Where We Serve
Vakpossito, Togo, West Africa
Our office is in Vakpossito, Togo, northwest of Lomé. Togo, sandwiched between Benin and Ghana, has a population of about 6 million. Togo is agriculturally driven, but also supplemented with mining operations. The education system faces challenges such as teacher shortages and lower quality education in rural areas. Over half the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 USD per day.
How We Serve
H.A.R.V.E.S.T.
Health
In Togo, endemic illnesses persist due to poverty, contaminated water, and poor health services. Our priority is to break this cycle through education programs that empower villagers to take responsibility for their well-being. Collaborating with local experts, these programs address the link between contaminated water and illnesses, emphasizing hygiene education. While our small clinic provides basic care, our goal is to establish a well-structured clinic actively involved in health education to meet the growing healthcare demand.
Agriculture
Adequate food is absolutely essential for life, making it a critical goal for Multiply the H.A.R.V.E.S.T. In Togo, where the majority are agrarian, people rely on small plots of land for crop yields to feed their families in the coming months.
Our various agricultural projects aim to:
1. Collectively evaluate existing traditions and practices.
2. Pool resources.
3. Teach gardening techniques.
4. Instill a sense of responsibility for developing a sustainable harvest.
5. Teach methods to improve soil health, crop production, and animal husbandry.
Rural Development
Rural community development is a central focus for Multiply the H.A.R.V.E.S.T., guiding every aspect of our work. Our approach involves developing individuals who collectively work for the community's common good, employing participatory methods like capacity building and empowerment. We emphasize the need for a commitment to development, striving for sustainable livelihoods and organized communities. Program implementation targets key areas for development, acting as catalysts for significant results. Our goal is to break the cycle of complacency, fostering a commitment to long-term improvement. Through these efforts, we aim to create lasting positive change in rural communities.
Values
Values form the core of Multiply the H.A.R.V.E.S.T., subtly influencing decisions regardless of life status. Motivated by the sacredness of human life and the dignity of every person, we follow the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Through collective reflection, we examine personal behaviors, principles, and standards, considering their impact on individuals and the wider community. Gaining insight, we integrate these values into our cooperative work for the common good. This approach guides us to question and reflect within the context of personal and community well-being. Ultimately, our goal is to positively influence choices and foster a sense of shared responsibility.
Education
Education and learning are foundational to all aspects of Multiply the H.A.R.V.E.S.T.'s work. We emphasize both academic and life skills learning in a mutual process involving both villagers and volunteers.
Multiply the H.A.R.V.E.S.T. initiated an Alphabetization program for illiterate women, addressing challenges like girls unable to attend school due to household responsibilities. With an adult illiteracy rate of 40%, mostly among women, 80 enrolled in the first classes. The three-year program starts with Ewe and French literacy, adapting to the evolving learning capacity to shape future development.
Our programs encompass topics such as preventing common health issues, natural family planning, environmental resource management, basic adult academic education, development techniques, social outreach, cooperation, collaboration, correlative skills, problem-solving, and financial management, contributing to capacity building and empowerment.
Spirituality
At the core of every human being is a place that influences our thoughts and actions, shaping our personal lives and interactions. We possess an interior map guiding our journey towards God, offering beliefs and practices rooted in traditions. Amidst cultural confusion, the tools that could guide us may go unrecognized.
Multiply the H.A.R.V.E.S.T. is grounded in a spirituality that places human dignity at its core. The worth of an individual cannot be determined by others, but by living examples that recognize human life as sacred, laying a foundation for moral justice.
Our sense of interconnectedness leads us to prioritize the greater good of others, emphasizing unity rather than uniformity. Guided by the key principles of Catholic Social Teaching, our spirituality acts with humility, honesty, responsibility, and ethics, demonstrating reverence for God, people, and creation.
Trade
After establishing a foundation of commitment, responsibility, accountability, knowledge, and habits in our projects, the ultimate outcome is sustainable trade. The key asset is the villagers' minds—thinkers, dreamers, and motivators. We foster a participatory approach, encouraging them to generate ideas and recognizing each other's talents through their shared community development efforts.
In pursuit of our goal to enhance the quality of life, economic ventures originate from the villagers themselves. Equipped with knowledge of their capabilities and the resources and limitations of their surroundings, they plan within reasonable and feasible scopes. Multiply the H.A.R.V.E.S.T. serves as a guide, emphasizing meeting human needs first, developing ethically with consideration for others and the environment, planning with foresight for feasibility, budgeting, marketing, and sustainability, and promoting alternative ideas and approaches.
If you like what we do, consider a donation. All donations are tax-deductible and go directly to serving our mission in Togo.