news from the swimsa family
M.E.T.I.S. X AFRICA SMILE IN TOGO Text: Elsa Hoti | University of Lausanne In April 2021, M.E.T.I.S. was contacted by Africa Smile, a Togolese association that aims to fight against poverty on multiple levels: Environmen tal, educational, social and regarding public health. Africa Smile has already been collabora ting with multiple French institutions, in particu lar for the construction of schools and photovol taic panels, whichallow to bring electricity to the most remote villages. M.E.T.I.S. was approached in order to help out in the Public Health sector of the association. Several video-conference calls allowed us to get to know the members and founders of the Africa Smile, and eventually, it became clear that we would have to experience Togo from our own point of view. Three members of the M.E.T.I.S. executive board (Pascale Meyer, President of M.E.T.I.S. 20/21, Sé bastien Anchise, our current Vice-President, and Elsa Hoti, President of M.E.T.I.S. 21/22), decided
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to travel to Togo in July in order to see first-hand where we can help the local people in the com bat against inequalities in access to health care. After a long journey, we were welcomed by the Founders of the association, who would accom pany us from the capital Lomé all the way to the remote villages further up North. Our trip started with a visit to an orphanage built and run by Africa Smile in Yoto-Kopé. The farmstyle orphanage provides not only a roof to sleep under, but also food and access to the school of the local village. Our journey then took us to the region of Blittà, further up North, where we hel ped out in the peripheral care unit (USP) of Ya loumbé, which is also supported by Africa Smile. Infrastructure and equipment are very limited, and they are also short on personnel, as educa tion and professional training are too expensive for most people of the local community.
