News and Events
Félicitations à SALEM-Togo
28.09.2020
Our project in Togo is celebrating its 20th anniversary
In September 2000, SALEM founded the project in Togo/Bassar to train people through environmental education and to make the country greener through reforestation. Since then, project manager Gbati Nikabou and his colleagues have been tirelessly tending the earth, planting, reforesting and passing on their knowledge.
A look back on the development
Four years later - in cooperation with anamed international - the first seminar in natural medicine took place, a fantastic opportunity for further training and exchange. During these seminars multipliers meet regularly and thus secure and enrich knowledge of natural medicine. The youngest participant in such a seminar was particularly interested in the neem tree and its use. In the following years she has built up a production of products such as neem soap, oils and tinctures and supports other young people through further training and employment. This story shows, how a seed, that was sown at SALEM-Togo, rose well.
A big step was made in 2009 with the construction of the environmental education center in Baghan, that extended our work to a region in which up to then, a lot of trees were felled, but nothing was ever replanted. In the meantime we have almost reached our goal of reforesting 30 hectares of land together with the population of the surrounding villages!
Thousands of little trees are produced in our nursery every year, which then provide shade in the area and, together with stone walls, protect the soil from erosion. Species, that are threatened with extinction and those that are better able to withstand climate change, are given preference here.At schools, Gbati Nikabou, who was once a German teacher himself, explains to students and teachers what they can do to protect their environment.
For the first time, the SALEM seminar for health and environmental education took place in the center in Baghan in 2014.The participants were enthusiastic and created the slogan “SALEM - my plant, my health, my environment!” as a sign for their appreciation.The center also offers space for a demonstration and medicinal herb garden, that is open to the public. In addition, the SALEM forest was created, which today provides shade and also houses a beekeeping.The first sign that nature is regenerating is more rains around our project than in the nearby cities. The microclimate has improved a lot, the birds audibly love this wonderful place too!
Last year we were able to tackle the well construction project in Bassar and almost complete it.
A big thank you to our donors for all support during the last 20 years! We would also like to thank Gbati Nikabou and his team: Adèle, Hilary, Silviane and Tanko. Without them the work of the past years would not have been possible and so we hope for many more anniversaries in SALEM-Togo.
Anyone who would like to support our project in Togo can do so easily online here.