Togo

With a culture known for its traditional religion and hospitable people, Togo has always been a magnet for visitors—especially Germans, who ruled Togoland until 1914. There are still some elderly Togolese who speak German today.

Despite its small population of 5.7 million people, Togo is saddled with widespread poverty. This, coupled with the political instability of the 1990s, forced many people to flee their homeland. The crisis hit a zenith during the violent 2005 presidential election when tens of thousands of Togolese fled to neighboring Benin and Ghana.

Catholic Relief Services started working in Togo in 1958, but our programs were discontinued in the 1990s because of political turmoil within the country. Small-scale programs resumed in 1999 and are managed from the CRS Benin program.

CRS works with the Charitable Organization for Integral Development, Caritas Togo, and other organizations to carry out programs in the health and peacebuilding sectors.

The CRS office is located in Lomé, the capital of Togo. Two staff members administer the program with technical assistance and administrative support from the Benin office. Carla Brown-Ndiaye serves as the country representative for both the Togo and Benin programs.