Missionary Trip to Togo - Reported by Joseph Meaney, July 1-8, 2009.

Togo hosted the 4^th Annual HLI Seminarians for Life Summer Institute (SSI) this past July. Once again, I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Leo Kodjo and his team that runs the HLI affiliate, Pro-Life Togo. They do remarkable work in a country that has been victimized by oppressive governments, grinding poverty and the international abortion lobby.

Imagine a place where the average income for the total population of 6 million is the equivalent of $900 per year! Togo is a country that has had two presidents in the past 40 plus years and where the pro-life will of the people was totally ignored by the government when it legalized abortion in 2007. This took place only a few months after it ratified the "Maputo Protocol" of the African Union, which defines the legalization of abortion as part of women's rights. The Human Development Index of the United Nations Development Program lists Togo as 159^th out of 179 countries in the world for such measures as life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living. [1]

The Church is the Best Hope for Togo

It is vital under such dire circumstances to partner with the Catholic Church-one of the few functioning institutions in the nation-to bring about positive change. The HLI SSI gives a boost of encouragement to the local church and pro-lifers, so we were very pleased to bring it to Togo this year. 

HLI brought 100 seminarians from the French-speaking region of Africa for pro-life training, organizing and equipping-what we do best. We had representatives from 10 African countries, as well as a large number of seminarians from Togo and Benin. This HLI institute featured significant enhancements over the previous three.

For the first time we had a group of priests attend for a special session. HLI's Seminarians for Life program now has many "graduates," priests who are making the pro-life apostolate a priority in their pastoral ministries. Togo and Benin are blessed with many vocations, and it was a pleasure to see these young men who are so enthusiastic for the pro-life cause. We keep in touch with these priests and will be incorporating them into our HLI formation sessions. Perhaps in the future, please God, there will be bishops selected from among their ranks to lead the Church in Africa in defense of life and the family.

Another big success in Togo was our press conference. Thirteen journalists from national TV stations, radio stations and newspapers came to report on the international pro-life event. George Wirnkar, our HLI director for Francophone Africa, Mr. Leo Kodjo of Pro-Life Togo, and I were all interviewed by the reporters. Some of the questions reflected the sad fact that abortion is now legal in Togo. We strongly defended the right to life and became a feature story in the press.  As I was walking through a market in Lome, the capital of Togo, people said they saw me on TV and congratulated me for my strong words against abortion. Undoubtedly, this was the most coverage we have received to date by the media for a pro-life event in Africa.

Once again we gave out molds to representatives from different seminaries around the continent and a demonstration on how to make plaster models of 10-week preborn children. Mr. Leo Kodjo has done a superb job of producing thousands of baby models with the few molds we gave to Pro-Life Togo. I visited his very humble home and saw that his children and other family members mix the plaster and make the models all day long. They are a wonderful pro-life witness that helps mothers choose life for their babies.

Thanks to the 7 molds we gave Pro-Life Togo, they now plan to make 10,000 of these fetal models in the next year and distribute them in schools to teachers and students. Their website: http://prolifetogo.org/ is all in French, but it also features pictures of the pro-life outreach this group has done with HLI's help.

How HLI Is Making a Difference, One Child at a Time

Here is a beautiful story of an event that I witnessed. We drove to a poor section of Lome to visit a family that lives from the vegetables they grow in the field surrounding their little hut. One of the daughters of the family is both deaf and mute. A neighbor took advantage of her handicap and vulnerability to have relations with her. When the family discovered that she was pregnant, the young man refused to acknowledge his paternity. Because of their terrible abortion law, these poor people were at grave risk of being influenced into accepting an abortion. Happily, Pro-Life Togo's social outreach was there to intervene. They informed the family of their legal rights and let the father know he would not be allowed to shirk his responsibilities. I had the joy of seeing a precious little boy who might not have been alive today if HLI did not have such a good affiliate in his country.

Another great activity there is the promotion of respect for human life through the ladies who work in the central vegetable market. Pro-Life Togo has a program of showing the Silent Scream and other videos to the workers there and encouraging them to spread the message that abortion is wrong. They also give out fetal models and pro-life literature. Many of the young ladies who work in the market are unmarried and at risk of being seduced by immoral men. HLI's promotion of chastity and respect for life are exactly the message they need to hear. Unfortunately, the Gospel of Life has to compete with dozens of billboards in the city advertizing condoms with sleazy slogans and images.

Another entity with whom we collaborate in Togo is FOFCATO, a Catholic women's organization. I met with its leaders and thanked them for their willingness to promote the message of life. The Catholic Church has many similar organizations that help individuals and families in Africa. I spoke to one such group for married couples at Mary, Queen of the World parish.

Spreading the Gospel of Life through the Media

In Africa, getting groups together to watch a life-affirming video is an excellent way to spread awareness. We bought an LCD projector to make this outreach even more effective. Pro-Life Togo can now show films to large audiences in parishes and other settings and not be required to have the people crowd around a TV monitor. Thanks to the energy and dedication of our leaders, we will soon be seeing the fruits of our pro-life investment in this West African nation.

Before I left the country, we filmed a documentary for Togolese Catholic TV. I met with Fr. Gustave Sanvee, who is in charge of this brand new television project of the Church. His office is located on the grounds of John Paul II Major Seminary. They are only able to broadcast programs a few hours a week because of financial restrictions, but they do a great deal with the resources they have. We decided to go to the residence of the Archbishop to have a good setting for the filming. This also gave us the opportunity to speak with Archbishop Denis Komivi Amuzu-Dzakpah, who has given HLI his unqualified support since his appointment in 2007.

A Decreasing Fertility Rate

Despite the high value that the Togolese place on children and families, their fertility rate has surprisingly declined. It peaked in 1981 at 7.4 children per family, and the latest rate for 2009 is 4.8. [2] The International Data Base of the US Census Bureau shows a steady decline-a 36% decrease-in births per woman over the last few decades. At the same time, the AIDS epidemic is gaining ground, which could seriously decrease the population growth and leave large numbers of orphans.

HLI's work in Togo is dynamic and growing, despite the many difficulties there. During my visit, the rainy season was in full swing. After a few hours of rain, most of the roads turned into rivers that could barely be crossed by vehicles. The potholes perform double-duty there as stagnant pools for the breading of mosquitoes. I am nevertheless always edified by the smiles and cheerfulness of the Africans who work with us as they eagerly carry forward the Gospel of Life.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index   (viewed  Sept 14, 2009)

[2] http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/country.php  (viewed Sept 14, 2009)