Life at the SPES KPALIMÉ center continues as usual, with a variety of activities taking place. The children enjoyed their second holiday of the year. This allowed us to organize a packed programed of events. Among other things this month, there were meetings, staff training, a social evening, and the release of a young person from their probationary period with their employer. Another young person, having completed their trial period, had their contract signed. The centre also welcomed visitors, donors and trainees.
The center took part in an extracurricular event known as the secondary school choir competition with a talented young girl.
Reading and coloring activities are continuing with renewed vigor. Tutoring and remedial classes for pupils from primary school through to sixth form are continuing in full swing. A keen interest in French has been observed among a large number of children. There is still a long way to go, and strategies must be devised to encourage them to express themselves in this language. Adults must necessarily commit to achieving this objective.
The visiting psychologist took part in staff training as a facilitator alongside the trainer on purely psychological issues. Prior to this workshop, she initiated academic and career guidance interviews at the request of the management, whilst also carrying out activities related to her terms of reference.
The garden and livestock are progressing well overall, with new orders for 150 chicks and vegetable plots of Adémè, Gombo and Gboma. The weather is dry, with intense heat both day and night. This is not very favourable for the vegetable garden.
EDUCATION SECTION
The children returned to school on Monday 23 February after a week’s break. This break allowed pupils and teachers from primary to secondary school to take a breather before the end of the second term. The first-term reports for sixth-formers are available: three-quarters of Year 10 pupils have an average mark of 75%, six out of eight Year 11 pupils have an average mark of 75%, and finally three out of five Year 13 pupils have an average mark of 60%. The overall pass rate is 70.59% and the fail rate is 29.41%. Averages range between 10 and 12. It is imperative to find educational strategies to encourage competition amongst the children and teenagers at the center so that they strive to be at the top of their class. Our children must move from being anonymous pupils to becoming active learners.
Written exams for the second term and half-year have begun for Year 10 and Year 11 pupils. These tests serve as a mock exam for Year 9 pupils to assess and evaluate their performance before the actual exam.
Occasional discussions take place in the aisles and corridors of the center between the management and children, groups of children and/or teenagers. These are informal yet warm moments, standing around discussing various topics.
Cooperation between the teaching staff at SPES KPALIME and the head teacher of EPP Volove to support the children in learning to read is already offering some glimmers of hope in the fight against illiteracy among these children.
Colouring activities continue in the dormitory for the young boys in primary school.
During ‘story time’, the supervisory staff is stepping up their efforts. Arrangements are being made to ensure that the children are not all together in the library at the same time.
APPRENTICESHIP SECTION
A three-year apprenticeship contract was signed on Monday 9 February at the Chamber of Trades for a young person in a foster family. Present were a delegation from the SPES management team, led by the director, a representative of the biological family, the employer and the young person themselves. Useful advice was given to the young apprentice, the key point being to respect the terms of the contract and see his apprenticeship through to the end. The second young apprentice in hairdressing was released on 23 February. On the same day, he received his certificate of completion of apprenticeship. His employer would like him to work with him whilst he prepares to set up his own business. The terms of this offer will be reviewed in the young man’s favour.
For the young apprentice in cooking, discussions are underway regarding his transition to independence.
YOUNG PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE CENTRE
All the young students, pupils and apprentices in Lomé and Kpalimé are doing very well. All have received their allowances for February 2026. The students have finished their exams, except for Florent, who will complete his on Sunday 2 March.
The secondary school pupils have shared their first-term school results.
HEALTH SECTION
The children are falling ill less and less, apart from specific skin problems. The Kpalimé Community Health Centre does not have a dermatologist. These cases will be managed differently at the end of the school year.
Indeed, the two children suffering from this condition, whose skin is affected, have had this ailment for several years. The treatment is more symptomatic than etiological, which explains the recurrence.
VISITS
The SPES KPALIME center received visits from a number of parents and donors. Others came to report cases of children in vulnerable situations with a view to their placement at the SPES KPALIME center. A list of children is currently being considered for investigations to be scheduled with the DPS (Prefectural Director of Social Solidarity).
Two young French women, Nora and Andréa, hosted by the ASTOVOT/Kpalimé Association, are undertaking a placement of several weeks at the center to support the center’s activities for children and teenagers. They are very active and devoted to both the little ones and the teenagers. They contributed enormously, through their ideas and donations of materials, to the organization of the special social evening in February.
From February onwards, the breakfast allowance has been increased for secondary school pupils (150F) and sixth formers (200F). This will now be the amount they receive, in the hope that this can continue given the particular circumstances of the Kpalimé centre. This increase was made possible thanks to various discussions during the visit of the delegation from SPES France and the President of SPES Togo, who spares no effort to ensure we benefit from various donations, both in kind and in cash.
The whole team is grateful to SPES France for its commitment and unwavering support, as well as for the motherly presence of the President of SPES Togo.
OTHER NEWS
The management team held its regular monthly meeting on 20 February. It focused primarily on preparing staff training for the development of Individual Development Plans (IDPs) as stipulated in the SPES KPALIME 2026 Action Plan. Emphasis was placed on the need to record the children’s daily lives in their information books.
All the objectives of the 2026 Action Plan were explained, and the mothers were urged to participate in achieving the plan’s objectives. The SPES TOGO safeguarding policy document was briefly presented for review with a view to its signing. Copies of this document were distributed to staff for reading, with a view to its presentation and signature by each individual.
Another meeting brought together the staff, the trainees, the psychologist and a mother, the trainees’ supervisor, to draw up the programmer for the evening of relaxation organized for the children. Thus, on Thursday 19 February, the center enjoyed a special atmosphere of relaxation.
According to the programmer, the day began with a sporting activity from 6.00 am to 7.00 am, consisting of a walk through the streets of the town center. From 9.00 am to 10.30 am, there were reading, storytelling and coloring corners led by the cultural facilitator and the mothers. Following a break, there were discussion sessions on the prevention of sexual violence, particularly sexual harassment. This activity was proposed and led by the midwife working at the center. Various games stalls were set up, allowing all the children to take part, even the youngest at the center.
Following this wonderful experience, the activity was incorporated into the year’s educational programmer.
Training for supervisory staff on the development of the Individual Development Plan (IDP) took place from 24 to 27 February 2026 in the teenagers’ study room. Various modules were presented, and the four-day training course included discussion workshops and simulations, amongst other activities. The workshop concluded on a positive note regarding the next steps in implementing what had been learnt during the training. It is worth noting that the SPES psychologist co-facilitated the workshop on specific issues relating to her field, which encouraged participation on specific topics such as mental health, psychological disorders and distress.
As part of the socio-cultural activities, Kpodzi High School organized a concert on Friday 24 February featuring choirs from the high schools of KLOTO. The French teacher and tutor working at the center specially invited a teenage girl to perform the song ‘Amazing Grace’. The teenager was accompanied by a group of 17 other teenagers, a mother and the youth worker. She had the honor of opening the concert. It was moving. This is a talent to be developed and nurtured.
The teaching team held its weekly planning meetings on 16 February.
GARDEN AND LIVESTOCK
Activities in the vegetable garden and livestock rearing continue despite the drought. Another order for chicks is pending. The total number has risen to 150.
The garden:
The gardener’s new beds are dotted with okra and adémè crops. The young chilli plants are currently being transplanted.
The gardener is trying to weed the plot earmarked for yam cultivation.
Livestock:
The ‘Projects and Donations Committee’ team in charge of livestock is working hard to meet its targets. The hens are currently consumables. The project team is already consulting with the cooks to jointly determine the price per item and the average monthly quantity required. Seven hens are already being used in the kitchen. The carpenter is rebuilding the partition in the chick rearing area to make it larger, as the current order is three times the usual size (150 chicks). The management committee for this project is encouraged by the congratulations and visits from the management.
WEATHER
The weather is currently dry and dusty. It is very hot both day and night. Clearing of the fields for cereal crops will begin shortly.
Done at Kpalimé, 11 March 2026
The Director
Essoham PALANGA
