The school year is almost over, and exams at different levels have marked the lives of children this month. The students in the CMII class took the CEPD mock exam; those in the third grade took the BEPC mock exam, and finally, the first-year students took their sports exam. Students, whether in primary school, middle school, or high school, are in a decisive tournament of end-of-year results. Strategies were considered during the monthly meeting in March held on March 26, 2026, to double efforts and commitments alongside the children.
At the end of the month of March, middle and high school students experienced the cultural week. Pedagogical and disciplinary measures were taken by the two concerned committees (education-discipline and results) in order not to give in to the excitement of these moments. The guards received strict and firm instructions for managing the entry and exit of the children.
One of the young hairdressing owners signed an employment contract with a hair salon while waiting for the funds for his setup. The second young owner was unable to sign her contract because the terms did not suit her. Management tried to influence her decision, but the young woman did not comply. This reaction was appreciated nevertheless, as it shows strong self-confidence and independence of mind; the contract refusals are well justified. She knows what she wants, a great quality. The third one continues going to his employer without signing a contract.
The accountant of SPES Togo on assignment in April will begin her group and individual support in managing small-scale accounting.
The tutoring sessions were disrupted during the cultural week; pre-teens and teenagers were more engaged by these events.
In order to curb illiteracy among children and to encourage teenagers to engage in conversational practice of the French language, extraordinary meetings were held, on the one hand, between the management and the supervisory staff, and on the other hand, between the management and the children and teenagers. Three days of the week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) were set aside for the children. It was deemed desirable that the mothers, outside of the children’s days, choose a few days. This was not possible, pedagogical democracy requiring. The mothers preferred every day. Which is not really practical for impact and objective monitoring.
On the side of the very young primary school children, the French tutor for middle and high school students has started sessions. They now have two one-hour sessions per week. This is an introductory program to family dialogue in French. In addition, short animated films in the form of nursery rhymes are shown to them on Friday afternoons. These are seeds sown; it will take time, nurtured by the goodwill and commitment of everyone.
For the young people from Kpalimé in families in Lomé, a joint follow-up was carried out by the Kpalimé team and the Lomé team. The facilitator, alongside the adolescent coordinator and the psychologist, visited the families. Nine young people in families were visited. This is to facilitate SPES Lomé in continuing the work in a spirit of continuity when the transfer of these young people is made. Two young people in families in Kpalimé were visited. For most of them, everything is going well. This stage of their life is more appreciated than was feared. Nevertheless, life in the group at the center leaves a little melancholy. The reports of these visits are in the process of being written.
The garden and farming are generally progressing. The one hundred fifty (150) chicks ordered have been received. One was dead upon arrival, exhausted from the journey. Five (05) others have also died since then to date.
The accountant will support the projects and donations committee in managing the inflows and outflows of funds to ensure traceability of expenses on one hand and, on the other hand, to promote the self-sufficiency of this project, which generates income.
The gardener, with the help of some children, has set up new vegetable beds for Adémè, Okra, and Gboma. He is already harvesting Adémé and Gboma vegetables to be delivered to the kitchen.
The city of Kpalimé has benefited from some rainfall. The heat has been bearable since then.
EDUCATION SECTION
Middle school students completed assignments in the second term. High school students progress with in-class tests, one subject per week. At the mock BEPC, all six third-year middle school students failed. It becomes imperative to double efforts at all levels. Collective and individual awareness sessions are necessary for the supervisory staff, especially with teenagers, to motivate them to devote themselves more to their studies.
The cultural week took place from March 30 to April 4, 2026, throughout the entire territory. The management made arrangements in consultation with the mothers so that these moments would be experienced respectfully. A dish was prepared for them for the occasion, accompanied by homemade and bottled bissap juice (Guinea sorrel). Security personnel were also made aware to ensure that everything went smoothly. The BAC1 sports exam took place at the Zomayi high school with the various institutions. In total, five (05) candidates from SPES KPALIME took part in this exam, two of whom are with family in the city of Kpalimé ???
Coloring activities continue in the boys’ dormitory of the primary school. In the girls’ dormitory, it is talked about less because it goes without saying. They are the champions of coloring in terms of interest. They are somewhat like pioneers.
Storytime is no longer respected due to the rehearsals that have consumed it. Nevertheless, it is done while the children are free.
LEARNING SECTION
All apprentices and young people in vocational training are doing well.
The monitoring in families and workshops has revealed that everything is going well overall except for the case of two young people. A tripartite effort is being made for better guidance.
The three young men living at the center are in immediate preparation to rejoin their respective families. This preparation concerns certain documents to be obtained for the young people, including the CFA diploma and interviews with parents and employers.
YOUTH OUTSIDE THE CENTER
All young students, pupils, and apprentices in Lomé and Kpalimé are doing very well. All of them have received their allowances for March 2026. Some of them benefited from post-reintegration follow-up in Lomé and Kuma-Adame. Nine were followed up in Lomé, one in Kuma-Adame, and two in Kpalimé for certain specific concerns. For the latter, it is not a follow-up but providing professional expertise to the families.
HEALTH SECTION
For this month, the center recorded some cases of illness, headaches, and fever. The management sought to understand because for some time, there had been no cases of illness thanks to the honey infusions that the children take. These grandmother’s recipes had been neglected after interviews with the mothers of the dormitories. As a strictly preventive measure, insecticides were provided to the dormitories.
VISITS
The SPES KPALIME center received a visit from some parents and donors. The Winners Chapel group from Lomé came and donated food to the children. The delegation promised to return as soon as possible to support the work of SPES. The director’s meeting with the DP for the children’s recruitment investigations in March did not take place due to her last-minute impediment.
The initiative for the special relaxation evening in March is postponed due to homework and tests during which the children are focused on studying. It is possible to consider it before exams so that the children can relax before the final pushes of the upcoming end-of-year exams. This will be done more through games that impact concentration and targeted relaxation.
The youth of SPES Kpalimé in Lomé are all visited on March 26 and 27.
OTHER NEWS
International Women’s Day was celebrated in Kpalimé on March 9, 2026, in a special and symbolic way, in connection with the theme of the year “Rights, Justice, Action for all women and girls.” After a brainstorming session on understanding the theme, the objective was broken down. Discussions on two points (what prevents us from living our rights, demanding that justice be done, and acting in the name of our rights; how can we live this theme and make it live for the girls at the center?) allowed all women to express the obstacles in their lives. This led to the symbolic burial of this painful past described on paper. These were emotional moments. Something at a certain point in every woman’s life prevented her from moving forward and having a more glorious place in society.
To conclude the debate around the theme, individual commitments were made to support the girls at the center. The colleagues were with the women. They also expressed how their attitudes negatively impacted the respect for women’s rights and made commitments. These were good moments of sharing.
The director participated in a training workshop of RESAEV (Network of Structures for the Care of Vulnerable Children) on the finalization of the Safeguarding policy and the fund mobilization document from March 17 to 18, 2026, in Kpalimé. She also participated in the working session in Lomé on SPES TOGO’s safeguarding policy on March 19.
The management staff held its regular meeting for the month of March on Thursday, March 26. It focused primarily on the presentation of the results of the first semester of high school students, and then on the development of the PDI. The strengths that contributed to the current results were noted to be reinforced. The points to improve for better results were identified, and strategies to be developed were proposed during the session.
The safeguarding policy document was partially read by the collaborators. At the next session, the entire document will be read, and it will be signed if, by then, the document is finalized at the national level (SPES TOGO).
During this meeting, discussions made it possible to set up the organizing committee for the May 1, 2026 celebration.
An incident occurred at the center on the night of March 19 during the repeated power outages; the generator that was started caught fire. The quick intervention and agility of the on-duty security officer on one hand, and on the other hand the support of the mothers and the security agents from the service opposite Togo Grains, made it possible to quickly stop the fire.
The management took the necessary measures by providing flashlights for all the dormitories to allow the children to study while waiting for the recovery of the generator. The outages are daily and occur more at night. The security guards also received a flashlight for their night work.
It should be noted that the mission to monitor young people with their families in Lomé was carried out by the cultural facilitator alongside colleagues from Lomé.
The management’s educational team held its weekly planning meetings.
GARDEN AND BREEDING
The vegetable garden and breeding activities continue. The one hundred and fifty chicks that were ordered have arrived and been put into the start-up phase.
The garden:
The center is already enjoying the first harvests of vegetables from Adémé, Gboma, and Okra. New plots are being set up. Young chili seedlings are being transplanted.
The gardener and some volunteer children are weeding the plot surveyed for the cultivation of yams, corn, guava, papaya, and other fruit trees. The young student at the Agricultural Training Institute/Tové is very dynamic in carrying out this project.
Breeding:
The one hundred and fifty (150) chicks are in the starter phase. They will be transferred to the growth stage. A two-week resting period is planned to collect litter from the first location and disinfect the area before taking another order. The goal is for the kitchen to be supplied by the poultry house, with no interruptions.
The goat enclosure is now occupied by a male and a female. They are already adapted to their new environment. The responsible committee is very motivated and committed.
WEATHER
The city of Kpalimé is occasionally watered. It is always hot. However, this heat is bearable. Currently, the farmers are clearing the land for cereal crops.
Done in Kpalimé, on April 11, 2026
The Director
Essoham PALANGA
