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After ensuring basic life needs are met, access to education is the single most important luxury in Togolese culture to help transform generations. Your giving provides professional development and opportunity for higher education including the school and supply fees for our seamstress’ children along with 35 others.
Some of the hard realities regarding the Togo education system are so foreign to us here in the states. While in Togo free primary education is available for grades one through six, it is not reliable. It is common to have 50+ students per teacher and for the classrooms to have only a few very outdated books. It is not unusual for a teacher to miss work for the day with no substitute.
Then once the students finish primary, only 41% will continue on to their secondary schooling, grades 7-12. Of these students, only 32% will complete secondary school and go on to college or trade school. Quality education is not accessible to the masses. Right now, a Togolese family has to pay fees for their child to attend a school full of enrichment. After paying the tuition the family must also pay for uniforms and supplies. In a country where the average annual income is a mere 940USD, it is understandable that these expenses are not feasible. It’s no wonder why so many children are put to work as early as age 11, forfeiting the rest of their education.
Being able to support over 40 individuals’ schooling is an incredible milestone to celebrate as an organization. However, we have a list of another 40 other children waiting for the day that we can sponsor their tuition to attend school.
These children are waiting for the opportunity to learn higher mathematics, comprehension, and sciences.
In Togo, there truly have been great strides in the education system. The adult (30+) literacy rate is about 64% while the literacy rate for young people (under 25) is 84%. These are incredible victories to celebrate, but there is still much work to be done. There are still too many children slipping through the cracks. There are too many dreamers, and thinkers, and explorers that are not given the chance to grow to their intellectual potential.
There is a water crisis in Togo. What if a child that had to stop school at the age of 11 could have been the engineer to empower his country?
There is a maternal health crisis in Togo. What if the little girl who stopped school at the age of 8 could have changed their medical care system?
Because of your partnership and your annual and monthly giving, generational change is happening in Togo. Because of you, there will be children who bring their families out of poverty. Because you believed in the vision and heart of Francis + Benedict, Togo will have more children equipped to create a more prosperous community.
So from all of us here at Francis+Benedict, thank you! Thank you for choosing to be a part of our mission and family.
Would you like to be a part of our Education Initiative? Click the link below to sign up for annual or monthly giving!
Want to know more about us and see what is happening in Togo? Follow our nonprofit account on Instagram! Hit the button below to go to our account and then press follow!
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