Finallement! L'internet! ça marche!

Week one – Lomé to Kpalimé

So maybe the blog wasn’t the greatest idea…considering that today is the first day that the internet connection has been fast enough to upload it, haha. And now, with literally almost 40 pages written in my journal and on my computer, it is exceedingly difficult to decide what to impart here in cyberspace. I will do my best, and for the rest, you will have to just anxiously anticipate my return :)

Oh and congratulations in advance to anyone who actually makes it to the end of this long message, it is hard to squeeze it all in...

After a few rough days of transition, adjustment to the oppressive heat and humidity, and recognition and acceptance of real isolation, I am in love with this country. Togolese are more friendly and hospitable than I ever could have imagined – a small smile from me lights up their eyes, they grin back and immediately wish me a bonjour, comment çava! They are some of the happiest and real people I have ever met, and I love how it makes me feel, especially now that I feel like I fit in. It was hard at first to realize exactly where I was, how far from home, how disconnected (technologically and otherwise) from the developed world…but I have now embraced it and am feeling much more comfortable.

The landscape is gorgeous here in Kpalimé. Lomé, where I was for the first day, was much more dusty and dry, but here it is lush and green, palm trees and banana plants everywhere, vibrant colors slapped on every structure and don’t even get me started on the fabrics…In the words of Maya Angelou, a true "riot of colour"...it is incredibly refreshing. The poverty is real, but not harsh or dismal, just humbling. Here it is truly l’habitude, and is does not debilitate. Smiles are more brilliant and eyes more vivid than I have ever seen…and I do not say that lightly, or with an ounce of clichéd romanticism.

Daniel, the CEO of FECECAV, met me in the morning after my flight arrived (FECECAV’s driver, Yao, picked me up at the airport and brought me through dusty dirt streets of Lomé to a “hotel” close to the airport) and we passed a busy day in Lomé. It was a total blur, culture shock and all, and I will have to revisit it later. I have now been in Kpalimé for almost a week, and am infatuated with it. I am so lucky to have been placed here, as it is the most beautiful place in the country, so they say, and so I have seen thus far…I have been to about 5 other villages already, which has been amazing, the visit FECECAV’s other offices and clients and has given me an opportunity see more of the country.

So about this elusive FECECAV…my job is much different than I expected, and I think that this added to the difficulty of adjusting to my life here. Turns out (shocking, I know) Kiva has not a clue what is actually going on on the ground and what the realities of these MFIs are…I figured this out on the 2nd day and at first decided I would leave. It was too overwhelming. Let me start at the beginning…

FECECAV works like a well oiled machine. They have a detailed organizational structure, well maintained procedure, a development plan for the next three years, and international partners. They do their job incredibly well and do not really need to me to advise them on how to run things more effectively, use microfinance model more productively, etc., which is part of the reason I thought I was here…Every day there is a line of clients out the door to see Rogier, the head Loan Officer, to obtain new loans and set up their credit history. There are also clients lining up to pay at les caissses. I am so impressed with them and after being here a week can really see how much good they are doing for the people of Togo. I am honored to be able to experience it.

The main problem is this. It is twofold.

1) I am not a microfinance person, not a finance person at all really. And Kiva made it seem like this would not be a problem AT ALL. They truly gave no instruction on how these businesses run, particularly geographically specific information, except for a couple of background readings which, for the most part, went over my head with financial jargon, complex data on interest rates, PPP, etc. I am fairly disappointed in the preparation they provided and the fact that they truly did not create any type of plan for when I got here…if I hadn’t emailed Kiva a few days ago, they wouldn’t have even known I was here, that I didn’t die in a plane crash or something…but enough about that, here these concerns seem selfish and unimportant.

2) The real issue is this: FECECAV has been on Kiva since December. That’s all. Therefore, they are still in the pilot phase and do not have a lot of money invested in Kiva nor many clients on the site. They have a manual and completely understand how to use it, they are internet literate, can follow directions, and really get it. So that reason for me being here is moot, except for a few tiny things which I discussed already with Daniel. No problem. Therefore, for me to really be of any use to them, they have to TRAIN me on their organization and on microfinance. How is this helping? They have loads of clients lining up at the door and I am supposed to take them away from that to go find the 10 clients or so in Kpalimé that are listed on the Kiva site? I do not think that this is efficient or helpful. Instead I am an interruption, a hindrance to their work, and they are so hospitable, friendly and eager to please me that there is no changing the fact that I am more of a burden to them than an addition (although they probably don’t think so.) I really would’ve expected more of Kiva in this regard, to see where and when this kind of work is needed – for example with MFIs that have a larger Kiva portfolio and need help only with journaling. Or to realize that updating rich Americans on what has happened to their money is not really a priority on the ground, where the important thing is to fund more people and change more lives. And as we all know, periodic updates do NOT in any way effect the funding of loans in the Kiva site…they are all funded in minutes, and Kiva’s biggest problem is keeping enough loans on the site for people to eat up.

I have a few clients from which that I collected data this morning. Rogier left a line of clients at his door to take me out in town to visit them. Which is great for Kiva, but I really don’t think that these are FECECAV’s priorities and I feel that it is very wrong to be doing it – as they will never say no, of course, Kiva is giving them free money!

FECECAV’s model is incredible…They are a cooperatif, a coop. This means that they have an Assemblé Génerale, which I like their Board, and is made up of clients. This ensures that everyone has an investment in the organization. Fantastic. This is the way development should be. In this way, les clients sont aussi les proprieters. I can’t imagine any type of bank doing this in New York…these people are amazing. And it comes from their culture of cooperation, interdependence and community. It has changed my life, really, in only 5 days. My spirit and mentality feel at home here, where people want to work together, care for each other and always smile at each other, no matter how hot and tired they are.

FECECAV serves the maritime region of Togo, which is in the middle and goes down to the coast, near Lomé. They have 11 offices, which all report to the central office in Kpalimé. They have over 14,000 clients…and I think less than a hundred are on Kiva…

So I made a decision, and changed my strategy. I am here for FECECAV. And this is what will help people here. I talked to Daniel about my observations, my new plan, and why I feel this way. He couldn’t have been more pleased. He says that I understand la réalité du microfinance en Afrique. I think he really needed to hear this from me. When we got back to the office, he sent me in to observe Rogier, who was filling out “Dossiers du Crédit” for clients. These green booklets, which they must buy for 200F, are there credit reports. These are real here, not some mysterious document online that visa checks up on and Equifax charges for each trimester…these are the documents that allow you to feed your family. How ironic that I don’t have any credit…

So since I finally took a leap, decided what I was going to do, that I will stay here for the next month, and told Daniel and the others about my revalation and new strategy – Daniel gave me some work. He had me sit with Innocent, or Ino as they call him, the first person you see when you come into the office, who is in charge of entering numbers and data into a computer. The poor thing sits there all day typing numbers into a screen and is interrupted every 5 seconds by someone asking him where is la caisse, and ends up staying until 8pm because he doesn’t have 2 minutes of peace to count and has 12 collectrices give him more information 5 minutes before he is ready to leave. I sat with Innocent for about an hour and added up numbers in columns…I was so elated to have something to do, but after a few minutes the numbers began to blur, I had to add them multiple times pour les verifier, and I really felt for the guy. He is one of the younger ones here at FECECAV, and works so unbelievably hard. I promised him that tomorrow I would bring him a pack of gum and would help him again, for which he was so grateful.

Today is Sunday, a quiet day here, as most are à l'eglise in the morning. I have been invited to attend mass next weekend, for which I am incredibly excited (Daniel's children, who are obsessed with me because i gave them NYC keychains, told me that people sing and dance throughout the service.) Yesterday, three of the FECECAV guys that I have become most friendly with, Yao, Athanase and Olivier, took me up into the mountains east of Kpalimé to see the view of Ghana and the hidden rainforest with its butterflies and waterfalls...and the FECECAV girls, who wander around Kpalimé en masse, have shown me around town a bit too, to drink a Flag or an Awooyoo (the 2 most popular Togolese beers.)

I have been eating fairly well, although the meat (TEGAN) has been a bit hard to swallow, literally, and the Togolese dishes are definitely hard on the digestive system...good thing I am an adventurous one...i must admit though I had to stop short of trying the Fufu (national dish of yam paste, which tastes salty and bland but çava, with different sauces) à la RAT sauce...i kid you not, there was an actual claw on the plate and i just could not do it...i have eaten it many other times though with potent fish sauce, tough chicken and even lamb...oy...

The proprietor of my little hotel, la Petit Suisse, (which costs around 8doll. per night) and his wife have really taken me in and have been so helpful. Their names are Mensah and Akbene. Akbene calls me her "petit fille" (little daughter) and insists on doting upon me at every second. This attention is frequent from many here in Togo (I am pretty much a celebrity as i am one of very very few yovos - white people - here and people yell yovo!yovo! at me all the time, particularly the kids who want me to take their photo) which is sometimes sweet but makes me feel very uncomfortable sometimes too because i feel that they are the one who deserve that, not me!

D'accord, i had better try to post this exceedingly long message because it will most likely take the remaining time on my internet card to upload...sorry folks no photos, but i have lots and cqn't wait to share with you all.

All my love and hope to be in touch again soon!
à la prochain,
K