ABWE in Togo The Hospital The Blind Center The C.R.C
Woezo!!!!
FUN FACTS ABOUT TOGO
-The flamboyant
(flaming) tree blooms.
-Greetings include a
handshake and verbal "Hello" in French (Bonjour), Ewe (Woezo-lo!), Kabiye
(Alafia-we) or another tribal language.
-You should use your
right hand to give or receive money or other items.
-Crossing your legs
when you sit or talking to someone with your hands in your pockets is considered
condescending.
-Togolese carry
everything on their heads - one banana, a fully-assembled ceiling fan, up to 300 eggs,
firewood, a big basket of chickens, or a 5- gallon pan of water
-Togolese houses are
made of concrete or of mud or brick with straw roofs.
-Soccer is Togo's
favorite sport. People go wild during World Cup competition.
-Togo's traditional
religions stress fetishism and idolatry. Ancestor worship is common, along with the
worship of snakes, trees, rainbows, fire, etc. Fetishes are used as protection against
evil spirits and against other men. (A fetish is an object that is considered holy or as
having some special power.)
How's the weather??
-Togo is hot and
humid most of the year and the temperature seldom drops below 70 F.
-During Fall and
Winter months harmattan winds bring dirt and sand from the Sahara Desert.
-During Spring and
Summer months is the rainy season.
Hungry???
-Fresh fruits and
vegetables are available in abundance, along with meats, fish, dairy products, pasta, and
nuts-- plenty to maintain a balanced diet.
-Togolese eat lots
of starchy foods--rice or fufu (boiled, pounded cassava root) with spicy tomato sauce and
sometimes fish or meat.
-Worn-out tires are
recycled into sandals, toys or fuel for smoking meat (love that burnt-rubber flavor!)
Shopping Anyone?
-You are expected to
bargain for everything you purchase at market. You should offer about one-half of the
first price quoted by the vendor.
-You can buy used
Nikes for about $4 a pair.
-You can have your
favorite dress copied by a tailor for about $3; handmade custom-fit leather sandals are
available for $3 a pair; custom-made snakeskin belts are $7.
What was THAT?
-You won't see
elephants, tigers and zebras in Togo, but you will see goats, sheep, chickens, many
varieties of deer, monkeys, baboons, beautiful birds, grass-cutters ( agouti -- like
groundhogs), squirrels, shrews, lizards, rats, iguanas, and snakes.
-You'd better watch
your step---poisonous snakes seen frequently include the green mamba, black rnamba,
various types of vipers, cobra, and the python.
- Rhinoceros
beetles, which fly, can be 3 inches long. Other pests include scorpions, spiders,
termites, and mosquitoes
-The kapok tree
blossoms with fluffy material used to stuff pillows and mattresses. (This tree is also
known as the baobab tree.)