As September draws near, two more Africa trips lie ahead of us: one to Togo in West Africa, and the other to Mozambique in South East Africa. The Mozambique team will be going there to train preschool teachers; among the gifts they'll be taking with them are illustrated manuals that we're making for the teachers, and simple everyday items (like the plastic tubs donated to us from the ice cream shop) that can be used for creativity projects and for educational games.
Just one week from today, I'll be heading down to Togo, where I'll be teaching in the French language PCYM - a school that trains Africans to work with children, youth and families. Before I go to an African PCYM, I always write to ask what gifts I can bring with me - things that they are not able to buy locally. The requests vary from one location to another: sometimes they ask for "luxury" items like chocolate and cheese; sometimes they request more "ordinary" things like paper handkerchiefs, plastic bags or ballpoint pens .... if those things are difficult or expensive to get in the local area. So last week I wrote to Togo, to ask what they would like me to bring for them this time.
One of their requests was very obvious and something that is close to my heart: they run an after-school homework club for dozens of neighbourhood kids, and so they asked me if I could find some educational games or activities that they could use to stimulate these kids mentally and help them to make progress academically. The second request was rather surprising and actually made me laugh: they asked if I could bring a couple of bags of "croquettes pour chat" (dry cat food) as they are no longer able to buy it locally and their cat is beginning to miss it. I had to smile. I think it's the first time that I've been asked to take a gift to the missionaries' cat! Needless to say, Tamba, Teddi and Tobi were very excited about the idea of sending some of their "croquetas" to help the missionary cat in Africa.
