📝 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
The activities will be divided in two parts:
- The first part will be dedicated to courses intended to help the students of the elementary and the high school, especially in the subjects in which they have more difficulties. The volunteers will also support in teaching French (reading, writing, verbs conjugation, oral and written composition, etc.) and calculation (math).
- The second part will be dedicated to games and entertainment activities, which will be held in the village’s library (reading, drawing, singing and dancing competitions).
N.B.: It would be nice if the volunteers could bring A4 papers, coloured pencils, exercise books, markers, kids games, some educational material for the kinder garden and everything else you think is necessary for the project’s good realization.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Housing conditions are generally rudimentary. You will be lodged near the site of the camp. The whole group will be housed in the same house, the rooms will be shared, provide small inflatable mattresses or a small floor mat (no bed), sleeping bag, mosquito net ... The kitchen will be organized by the volunteers. Drinking water available.
📍 About the location
Located 12 km from the town of Kpalimé, on the way to Nyivé village, which is close to the boundary with Ghana, Yéviépé has been founded at the end of the 18thcentury. With its population of about 3000 inhabitants, it is surrounded by Kpadapé at North, Kalakala at East, Nyivé at South and Womé at West. Mainly farmers, the villagers base their activities on the cultivation of corn, beans, manioc, yam (a tuber) and rice. The village has a huge amount of children and teenagers. There is a kinder garden; the elementary school and the high school are attended by the students of the six nearby villages.
Apart being a charming village with a quite welcoming population, Yéviépé boasts a river and natural resources such as a wood, bamboo, etc.
The village festival is organized every year in August. It is a traditional celebration, which gathers the whole village population and even some emigrated villagers. In this occasion cultural activities and traditional ceremonies are organized.
Free time activities
Beyond the workcamp hours you can enjoy the walks, meet the very hospitable local population, organize evenings and trips to visit the nearby villages and have fun at the beautiful waterfalls and mountains of the region.
⚠️ Requirements
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.