Save the Date! You're invited to Pathways Togo’s 10-Year Anniversary Gala on October 10, 2020 in Washington D.C.!
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON OUR SCHOLARS' COMMUNITIES
Since December 2019, the world is facing a pandemic of the new coronavirus called COVID-19 discovered for the first time in China. The first case of this disease was declared in Togo in March 6th, 2020. Thanks to the immediate response measures taken by the Togolese government, relatively few people fallen ill in Togo. According to recent data, Togo has:
*https://covid19.gouv.tg/situation-au-togo/
The Togolese government has responded to COVID-19 by taking security, health, social and economic measures in the effort to limit the spread of the virus, but, unfortunately, the lockdown also has consequences for economic and gender equality and education. The government closed schools and universities on March 20th 2020. For more than a month, Togolese students and our scholarship recipients have been living in partial containment and learning their lessons at home. The lockdown also disproportionately affects our scholars and their families because most of them are poor. Although the government supports poor families with $21 grants every two weeks, these grants are only available to people living in the two urban areas where COVID-19 has been reported, Lomé and Sokodé.available to people living in the two urban areas where COVID-19 has been reported, Lomé and Sokodé.
HOW HAS PATHWAYS TOGO RESPONDED TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Pathways Togo was mainly concerned with the health and safety of our staff as well as our scholars. Staff have been working from home since the last week of -March and have postponed all of ongoing projects such as the new scholar selection meetings and any events and programs that require in-person gatherings. We have also canceled sites visits and are keeping in touch with all of our scholars through phone calls. We are proud to inform you that all of our scholars are safe and healthy.
Photos of Pathways Togo scholars during 2019 annual conference at Peace Corps Togo traning center in Pagala.
CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION
Photo of Pathways Togo alumni Edwige Sabanko wearing a mask during the health campaign against COVID-19 . Edwige works at International Trade Union Confederation in Lomé (ITUC-AFRICA).
Pathways Togo alumni have volunteered alongside other young people to raise awareness in their communities of health and hygienic measures to protect against COVID-19
Pathways Togo scholar Yanou M’Booura, who is studying medicine in Cuba, also sent advice to younger Pathways Togo scholars on how to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
STORIES OF HOPE
The coronavirus pandemic has killed many people around the world and we express our sincere condolences to all those who have lost loved ones due to COVID-19. We are also inspired by the acts of bravery, love and solidarity of those around us and we urge everyone to continue doing their part to limit the negative effects of the virus on health, gender disparities and economic disparities.
During these difficult times, some aspects of life continue: two Pathways Togo university scholars recently gave birth. Bassira Idrissou gave birth to a baby girl in Bafilo and Bella Kisseme gave birth to twins (a boy and a girl) in Lomé. The mothers and babies are healthy and for that we give thanks.
Photo of Idrissou Bassira, holding her baby girl named Nasroulah in Bafilo in the northern part of Togo.
Photo of Bella Kisseme holding her twin babies named Yohana on the right and Eliana on the left.
