End-of-year tests and exams marked this month of June at all levels.
The candidates for the BEPC, CEPD, and BAC II received special attention this month through specific and collective support. On the eve of each exam, the candidates benefited from advice from the supervisory team during organized meetings.
Initiatives were taken to make the waiting time for results useful for the children. These were pre-vacation periods called ‘useful holidays’; moments when the children try out new and unique experiences. To make this possible, contacts were made with the baker, the carpenter, and two seamstresses.
The Prefectural Director seems to be overloaded, but he reassures us about the proper measures he is taking to ensure the children are received on time. There is one child whose return to the field is necessary.
Assessments of the situations of three young people’s families were possible. The families of three others who have reached adulthood were not assessed. Two of them have their family in Ghana, and the third person will stay at the center while waiting for their mother, who is not in the country.
The Child form to be filled out for the godparents of all the children has been completed. However, end-of-year results data are not available for all the children.
The follow-up reports after reintegration for the youth from SPES Kpalimé in Lomé and Kpalimé are finalized.
It should be noted that to optimize the performance of all staff outside of formal meetings, informal meetings are held and are often very valuable. They allow for a firsthand understanding of current realities and for reacting accordingly. Sometimes these meetings have a greater impact on achieving the goals of the 2026 action plan than the organized and planned meetings. Their uniqueness lies in the immediate response to a situation that cannot wait for formal meetings.
The center benefited from a visit from the coordinator and the chairperson of the board.
The chairperson was accompanied by the President of the CNDH, who came to discover the center but with his hands full of a donation. He promised to come back. Other visitors and donors also made sure to support the children.
Four young people took part in the sightseeing trip of the prefecture’s tourist sites organized by the high school environmental club of Zomayi as part of extracurricular activities. The BEPC results were published online on the evening of Thursday, June 25. Out of a total of 144,257 candidates nationwide, 81,197 were declared successful, a pass rate of 56.14%. The center had a rate of 66.66% (4 candidates passed out of 6 presented).
The CEPD results were also announced electronically on the morning of Thursday, July 2. Out of 237,992 candidates, 180,972 passed, with an overall success rate of 76.04%. The KPALIME center recorded a 100% success rate (3 presented, 3 passed).
The only one of the three young leaders who remained at the center has joined his family. He has taken a place to live. He is on leave during which he will be with his family.
It is easy for the residents of SPES Kpalimé to be happy with little or with a lot. Joy was in the air thanks to birthday events and the arrival of comforters (part of the donations from SPES France).
Indeed, a few moms and children blew out an extra candle. Pépé Njordür’s birthday was marked by a special celebration. Special event, special organization. Everyone was happy thinking about this big-hearted man who crossed oceans and borders in the name of his humanism, in the name of love for children in vulnerable situations. His work will live on, and the children of SPES TOGO will remember him for generations to come.
“He who planted a tree before he died has not lived in vain,” says a proverb. In this spirit, the children, teenagers, and staff wanted to leave their mark at SPES Kpalimé. The kids and teens were happy to solemnly plant a tree on June 1st, on Tree Day.
The SPES Togo accountant, who was on assignment this month, worked on the financial reports twice with the director. This allowed the young people to receive their June allowances early. Meanwhile, the psychologist analyzed the school results of the middle school students.
The safeguarding policy document was signed by the President of SPES TOGO for its implementation in both centers, Lomé and Kpalimé. The focal point was chosen by the children and adolescents through an anonymous vote. The focal point is a child care assistant. She attended a focal point training from June 23 to 26, 2026, in Atakpamé. A briefing will be given to all staff.
To help the focal point get started with her work, a presentation of the finalized and signed SPES TOGO safeguarding policy document will be given to the staff and children when the 2026-2027 academic year begins.
The installation of computers by SPES TOGO’s technician requires his involvement to review the work he has done.
Indeed, apart from the computers not working properly, they don’t have autonomy as he had thought.
The copier acquired and installed by him is causing some difficulties for the users. It’s possible to see someone on site. Management rejected this proposal for security and liability reasons. We can make copies but not print. The center is waiting for the technician to resolve these problems.
July 10 is the date set nationally for going on vacation. The management team wanted the residents to leave earlier so the team could enjoy their annual leave before classes start again. The whole team is tired right now. We need to recharge our batteries to face the new year.
Partners and donors from the informal sector were contacted so that teenagers could have meaningful holiday experiences. Some visited Deynigba Cacao’s business, others went to the Jour en Jour store specializing in general food trade, and some even went to the bakery. Partners in building construction (masonry), carpentry, and sewing also tried out new experiences. At first, the girls were less motivated than the boys. By the end, everyone enjoyed the experience.
Their lunch was mostly covered by the partners. The teenagers studying masonry and those in commerce are picked up from the center in the morning and taken back in the evening. In carpentry and masonry, the teenagers got hands-on experience on the work sites. The employers gave very positive feedback. This is an initiative that should be extended to the formal sector for teenagers who have already shared their future plans through their university studies or vocational training.
Garden and livestock activities continue despite the chick deaths recorded last month. The hens are mature and are already being sent to the kitchen. Two goats (one large of productive age and one small) were acquired to increase the herd. This brings the total to four goats, with only one male. This livestock doesn’t cost the committee anything in terms of financial expenses or care. Right now, there’s some thinking going on about whether or not to order more chicks given the costs of this livestock and the rainy season.
The banana trees and other fruit trees are doing well. Unfortunately, the kids aren’t very involved in helping the adults take care of them. Regular maintenance in the plantations will allow the fruit trees to grow properly.
Two labor inspectors, during a surprise visit, made recommendations to the employer to ensure smooth work operations.
The city of Kpalimé is in the heavy rainy season.
Schooling section
The third-term report cards for middle school students and the second-semester report cards for high school students are not yet available. The exam results for BAC1, BEPC, and CEPD are known to date. For BAC1, six out of eight candidates passed, which is a 75% pass rate. For BEPC, 4 out of 6 candidates were admitted, which is a 66.66% rate. It should be noted that, in general, the national pass rate for BEPC is 56.14%, which is not a great performance. All three candidates for CEPD passed, making it a 100% success rate. The staff’s joy at this outcome was great, especially considering the efforts of the children, particularly the eldest in the group who faced huge difficulties. For all these results, support was provided to those who did not pass.
The BAC2 results are expected to organize a party. It will happen when the children return.
It should be noted that the two students who failed the probation decided on their own to learn a trade. They have reached a ceiling they cannot overcome. They have pushed through the school year that has just ended.
The BAC 2 results will make it possible to assess the overall situation of all cases of school and/or professional guidance.
Learning section
The apprentices and young people in vocational training are doing well. The three young bosses living at the center are now all with their families, including the last one (the hairdresser). In July, a meeting with the boss who wants to hand over his workshop to the male hairdresser will allow a decision to be made about this young man’s business setup.
The young female hairdresser still comes to the center to do her brothers’ and sisters’ hair for a fee. Her supplementary judgment has been signed, collected from the court, and filed at the town hall for registration.
The two young people training in welding and auto electricity have received their work equipment. Additional purchases will be made for the young person in auto electricity training.
The young people outside the center
The young students, pupils, and apprentices in Lomé and Kpalimé are doing well. One young man was summoned to the disciplinary board following complaints from his boss and his mentor.
The death of this young man’s stepfather, who is in his final year in Lomé, during exam revision almost shook him up. His brothers, who are in Lomé, were called on to support him emotionally. We hope this won’t affect his exams too much.
The assessments of the situation of the families of 18-year-olds were done in three families in the Kuma area and in the city of Kpalimé. There are four this year. The fourth has his family in Ghana and will attend his final year next school term. He will be kept at the center so that he can get his BACII. The evaluation wasn’t done in his family, then. Two other young girls, one in the first year of high school and the other in the final year, were supposed to leave the center last year, but given the complicated situations of their families, they were kept. The second girl in her final year also had her parents in Ghana and stayed to get her BACII.
The young student at INFA is working on his bachelor’s degree. He’s less regular at the center.
Health section
Five (05) young people and three (03) little boys underwent malaria treatment. There are no serious cases requiring hospitalization. Everyone is doing well.
Visits
The young people in the vocational training workshop were visited, and their difficulties were sincerely taken to heart by the Education and Discipline Committee.
The center received a visit from the president of SPES TOGO, accompanied by the president of the CNDH, who supported the center with food supplies. Their presence brought special joy to the birthday celebrants of the day. The SPES Kpalimé coordinator, who was passing through, also visited the center.
A few parents and donors came to provide support for the children’s needs.
Other news
The social investigations for recruiting new children have been carried out as stated in the previous report. The Prefectural Director (DP) of Social Action and Solidarity assures that the center is ready to take in the children. Being very busy, he asks for patience.
Several extraordinary military-style meetings have taken place to improve the work. They are insightful and encourage everyone, at their own level, to review educational practices for better results. A mid-term evaluation of each employee’s performance will begin shortly with the team in place. The childcare assistants and the youth supervisor will be the first to be evaluated.
The regular staff meeting was held on Thursday, June 25. The following points were discussed: the departure of the children for holidays (who is leaving and who is staying at the center?); preparing permission slips for holiday outings; meeting the children’s needs for the holidays (buying bags, underwear, and towels); organizing teams to welcome parents, identifying spots for parents… It was decided that only the children in primary school, CI level, would stay at the center.
However, for reasons of personal development and emotional attachment, two little girls and a boy will need to go on holiday.
A young girl in 8th grade wanted to spend her vacation with the psychologist in Lomé. The family, the management, and the board approved this request. The girl, a complete orphan, found a true mother in the psychologist. We are grateful to her for being able to play this role beyond her professional role. The future of this child necessarily depends on having a secure maternal figure. Everything must be done to encourage the SPES TOGO psychologist to continue playing this role.
The child’s information sheet for the godparents will be finalized in July, including the school results for the entire year.
As expected, the first wave of staff will start their annual statutory leave for 2025 from July 9 to August 8, 2026.
Les évaluations de la situation des familles de trois jeunes à intégrer en famille ont été rendues possibles dans les localités de Kuma et dans la ville de Kpalimé les 29 et 30 juin 2026.
The accountant worked on the financial reports twice with the director. The psychologist, for her part, led pearl learning activities with the children as part of the useful holiday’s program. In collaboration with the Math tutor, she organized a talk-debate on family vacations on June 27. She also continued developing the IDPs with the adolescent coordinator.
The management, together with the SPES TOGO accounting department and young Freddy, partly acquired equipment for the center funded by SPES France. The accountant and a team of moms are responsible for paying for the other materials for the center. The children and youths are very happy with their pretty braids.
The installation of devices by the IT technician needs to be reviewed. From the photocopier to the computers, there are malfunctions. The center needs his technical intervention, especially for the printer part of the photocopier. He is the buyer of it.
The pedagogical team of the management held its weekly planning meetings. The evaluation of the activities for the month of June was done, and the activities for July were extracted from the plan. It’s a routine to keep track of the implementation of PA 2026.
The book donations received from Mrs. Dominique through the Lomé center have been unpacked, stamped, and placed on the shelves.
The damaged Wi-Fi has been restored. It doesn’t reach all levels of the center.
Gardening and farming
The vegetable garden and livestock activities continue on and off.
The garden:
The vegetable garden isn’t very pretty to look at anymore. The gardener seems tired. He’s going to enjoy his annual leave in July. The young people who are still around are being put to work. We also rely on Univers Bio’s technical expertise for better use of this space.
The plot of corn, yams, and banana plants in the teenagers’ area next to the director’s housing is better maintained. A few sweet potato mounds have been made. The little boys at the center help out with the upkeep of the field.
Every morning, the center has palm wine made from the four felled palm trees. It’s delicious wine that is shared, a symbol of gratitude to the land and to all those who have passed through and those who are here.
Farming:
For a few weeks now, the committee has been supplying the kitchen with its chickens. It’s doubtful there will be a new order of chicks given the season. Currently, the chicken coop has been expanded to include two goats, one of which is of breeding age. In total, the coop has four goats, including a male.
Weather
The weather is currently hot and humid with more or less regular rainfall.
Done in Kpalimé, on July 9, 2026,
The Director, Essoham PALANGA
