Facts about Togo

While Togo is known for its rich culture and beautiful, coconut tree-filled beaches, it’s also a place many impoverished families call home. And children in these communities suffer through the damaging consequences of poverty.

Lack of Education 

Education is not prioritized throughout Togo. While many children attend primary school, only about 41% of children are enrolled in secondary school. Only 60% of teens are literate, and recently, 59% of students failed the government final exam for their grade level. 

Education is powerful. With educations, children can obtain stable jobs as adults, allowing them to provide for their families and break the cycle of poverty. But without education, the cycle of poverty continues.

Our Response: Ensuring Vulnerable Children Can Attend School 

In partnership with the local church, we ensure all students registered in the Compassion program attend school. We provide tutoring and teach parents about the value of education. At Compassion Togo, 85% of registered children (and counting) are thriving in their studies. 

Improper Nutrition & Medical Care for Infants 

Prenatal and early childhood development care are pressing needs throughout Africa. Without proper nutrition, vitamins and medical care, many infants in Togo suffer stunting and even death. 

Unfortunately, recent data shows that 27 infants out of 1,000 born in sub-Saharan Africa die. And many of these deaths can be linked to inadequate medical care for moms and their babies. 

Our Response: Providing Moms & Babies with Critical Care 

Our local church partners in Africa are on the frontlines of developing and delivering Survival programs. Through these programs, we offer pregnant moms access to health services, such as prenatal vitamins, medical checkups and birth attendants. 

Support continues through the infant’s first year of life, a critical time for both mom and baby. After that, the child is placed into our child sponsorship program, where they receive ongoing encouragement and care. 

Increased Natural Disasters 

Many regions of Africa regularly face natural disasters that threaten the livelihoods of families. In Togo, many regions face flooding during the rainy season that destroys homes, crops and lives. 

When disaster strikes, children in these communities face exposure to the elements, hunger and emotional trauma. These challenges can erase the progress children have made toward leaving poverty behind. 

Our Response: Delivering Emergency Relief 

Our Disaster Relief Fund (DRF)  helps care for communities facing crises, including those in Africa. Through the DRF, Compassion provides communities with emergency food and water, temporary shelter, counseling, medical care and future disaster preparedness. 

In partnership with the local church, we use this fund to keep children and their families on track toward journeying out of poverty, despite their circumstances.