Meet Theodore Selom Badonte
Theodore Badonte joined CRS in 1988, working seven years in the Mother Child Health and School Canteens Programs, which were supported by Title II funding from Food for Peace. Due to Togo's political situation, CRS closed its program in 1995 because it could not mobilize enough funds to operate the country program. However, once CRS reestablished its operations in Togo, Theodore rejoined the CRS family in May 2002, working as CRS Togo's Program Manager. CRS Togo collaborates closely with the local Caritas agency, Organisation de la Charité pour un Développement Intégral (OCDI). Theodore works with one CRS Togo staff and with six OCDI staff.
Theodore (second from right) talking with Togolese bishops: Dapaong Diocese Bishop, Jacques Anyilunda; Aneho Diocese Bishop, Paul Dossavi; and Kpalime Diocese Bishop, Benoit Alowonou.
Theodore's vision for CRS Togo is to build fruitful, local church partnerships that empower grassroots communities to improve their self-esteem and their awareness of promoting change from within. What Theodore likes best about working for CRS is this: "Working for CRS has given me the opportunity to try to be a change agent, helping to create an atmosphere of trust, establishing a positive work environment, and participating at the grassroots level to build a bridge for solidarity."
Before joining CRS, Theodore worked for two years at the "Centre International d'Etudes et de Recherches en Langues Village du Benin-Lome" as a teacher of foreign students learning French as a second language. Theodore gained a wealth of experiences while CRS was closed and did several consultancies with GTZ, Care International, Intermon-Oxfam, OCDI Nationale and Vredeislanden-Togo Country Office in the areas of project design, project evaluation, and training for social change.
