PROJECTS mainly supported by SPES-Austria

SPES Austria has funded media libraries in the centers in Lomé and Kpalimé. These libraries offer several hundred books, donated by the Lycée Français de Vienne and its students, and computers.

In order to overcome difficulties at school, we finance help with homework and specialized support for children with specific challenges by psychologists, speech therapists, and sign language and Braille training.

In Lomé, a group of primary school children are taking French as a foreign language classes at the Institut Français. The teacher selected is Togolese and, based on his experience of both languages and cultures, can help them to understand spoken and written French. The Togolese school system uses French, which is not really spoken by children when they start elementary school.

SPES Austria funds coaching for adolescents to help them transition to independent lives. It is essential that they acquire the skills that will enable them to enter adult life.

In 2021, the two SPES centres want to set up a vegetable garden and an organic livestock farm. The aim of this project is to guarantee healthy food, protect the environment, and encourage the children to learn about home grown food production. In June 2022, the project received financial support of Euro 15,000 from SPES-Austria and the 1%forDevelopmentFund Vienna - an independent association of staff members and ex-staff members of UN organizations in Vienna.

SPES-Iceland is also donating funds to ensure the project's sustainability.

Since December 2022 and until January 2023, the project has already harvested various varieties of vegetables, including lettuce, beetroot, parsley, onions, cabbage, sweet potatoes, spinach, chili, tomatoes, and carrots. In April 2023, gardeners and other dedicated staff with the help of enthusiastic children planted the second harvest.

The positive effects of the project are already being felt:

• The two SPES centres are less affected by increased market prices for vegetables.
• The availability of fresh and organic vegetables makes daily shopping easier.
• Intestinal infections among children have fallen.
• The motivation of staff and children to continue the gardening project is growing by the day!

The project has the following objectives:

1. To increase the area under cultivation at the centres with the goal of achieving food self-sufficiency.
2. To continue growing different types of vegetables organically.
3. Foster an entrepreneurial spirit with the children.
4. To use the experience gained from previous growing cycles for future harvests.

The actions planned include the preparation of new growing plots, supervision by specialist gardeners, and collaboration with organisations such as SlowFood Togo

The project has a wide range of material, human, and financial resources. Irrigation equipment and tools are available. Volunteer support is provided by SPES staff and children. Financial resources from previous subsidies and the sale of vegetables are available, but additional support is needed to ensure the sustainability of the project.

Over time, the project aims to become financially self-sufficient through the sale of vegetables. The vision is not only to secure the food supply, but also to promote sustainable, environmentally friendly initiatives and inspire young people to become entrepreneurs. Many of our young people have decided to study agronomy.