. On the private schools should these values turn out better, however, where repetitions rather constitute exceptions. During my year I was of course much confronted with the Togolese school system and I think an idea to have won over its complexity and problems that sometimes something like that and sometimes it completely different, than in Germany.
the Dahomey kingdom
Since my lessons very early on was over and I quickly had entered all the notes together with my colleagues, I had still got the A third possibility Time to travel. 6 days after Benin, which I've finally seen all the neighboring countries of Togo, a post-travel were relaxed with short distances to major historical places West Africa. In pairs, again with Lenny, we went first to Ouidah, a small coastal town, dominated by the slave trade with the Europeans, on we went to Cotonou, Benin's large, desolate, unofficial capital and finally we went to Abomey, where we insights into the pre-colonial history of Benin received.
Ouidah I will always remain as a beautiful small town in memory, which has a central park to relax and its roads, mostly paved abound, as so often in Benin, right in front of cleanliness. The road leading to the beach with white sand roads, past palm groves and is the historic slave route, the last transition, which the slaves after they were long held in the Portuguese fort had to compete to be brought to their ships. Blindfolded, tied in long chains competed over 10,000 slaves over the centuries that way. They passed the "Tree of Forgetfulness," which the seven women, had to circle the men nine times, so as to leave her old life and her personality back, until finally the "Point de non return "reached the Ablegeort the great vessels.
Similar to Cape Coast in Ghana, where they were jammed tightly inhumanely, for the three-month crossing, which they finally mainly to Brazil and the Caribbean, shipped mainly Haiti. Those who fell ill or not the trip survived was thrown overboard and drowned early.
was bound by the slave trade is a mixing of cultures, the slaves began their voodoo religion in the new world exercise, they still practiced their dances and played their music. As for slavery, many former slaves came back they brought in turn a part of the South American culture and so we could hear a few times at night in bars beninsche samba music.
Furthermore, even when Benin was also flying the French flag, but the Portuguese influence was very strong and in Ouidah, some quarters maintained until independence from the Portuguese.
130km further north also brought me the small town of Abomey even further back in the history of Benin, which also changed until the Communist revolution in 1976 the old name Dahomey. When I inquire about the history of Togo, everyone always starts at the "highly successful" colonization by the Germans that came before, no one knows and no one interested.
The history of Benin will be held in Abomey, the headquarters of the Dahomey kingdom from 1645 to the appointment of the first king and the establishment of his palace. From then follows a long succession of 11 kings who were true to their culture every time a new build their own palace, which still today can be seen distributed throughout Abomey. For several years, the remains will be restored with the help of European funds and the youngest, but also the only completely preserved, are now as a museum. It is wide courtyards, where protected by high and thick adobe walls and halls are small temples. In addition to the large wooden doors are often embedded artfully painted colorful symbols of each king, as there would be a lion, two hands holding an egg or a dog. The former Dahomey Empire, which occupies a large part of present-day Benin, and parts of Nigeria and Togo, was the most powerful in the region and has also always tries to stay.
Museums inform you of a very brutal and hierarchical history, where the king took an unassailable position, and was always intent only on his power to present and to enlarge so was a guiding principle, pass your kingdom is always greater than you found it. A very strong king was therefore within its 40-year term each year war against neighboring kingdoms, which he won without exception. In his palace is on display including his throne, which dominates built on the skulls of four of enemy leaders, all other thrones by far. Any rule violations were punishable by beheading, and a temple was built with the blood of slain enemies. As some point the men for the war were limited, said King, the army of the Amazons, who later in a strong and brave warriors of the Wars have been praised.
In the 19th Century, appeared with the French, who signed a protectorate with a neighboring kingdom and as reinforcement Senegalese troops brought with them a new counterparty. For a long time held the Kingdom of the crew of the French was, until finally the last king Behanzin, 1984 showed. The name "Dahomey" should have said how the colonization and independence to survive.
met at the museum visit each other often two different conceptions of visits. We, at least in terms of history, Dahomey, as a completely clueless needed classified only once a certain time by the given information and understand and would have looked like the very well structured and detailed exhibits and panels in peace. However, the visits were always guided by a leader who in a given time, passed through his program at their own pace. The guides were at least mostly informative and interesting, but when we bit longer than planned dedicated a plaque, they were dismayed and when we after the tour again back into a room wanted, we were more or hinausgebittet less pleasant, was the lead over. Too bad, because we are, the really good museums easily angered and sometimes still left ignorant.
During a city tour with our knowledgeable owner we were sure to simple African Erzählungsart, using a lot of direct speech, explained the various stages again and so have finally the individual information still puzzelartig into a coherent picture together and I finally have a idea has been like this part of Africa before the arrival of white men looked like.
Back in Togo, I am now busy with final preparations for departure, a final meeting with my fellow teachers, one last time to Kpalimé, many souvenirs and enjoy the last days with the family. It is too early for me to look back and somehow it is also difficult to realize that these days are the last, as they have become for me everyday and I no longer like a tourist on vacation happen, although I always as white occupies the role of a visitor.
Greetings from Kpalimé,
nyadogolo,
Robert
