📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The Togolese Association of Volunteers at Work (ASTOVOT) was founded in 1957 with the name «VAT» (Volontaires au Travail – Volunteers at Work). Nowadays, the association has became an apolitical ONG for International voluntary work, community education and development done for and by young people. Officially approved by the Togolese Government in 2002, ASTOVOT made it its mission to improve the citizens’ life conditions supporting their blossoming and their welfare through social and cultural activities, for example in terms of environment conservation or awareness regarding health issues. Pictured this situation, ASTOVOT is engaged to support the people’s and ideas’ flow through International and intercultural exchanges in order to arouse the mutual comprehension and the peace promotion.
💼 What the programme involves
Together with the local mason, the volunteers will render the building’s walls, prepare the plaster that will be used to render, cut the wood for the carpentry, put in place the windows, etc.
Another group of volunteers will create a green area for the centre, prepare the soil (spreading the manure, watering…) and plant the plants, turf and flowers.
🏠 Accommodation on site
The accommodation will be close to the workcamp and will include a common room equipped with electricity. The preparation of the meals will be everybody’s task, as the volunteers will be sharing it.
📍 About the location
Located 120 km west from Lomé, the town of Kpalimé is a dream location for the nature lovers and the hikers looking for beautiful mountain landscapes and tropical flora. You can cool off in the many natural waterfalls. Kpalimé is also the home of the Togolese handicraft, as many artists and artisans moved here.
With about 101,088 inhabitants, Kpalimé is a touristic town in the Plateaux region. Capital of the Kloto district, Kpalimé offers many infrastructures such as: hospitals, post office, town hall, police station, banks etc. In addition to these public and administrative offices, you will find art shops, shopping centres, bars, restaurants and discos which will keep you busy. The great market of Kpalimé (the biggest one in town) is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with a huge offer of different products: you will find many tropical fruits, any kind of vegetables and African clothes, etc. Indeed, Kpalimé is a city, which welcomes a lot of visitors. Thus, you will surely enjoy your stay during the workcamp activities.
Free time activities:
Beyond the workcamp hours you can enjoy the hikes, meet the very hospitable local population and organize evenings and trips to visit the nearby villages.
⚠️ Requirements
The ASTOVOT workcamps are open to everybody, no matter the volunteers’ nationality. The minimum required age is 18. No particular skill is required, being motivated about the activities and being able of maintaining a decent moral behaviour is enough.