Togo > The iron blast furnaces of Bangeli

We leave Sokodé and drive north toward Bassar. Along this route, there are far fewer villages, and the landscape is dry and barren. I do, however, see fields covered with small mounds, each about 50 centimeters high. This is where the yam-yam plant grows. Northern Togo produces 95% of the country’s yam-yam crop. In the village of Malfakassa, halfway to Bassar, we stop to visit. The people here belong to the Kotokoli tribe. In front of the small building used for voodoo prayers, a goat has just been sacrificed.

Togo - A Togolese woman in the village of Malfakassa Togo

Its hide is drying in the sun, and a little boy walks away with a tray of blood balanced on his head. “Cadeau, cadeau?”—the children ask for money or gifts. In every village we visit, an arrangement is made with the village chief for a financial tip in exchange for permission to walk around and take photos. Most villagers understand this when explained.

Togo - Men playing a game on the street in Bassar

Handing out candy directly to a few children, however, would immediately attract the whole village and inevitably lead to disputes among the children. I do question whether the villagers actually see any benefit from the money. Some women, for example, refuse to be photographed for this reason. Others worry that their photos might be printed as postcards for profit. I respect this decision. In return, I show—under great interest—photos from the Netherlands and of my family, which I keep in a small book. At the local school, the children spontaneously start singing songs. Although it is vacation time, they gather in the classroom for us. We also visit the village medical post and the newly installed water pump, both funded with European financial support—a commendable initiative. After about an hour of driving, we continue to Bassar for lunch. We eat at a small restaurant in the town center, where Toto, our personal cook, prepares our meal in the restaurant kitchen while the restaurant provides the drinks. The streets of Bassar are lined with a variety of market stalls.

Togo - Children eagerly review the photos on the digital camera

I stroll among the booths. Beer is being brewed, hair is being braided at the barber, and boys play “don’t touch me” under a tree. The town has a cheerful, relaxed atmosphere. We continue north to meet the chief of the Bangeli tribe, a likely tourist destination. Before we can even get out of the bus, a large group of children is calling, “Cadeau, cadeau!”—illustrating one downside of tourism, though understandably so. The chief is technically off today but welcomes us in his reclining chair under the trees. He explains that Bangeli has more than 13,000 residents spread across several village centers. He answers questions about succession, justice, and more, but asks us not to photograph him in his casual attire. Two of his sons take us to the blast furnaces. The Bangeli region was historically known for ironworking. In clay furnaces, charcoal would generate such high temperatures that the mined iron remained as a solid mass after processing. These furnaces are no longer in use, but the one we visit has been recently restored with Japanese assistance. At the end of the walk, we visit the chief’s residence. Each of the chief’s wives has her own dwelling. In the bar area, we are each given a sip of the locally brewed beer, tchoukoutou, from a gourd. Following tradition, I pour a little tchoukoutou on the ground in honor of the ancestors. We conclude the walk at the chief’s throne in his reception room—a round space with a raised concrete platform decorated with cloths, where we were originally supposed to be received. We bid farewell to the chief, and the village children escort us back to the bus. In the afternoon, we continue toward Kara. At the local school in Djamdé, we set up our tents.