Training center, Lomé

Togo is one of the poorest countries in the world. On the current United Nations Development Index (HDI), it ranks 167 out of 189 countries. Although the economy suffers from a skills shortage, young people in Togo find it difficult to find training or jobs and one third of young people are not employed. This results from the country’s deficient, extremely unequal and dilapidated vocational training system. There is a lack of infrastructure, equipment and qualified teaching staff. In addition, the content in the few vocational schools is often not adapted to the needs of the country’s own economy. Thus, young people have hardly any opportunity to generate income and escape poverty. But since young people make up a large part of the population, they are the ones who need special support and encouragement so that they can have a future life and career prospects in their own country.

In the project near Lomé, the capital of Togo, an international education and training centre is to be built and equipped with modern learning materials to give socially disadvantaged young people access to modern vocational training. With education as a foundation, the young people will get a better chance of positive career prospects, which will enable them to escape poverty and unemployment in the long run.

Following the successful pilot project “Providing prospects through bilingual education“, the construction of the modern training center will enable us to continue our important work in Togo and improve the situation in the long term.

The project is aimed at destitute high school graduates between the ages of 17 and 25. Around 100 trainees are expected to attend the centre every year, and by 2030 around 600 trainees will be offere a training place.