Le Togo

Hi again! So after two years of nothing interesting happening in my life, I will be blogging again this year as I explore Togo! I had the opportunity this summer to go anywhere in the world and do something for my personal development. Pretty neat, huh?

Overwhelmed by this choice, I decided to go somewhere in francophone West Africa and try to investigate grassroots democracy there. As luck would have it, I happen to stumble across the Duke in Togo Program through a good friend of mine, Meggie Staffiera, and it sounded like a great opportunity. If you're anything like me, you are asking yourself "where the hell is Togo?" Well check out this map.

So, this summer I will be spending most of the time in a small village in the north called Farende. I will spend the first couple weeks getting a lay of the lan' but then it is likely that I will help further develop a local tax system to provide for some of the public goods in this villlage (think latrine at marketplace, fix roads etc). As a poli sci major at UNC who is about to start at Georgetown's MSFS program where I will get a 2 year MA focusing on international development and someone who is interested in promoting and improving democracy this will be a great adventure (read: crash course) in rural life and community organizing there!

So, keep posted and I really do appreciate comments (I will be oh so lonely!) so don't be shy!
Au revoir!
Alex