Whitney McLeod

Where is Togo? NOT IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN! HERE France occupied Togo after World War One-so you need to speak French to work in Togo (unless you speak Kabiye or Ewe)

Travel to Togo with a Duke anthropologist Charlie Piot Work in one of 4 places: Lomé Kara Farendé Kuwde On a project that you choose. Charlie likes big and crazy ideas. You will probably start by working on a project that is already being undertaken and shadowing wherever you are. A couple of weeks into the program, you will be expected to begin work on your own project.

Lomé the capital-on the coast, by the Ghanaian border Work in a large hospital or a clinic Conduct an independent project ex. from this summer: survey on attitudes about HIV/AIDS

Work with AED (this is where I worked) What I did: 1. evaluated electronic record system 2. technology training 3. assist the clinic in cost- cutting and finding ways to meet budgetary needs 4. report to Hope Through Health (US- based NGO that supports the clinic) on needs and activities of the clinic Kara the largest city in northern Togo Ride motorcycles all over the mountains to observe home visits!

AED-Kara: An outpatient HIV/AIDS clinic that follows about 2,000 patients and 1,400 children affected by the epidemic

Farendé Work in a small, government run hospital, work with “gueriesseurs”, traditional healers, to connect their work with work of the hospital Dr. Piot and Dr. Mark Noar (a gasteroenterologist from MD) want someone that is interested in medical anthropology to research components of traditional treatments. The hospital in Farendé wants to work in network with traditional healers. Customarily, healers and people trained in western medicine are at odds with each other in this region, but in this community, they are beginning to work together.

Kuwdé Work in a village clinic, work to help implement a village-wide insurance system, survey households on medical histories, work in non- medical areas (solar power, etc.), etc. You get to go hiking, every day!

Logistics - I got elective credit. To do this, you need a UNC advisor along with an advisor from whatever institution you will be going with. You also need lots of signatures, but you don’t need to actually talk to the people that sign your forms. Getting elective credit means you have to pay summer tuition, but it also means you get summer financial aid. - You can apply for research funding-but it may be hard to get for this program. - This is not currently an official Duke or UNC program. You will be introduced to the country and taken to where you will be living by Charlie and Fidele, a Togolese law student that works for Duke. Then, you will be left to live and work independently. You may live with a host family or you may end up renting an apartment. Every few weeks, you will meet with Charlie. You may or may not see the other students. (This year, there were 6 of us-5 Duke undergrads and me). - You will have time to travel. I went to Benin and Ghana, on my own. The other students went in groups to Ghana. You are also relatively close to Burkina Faso and Nigeria if you want to visit either of those. There is very little outside tourism in Togo-but there are beautiful beaches and surfing along the Ghana- Togo-Benin border. Our summer coincides with rainy season in Togo-its beatiful.

More Information Hope Through Health Past Duke Projects in Togo carried out by students Noar Foundation Blog from one of the students that participated this summer Charlie: Whitney:

Meet Tegba! (and maybe Fidele) AED Pharmacists and Accountant

Moonshine in Benin Ghana Annual national wrestling match AED Clinic Staff