No One Will Develop your Country at your Place

The development of our communities, our country, our dear continent Africa lies in our hands. No one will clean your living environment at your place, no one will develop your community on your behalf. We all have to work hard to give our communities the face we want. We are all endowed with a specific talent that is valuable for our communities. Unfortunately, people, especially young people grow up thinking their future should be in the hands of a given person who will take care of them. They also don’t see themselves at the center of their communities’ development. This makes it difficult to get involved in activities that are aiming at developing their areas. Responsibilities are shared. In fact the education young people receive does not help them to see themselves having a role to play in their country’s development. To break these prejudices, EDULCOD-Togo empowers young people and encourages them to get involved in Community Service. Meetings, workshops, sensitizations are being organized in schools and in communities to insufflate this dynamism and a new way of thinking. Gathering young learners from different backgrounds and with a rich diversity has helped many of them to become friends, accept one another, create a strong teamwork and collaboration. Putting young learners from different ethnic groups also helps to break different barriers pertaining to culture and introduces them in the peaceful world of theirs where everyone is concerned about the needs of others. The results of this activity are numerous. EDULCOD-Togo’s scholars and other students are creating dustbins for schools, they organize regular clean-ups in schools, hospitals, and in other public places. They often teach one another about community engagement and volunteering. At Lycée Scientifique de Kara, one of the top science schools located in northern Togo, students initiated the project “My Contribution”. This project led by students themselves consisted of saving their pocket money to be able to buy soap, milk, flour, sugar, clothes, and other articles to offer to orphans in the community and patients at the pediatrics. This was an innovative project which yielded incredible fruits. Some of them also volunteered to give free English classes to some orphans in the local orphanage. Empowering young learners to get involved in their communities’ development is vital as it helps them be aware of their responsibilities and their duties. It teaches them that they are active and invaluable actors or their communities’ development and not passive observers.