Life in Togo: One Family’s Struggle

The Quist family live in the city of Lome, Togo. The area is extremely poor. Most children do not go to school; instead, young boys sell mobile phones and many young girls turn to prostitution in order to make a little money for their families to live on.

The family includes twins, Assoupi and Assou, their little brother Edoh and their mother Amele. The father passed away five years ago leaving behind two widows of a polygamous marriage and nine children all living under one roof.

The three children: Edoh and the twins Assoupi and Assou

Much animosity existed between the two wives and, being the second wife and much younger, Amele and her children suffered a lot at the hands of her jealous co-spouse. The family also struggled to have enough food to eat. They would cook in the morning, preparing just one meal which would need to last the whole day. If there were leftovers they would keep them for dinner, otherwise they would mix flour with water and sugar to drink before going to bed.

The three children were going to school when their father was still alive, but after his death they had to drop out because their mother could not afford the school fees. Amele tried to make money in various ways such as hairdressing and working at the market but she could never earn more than a dollar a day – not enough for food and school fees. It was at the point of total desperation that Assoupi’s mother heard that a charity called Compassion was registering children at a nearby church called Calvary Temple.

From the moment the children began attending the project, an enormous weight was lifted from the family’s shoulders. Amele immediately began noticing a change in the lives of her twins as they began praying every morning before leaving the house. “My children often tell me that they pray for a change in my living conditions,” she said. “In the past they used to go out wandering here and there. But since they began going to the Compassion project they have become obedient.”

Assoupi and her twin brother Assou are able to go to school thanks to Compassion paying their school fees and providing them with all the books and learning materials they need. In addition to attending school, the children also go to the Compassion project every Saturday where they receive both breakfast and lunch, eating sustaining food such rice, spaghetti, beans, cassava, meat and fish. The project also cares for the children’s health needs, making certain they are sent to the hospital for regular checkups and that they receive medical treatment when necessary.

Assoupi and her teacher Mrs Agoh

According to Mrs Agoh Agossi Afiwa Antoinette, the head teacher at the school where Assoupi attends, the young girl has much potential and is likely to see her dreams come true. But what are these dreams? In the past, Assoupi’s only wish was for her family to be able to eat just one meal a day. Today, her horizons have been expanded by the Compassion programme and her new ambition is to train to be a doctor.

Please continue to pray for Assoupi and her whole family that God would continue to bless them with much hope for the future.