Volontaire Globalisation (VGlob)
http://www.vglob.org/english/
For anyone new to OPS, a brief bit about V Glob: Volunteer Globalisation (V-Glob) is an independent, non-profit, humanitarian organisation based in Togo, one of West Africa's smallest and poorest countries. It focuses on improving educational structures, improving health and sanitation and providing education about AIDS. It is strongly community orientated and strives to ensure that projects are both sustainable and effective.
For the last year OPS has been putting money towards the re-development of a disused colonial era health centre in the village of Nyitoe-Zukpé, a small village 100 km North of the Capital Lome. The village is in a very poor area where over 70% considered below the poverty line. Access to clean water is severely limited and health facilities are non-existant - both child and mother mortality rate is above the national average.
Having worked in the village for six months in 2004 and got to know lots about V Globs ongoing efforts to combat the problems facing the people there one of our members, Josie Kaye, nominated V Glob in the 06 elections and had been jointly administering the partnership throughout the year. Our great thanks to Josie for all of her effort and enthusiasm over the last 12 monthes.
2006: Having
heard from Joise about what great work V Glob is doing for
people in the direst of need we were anxious to help. We realised
that given the remote location, language barrier (Josie has
been translating French – English and visa versa for us) and the fact that, unlike the British based organisations we have helped in the past, V Glob is a local charity, things would be a challenge. As things have transpired we decided along with Josie that as our money was intended for a big project, it arriving in dribs and drabs would be of no advantage and would be problematic in terms of tracking the payments at our end and theirs and also in terms of incurring international money transfer charges. We therefore decided to hold the money until the end of the year which we did until £1308.84
was sent to Togo last week.
The health centre as it stands and 07: Due to the factors outlined above it has been difficult to get any regular or new feedback regarding developments at the health centre. As Fola, our V Glob contact, has explained, both V Glob and people in the Village are somewhat cynical about ‘proposed developments' as they have been let down by empty promises from donors and governments so many times in the past. To this end, we at OPS are glad to say that we have come through with what we promised and we hope this gives both V Glob and the people of Nyitoe-Zukpé encouragement for the future. Funds have been tight for V Glob and they are still some £2600 short on the money that they need to cover all the materials needed (rust proof metal sheeting and timber for the frame) to complete the roof. As Fola has indicated to us in his report (which is available if any of you would like to see) our money will be of great help in meeting this target and also will perhaps provide the optimism needed to encourage the government and other donors to increase their support for the roof project and the rest of the renovations (the most immediate needs here being; ceilings, repairs to walls, doors and windows and installing a sanitation system.) Altogether, with the roof, this should cost around £6500. Any funds V Glob receives from us this year will continue to go towards this target.
Whilst difficulties would inevitably remain, it would appear that once our initial donation is received, it will be much easier for Fola and V Glob to engage with the people of Nyitoe-Zukpé and ensure that we regular updates on the progress of the health centre and other community building programmes. Furthermore Fola has been very proactive in encouraging ‘our friends at One Percent to come and see the place with our own eyes'. This is good to know and should be V Glob be elected we do have plans to look into a project visit for later in the year.
Marcus Fairhurst, Jan 2007