Togo

You are here: Our projects > Where we work> Togo

CONTEXT
There has been a drastic reduction in humanitarian aid, without changes in the political tendancy for 36 years. In the last 10 years, the socio-economical conditions have constantly worsened. Togo is 143 (out of 182) on the Human Development Index (HDI). The country has poor vaccination cover: only 44% of children are completely vaccinated against polio, and 58% against measles. According to the World Health Organisation, Togo has more than 490,000 disabled people and almost 49,000 people in need of orthopaedic treatment. The first African school for training French-speaking orthopaedic technicians and speech therapists is in Lomé, the capital.

BACKGROUND
1992: providing equipment and consumables to the National School for Medical Auxiliaries (ENAM)

1995: organisation of a seminar on the training of orthoprosthetists in French-speaking Africa.

1997: official opening of our Togo office. Support to 7 orthopaedic centres.

1998: survey of the living conditions of disabled people

1999: providing support to the orthopaedic sector and to associations for Togo’s disabled population

2000: new speech therapy project

2001: organisation of the Japhaf – Games of the Future for the Disabled People of French-Speaking Africa. Set up of a training course for health and education workers, in order to improve the care provided to people suffering from speech and communication disorders.

2003: First law on social protection of disabled people adopted in Togo

2004: Support for the Federation of organisations has enabled the first social protection law for disabled people to be adopted, and agents of the National Programme for community-based rehabilitation have seen their abilities increase. The National school for the paramedical professions has at its disposal premises that have been renovated and rebuilt (computer room and library), and has seen its training curricula revised. It now offers internationally recognised training for orthoprosthetist (Ispo level II). The first West African class of speech therapists is starting its second year.

STRATEGY
Our strategy involves local capacity building, in the public, associative, denominational and private sectors. All institutions (schools, rehabilitation centres, associations of and for disabled people, national and international NGOs) involved in the field of disability in Togo are receiving institutional support.

The programme's strategic lines are:

1) Support for functional rehabilitation, through care structures (orthopaedics, physiotherapy, speech therapy) and training within all three departments of the National School for the paramedical professions (ENAM) in Lome

2) Reinforce disabled people's capacity for socio-economic integration, via a network of associations

Programme's perspectives

• Consolidate activities supporting disabled people's participation in organisations, with a project focused on promoting rights, rehabilitation, and support for the ENAM.
• Increase the field of activities to new areas (inclusive education, Buruli ulcer).
  

ACTIVITIES
Our objective is to support the inclusive approach to disabled people through a network of partners. These activities cover the whole country. They are divided into five projects.

1) Capacity building of the ENAM ortho-prosthetics, physiotherapy and speech therapy departments

• Improvement of working conditions and educational tools: renovation of premises and equipment, provision of additional equipment and tools, creation of a documentation centre
• Reinforcement of educational methods: revision of training curricula, further training of instructors, training programme for senior ortho-prosthetists, visits to Lomé by specialist teachers
• Reinforcement of ENAM regional coverage: departments of ortho-prosthetists and speech therapists.

2) Support to orthopaedic & physiotherapy centres and professional associations (ortho-prosthetists and Astop and Amkito physiotherapists

• Establishment of a project for the self-reliance of orthopaedic centres, i.e. strengthening of the management of the centres, support for consultation visits and appliancing for physically disabled people
• Establishment of further training for physiotherapists and ortho-prosthetists, in partnership with the professional associations Amkito and Astop.

3) Capacity building of associations of or for people with disabilities

• Organisational support for Fetaph (Togo's Federation of disabled people), helping with national coordination and defence of disabled people’s rights
• Identification and support for partner associations, improving their organisational capacity and their capacity to construct and fund projects and to manage micro-projects
• Support for the Togo Federation of sporting activities for disabled people (Fetospha), which contributes to strengthening the integration of people with disabilities by means of sport.

4) Community-based rehabilitation (CBR)

• Capacity building of CBR associations
• Technical support of associations and national NGOs to offer responses to the needs of people with disabilities.
• Organisation of awareness-raising sessions on disability at community level, with the associations.
• Realisation of a programme of communication on the subject of disability and the disabled.

5) Care-management of language and communication disorders

• Identify the needs of deaf people, detecting, diagnosing and treating people with speech and/or communication disorders due to a physical, mental or sensorial disability, in order to facilitate their social integration
• Support for training of competent professionals in the care-management of speech or communication disorders
  In 2006, Handicap International conducted a study which demonstrated that less than 3,000 children with disabilities were able to go to school in Togo. Our efforts are now oriented to launch a pilot inclusive education programme in Togo.

BENEFICIARIES
Disabled people and their families are the direct beneficiaries of these projects. Professionals working in workshops and orthopaedic centres, rehabilitation or health education are also beneficiaries. ENAM – especially the training departments for orthopaedic technicians and physiotherapists and the new speech therapy department – and the associative partners (Fetaph, Fetospha and 25 affiliated associations) are also beneficiaries of the project.

Our partners are:

• the Federation of Associations for the Disabled (Fetaph)
• the Federation of Sporting Activities for the Disabled (Fetospha)
• the Institutional Structure Research-Action for Support of Local Initiatives (Siraib)
• Programme for Social Cases (Pahcs),
• the Association of Parents and Friends of Encephalopaths (Apape)
• the training and rehabilitation Department for Blind and Other Disabled People (Sefrah)
• the Béthesda rehabilitation Centre for Blind People (CBRA in Bassar)
• Envol (school for encephalopath children), Ephphatha (school for deaf people in Lomé)
• the Public Health Ministry and the Ministry for Social Affairs and the regional offices related to those two ministries, the national programme against paludism
  Read the testimony of Haketa paraplegic as a result of contracting poliomyelitis.

CONTACT
E-mail: hitogo@gmx.fr
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL Rue Hedzranawoé N° 1 Tokoin Novissi BP 8621 LOME TOGO
00 228 226 01 56