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Togo Fishing Village Reached by Measles Initiative
Written by
Lesly C. Hallman
, Staff Writer and Photographer, RedCross.org
Monday, December 13, 2004 — Lome, Togo – The conditions are tough, even unbelievable at times. Dirty children run free with no shoes, no shirts and no supervision, clad mostly in their underwear, while their parents tend to the house or work on the boats nearby. It is here where the Togolese Red Cross is spreading the news about vaccinations against measles for kids and teaching parents how to protect their families from malaria with mesh and nets.
The men of Zone du Port rest on their boats after bringing in the day’s catch.
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Right outside of downtown Lomé, the capital city of Togo, fishermen and their families have made their home in a thriving village known as Zone du Port. Most of the fishermen are from Togo, but others hail from across West Africa – Benin, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. They canvass the shoreline following warm weather and the big catch, taking their homes and families with them as they go. Here a home is really nothing more than a lean-to made of woven palm fronds for walls and tarps for roofs.
While the men work the boats, the women are often at home with the kids. As far as one can see, rows and rows of these makeshift homes are set up. While many travel the coast throughout the year, some live year-round on this publicly-owned property, only moving when the government uproots everyone, demonstrating its ownership of the land. But as soon as the officials leave, the people return.
Space here is at a premium and privacy is non-existent, making Zone du Port a perfect breeding ground for diseases, including measles and malaria. The close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean draws in mosquitoes, while the large numbers of children combined with poor sanitation conditions allow measles and other diseases to fester almost unchecked.
When the Red Cross convoy pulls up to the area’s clinic, the children show up immediately. They are shy at first, but the allure of faces different from theirs proves too strong. The children’s façade of shyness wears off quickly, and the crowd soon grows.
Volunteers for the Togolese Red Cross make up the social mobilization education team that goes from hut to hut, explaining to parents in French or an African dialect when the vaccinations will start and demonstrating how to use the bednets. Many of the adults already know about the nets because the Red Cross here has done a good job of spreading the word that they will be handed out soon.
 Togolese Red Cross volunteers raise awareness in even the most remote areas of their country.
Photo Courtesy of Marko Kokic, Canadian Red Cross
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Members of the Red Cross are most often gladly welcomed into these homes. While these people don’t have many material items, they do have family—often grandparents, aunts or uncles are living under one roof with mom, dad and the kids. The desire to keep loved ones healthy is paramount.
While one part of the community is at home tending to the family, another part is gathered at the nearby dock area. The entire area is filled with women – some sleeping, some watching babies, some cleaning fish. Beyond them, the port is packed with boats full of men, young and old, bringing in the day’s catch.
The Red Cross volunteers make sure to visit this area, too, because word does not always spread from the village to the docks. The vaccinations and bednet distribution will begin early on Dec. 13, so everyone has time to get ready and make sure they get it done before they begin the work day.
As the volunteers tell over a loudspeaker how the distribution and vaccinations will run, small crowds gather. Older women instruct the younger mothers that vaccinations and bednets will protect their babies. Many women here have lost children due to measles or malaria, and they want to spare another the pain for others.
Word spreads quickly about the upcoming activities, and the volunteers pack up and head back to their headquarters to plan their next activity. Life all over Zone du Port returns to normal with the hope that the families here will gather at the clinic and find added protection for themselves and their loved ones.
About the Measles Initiative
Launched in 2001, the Measles Initiative is a long-term commitment to control measles deaths in Africa by vaccinating 200 million children and preventing 1.2 million deaths over five years. Leading this effort is the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization. Other key players in the fight against measles include the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and countries and governments affected by measles. While the Measles Initiative is focused in Africa where the majority of measles-related deaths occur, partners also work on a wide-range of health initiatives around the world, including measles control and other vaccination services outside of Africa.
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