COUNTRY

Togo

REGION

Africa

SECTOR

Education

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

None

ACCEPTS COUPLES

Yes

APPLY BY

October 1, 2023

KNOW BY

December 1, 2023

DEPART BY

June 7, 2024

DURATION

2 years, plus 3 months training

Project Description

The Targeting English Education for Change (TEECh) program was co-designed with the Ministry of Education (MoE) in response to a shortage of English teachers capable of speaking English at an advanced level or with prior experience teaching English in a classroom setting. The MoE has also prioritized incorporating gender equitable practices into teaching pedagogy within public school to remove the barriers that are preventing girls from continuing their education at the middle school level and beyond.

English Teacher Volunteers will work alongside community members and teachers on promoting English Education in a Togolese classroom, building relationships, and promoting knowledge exchange with Togolese Teachers to make a lasting generational impact.

The goal of the TEECh program is for girls and boys to strengthen their communication skills in English and have equitable access to academic and/or professional opportunities.

The TEECh program Goals are as follow:

TEACHERS:

• Increase their capacity to use English teaching skills.

• Increase their English proficiency.

• Increase their capacity to use gender equitable practices in the classroom, such as treating boys and girls equally, creating mixed gender working groups, etc.

STUDENTS, LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY

• Increase achievement of students in English.

• Increase the ability of community members to support students’ access to learning.

Working together with Togolese teachers, Volunteers will collaborate to co-design a conducive learning environment that promotes formal and informal opportunities to Togolese students and host community members to practice and learn English and exchange intercultural knowledge. The following are some of TEECh activities to be co-implemented by English Teacher Volunteers and Togolese teachers.

• Co-teach English to students in a school setting (e.g., direct classroom teaching, tutoring groups based on specific student needs, individual tutoring).

• Co-facilitate informal or formal communities of practice to share strategies and tips for effective English teaching or general teaching skills.

• Co-facilitate informal or formal trainings for teachers and community members on gender equitable techniques that enable access to learning.

• Models teaching and/or engages in peer observation of general and English teaching skills with teachers.

• Co-plan and co-train teachers on English teaching strategies.

• Co-organize activities that involve the community in student learning.

Peace Corps Togo is grateful for the strong monitoring, reporting, and evaluation culture it has developed in recent years, which enables Volunteers, their host communities, and our partners to measure the impact of Peace Corps interventions and inform decisions that influence the direction of future work. Volunteers report activities conducted within their sector and that of cross-sector activities. To that end, Education Volunteers also work on cross-sector activities.

Promoting Gender Equity and Women’s Empowerment:

Volunteers receive training on gender-equity challenges in their communities and co-implement activities like “gender race”, training on flexible gender roles, and female role model shadowing. Volunteers are also trained on Student Friendly Schools principles to foster inclusivity, belonging and integration amongst host communities.

Climate Change and Food Security:

The impact of climate change on different sectors of society are interrelated. Drought and flooding can harm food production and human health, causing an increase in mortality and shortage of food availability. You will be equipped with the necessary information to facilitate awareness raising activities on the impact of climate change and food security in your respective community.

Endemic, Epidemic, and Pandemic Diseases Preventive Measures:

Endemic, epidemic, and pandemic (Malaria, Lassa Fever, Cholera, HIV, COVID-19 etc.) diseases and other infectious diseases remains a national threat to the Togolese health infrastructure and national population. You will receive training on the various endemic, epidemic, and pandemic diseases in Togo to better quipped your awareness raising engagement and activities with community members to facilitate prevention and mitigation measures.

COVID-19 Volunteer Activities

As a Volunteer, you will be trained in how to best protect yourself from COVID-19 exposure and understand the impact of and steps to reduce stigma related to COVID-19. You may also have the opportunity to engage with your community on implementing or enhancing COVID-19 mitigation activities, such as COVID-19 prevention and risk reduction strategies including social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, addressing myths and misconceptions related to these practices, and vaccine hesitancy. Activities will be tailored to address the COVID-19 circumstances in the communities where you will serve.

Required Skills

• Competitive candidates will have a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline and a strong desire to teach English.

Desired Skills

The qualified candidates will have one or more of the following desirable skills.

• Degree in elementary or secondary education or another field of education.

• Classroom teaching experience/pedagogical practices.

• Experience in English, foreign languages, or literacy tutoring with middle or high school students or adults.

• Working with youth and/or fellow teachers on gender equitable practices.

Required Language Skills

There are over 40 local languages spoken in Togo. French is spoken by many but not all Togolese as a second language. Trainees have the opportunity to learn and improve their skills in both French and one of Togo’s local languages throughout their service.

Applicants with some French or other romance language, as well as other language skills, are encouraged to apply.

Peace Corps Togo places great emphasis on language acquisition and intercultural immersion through-out the continuum of service. Trainees arriving in Togo are expected to be prepared to learn French, a local language of the assigned community, and the diverse cultures of Togo. Togo has dedicated Language and Cultural Facilitators (LCFs) who will work intensively with you during PST. An intermediate mid proficiency in French must be attained before learning a local language. Local language acquisition is essential for community integration and relationship building with host community counterparts. Peace Corps Togo identifies a language tutor at each Volunteer site. Peace Corps Togo Volunteers are strongly encouraged to take advantage of all language acquisition opportunities through-out the service journey to advance professionally and strengthen relationship building with host community members.

Living Conditions

Togolese are known for their generosity, hospitality, and humble nature. Peace Corps Togo has sustained 60 years of friendship with host governmental representatives, partnered organizations and host communities, whom all regard Volunteers with respect and as co-development partners. In turn, Volunteers live and serve with equal respect and humility in their host communities. Volunteers find the opportunity to adapt and adjust to new ways of living to be both a challenge and rewarding experience. Peace Corps Togo staff provide training and coaching to facilitate Volunteer integration.

During Pre-Service Training (PST), Peace Corps Togo uses a Village Based Training (VBT) model. VBT allows Trainees to live and work in an environment that reflects the conditions of their permanent sites. Opportunities to speak French and local language are greatly enhanced through VBT and Trainees’ interactions with Togolese members of the community is increased. Integration within the host community is accelerated which better prepares Trainees for their life at site after Swearing-In. In addition to language and cross-cultural skills, Trainees will also learn how to keep themselves healthy, safe and secure during their service as well as technical skills necessary for their work.

After swearing-in, Volunteers are assigned to their permanent communities, each having their own private residence (a bedroom and kitchen) within a shared compound. Living in a shared compound enriches Volunteers intercultural experience and facilitates the establishment of collaborative social positions with host communities. Shared compounds provide Volunteers with secure and supportive living environments including continued opportunities for language practice, learning and intercultural exchange.

Many Volunteers do not have electricity in their homes. Water sources in communities could be traditional wells or village pumps. Volunteers will be given a water filter and trained to properly treat drinking water. Diet will consist of locally grown foods or a combination of local and (usually imported) preserved foods. A typical Togolese meal is corn ‘pâte’ (paste), with a spicy/hot sauce. Meat is available throughout Togo, as is dried fish, but fresh fish is only available in larger towns. Fruits and vegetables are seasonal, limiting the diversity of a vegetarian diet at certain times of year. However, tofu (soy) and beans are available throughout the country.

Peace Corps Togo welcomes Volunteers from diverse backgrounds and sexual orientations. However, the government of Togo has restrictive laws that prohibits certain sexual acts/orientations. Volunteers will need to be mindful of cultural norms and country-specific laws and exercise judgment and personal responsibility to protect their health, safety, and well-being and that of host community members. Due to safety and security concerns, LGBTQI+ Volunteers are advised not to serve openly in Togo. We recognize and acknowledge the difficulty of not having the liberty to openly express one’s sexual orientation. Peace Corps Togo staff are committed to support LGBTQI+ Volunteers amidst these challenges. Post has a Peer Support Network (PSN) made up of current Volunteers to provide support to fellow Volunteers.

During PST and in-service training (ISTs), trainees and Volunteers will be trained to work in partnership with counterparts, fellow Volunteers, and host communities to facilitate, mitigate and/or manage potential safety and security and/or health related risks and challenges. These trainings permit Trainees and Volunteers to work alongside community members within the policies and rules of Peace Corps and the local and national laws of the government of Togo.

Serving in Togo

Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Togo: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, health, and safety — including health and crime statistics — in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.

Couples Information

Togo is always eager to accept couples whenever possible. Your partner must qualify and apply for one of the following positions in Togo:

– AA 117 Sustainable Agriculture Educator or

– AA 155 Health Extension

Couples from differing sectors will live at different Pre-Service Training sites and with different home stay families. They can be together on weekends after training activities. Couples will be responsible for their own transportation between sites, which will not exceed 19 miles. Once in service at a permanent site, couples will live in the same accommodation.

Medical Considerations

Before you apply, please review Medical Information for Applicants to learn about the medical clearance process.