Phibsboro volunteer in Togo appeals for local support

A PHIBSBORO local is hoping to raise enough money to finish the construction of a building that caters for some of the most disadvantaged people in Africa. 

Catherine Lawlor has been volunteering in Lomé, the capital of West-African country Togo, with PDH (Promotion et Développement Humain).

Out of their base building, PDH work with orphans, people living with HIV, street children and what they have dubbed ‘social cases’ whom they support materially and with information. 

However, the main problem is that they need funding to finish the construction of a base building.

At the moment support meetings for groups like orphans living with HIV are taking place outside under a small, makeshift structure.

There is little space and it is covered in red dust from the Lomé landscape.

Catherine is hoping to get enough donations to raise a roof over the building, which consists of three assembly rooms, and furnish the interior of the building. 

PDH is founded and run by Togolese volunteers, which is quite different to the typical charities working in Africa.

Catherine talks about one of the volunteers who is a sociology graduate named Eric Etse. Eric came from a deprived background and was orphaned at a young age.

Catherine explains that Eric is hoping to set up a community based primary care/first aid clinic that would be free of charge to patients.

PDH put a lot of focus on education, apprenticeships and giving micro-finance loans to small businesses. Its main objective is to make clients self-sufficient. 

Catherine has got stuck into helping out during her time in Lomé.

She attends support meetings for adults with HIV/Aids, visits schools and helps out in an after-school homework clubs for local orphans and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Catherine explains that life for the majority of Togolese people is hard. In Lomé the weather is hot, humid and dusty and gets very muddy when it rains.

Most of the work and chores are labour-intensive. Many people’s water supply comes from a community tap and has to be carried back in basins to their homes.

“There are so few lampposts that they can be used as landmarks” adds Catherine. 

She says that despite the challenges, Togolese people are “very resilient, good-humoured and welcoming, and naturally like to relax and have a good time”.

The total cost of the building is €17,000. If even half of that is raised, half the building could be fully finished. A gofundmepage has raised an impressive €3,500 in the past four weeks and Catherine is hoping that “numerous small donations will get us over the line”.

If you would like to donate you can do so on the crowd-funding page:

?¯www.gofund.me/raisetheroofPDH

Róisín Nestor