My name is Faré, and I’m 17 years old.
When I turned 9, I started going to the field with my mom, bringing wood from our house to the river [about 1.5 miles away].
When I turned 12, I passed fifth grade and started middle school. I noticed that getting an education was an advantage, and my dad supported me.
When I turned 15, my family had a problem. My father’s brother sold land that didn’t belong to him. Without knowing what was going on, my dad signed the lease papers. He was accused of theft and sent to prison. He was innocent.
When the prison warden learned that my father was innocent, he asked for $700 before he would free my father.
The prison is miserable. There are about 100 people inside the prison, and there are no beds.
When I went to visit my father for the first time, I brought my little brother. As soon as we got there, he began to cry. He couldn’t contain himself. I had enough composure to say hello. My father explained to me how to take care of the family.
I was the person who encouraged my family. My brother couldn’t stop crying. My mother stopped eating.
I told my father to stay calm, to not get angry, to not say things that would bother other people.
My father was released from prison after six months.
My uncle spent a year in prison before being released. He lives in a neighborhood near my house. I see him sometimes, but he no longer approaches me.
I forgave him. God says that we must forgive ourselves and each other. But my mother says that she can never forget.
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The happiest moment of my life was when I was in 9th grade. It was before my dad had any problems. He supported me in school. I took the test to get into high school [the village passing rate is 63%] and thought all the tests were easy. I was admitted to high school. I was truly happy.
The same month, I was accepted to a Peace Corps camp, Camp UNITÉ. The camp was so marvelous! Before I went, I wasn’t confident in myself. Now, I have a lot of confidence and I work with other people in my school.
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Togo isn’t like how it used to be when I was young. There was a lot of peace; everything was calm.
I have family in Lomé [the capital] who have finished university. They look for work and they can’t find any. A lot has been abandoned here.
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The first time I liked a girl was when I was 11 years old. They handed out the New Testament at school and I took hers. I asked her, “Do you like me?” She said yes. My friends called me by her name to tease me.
When I went to her house, I found out that we were related! That was bad. We had the same last name, but I didn’t really think about that at the time. From then on, we were just friends. My friend wanted to know if he could ask her out. I told him, “That isn’t my problem anymore.”
In tenth grade, I met another girl. I could tell by her actions that she liked me. She always hugged me and asked me weird questions. One day, my friend told me to talk to her alone. He said, “You two would be good together.” I said, “Okay.”
She said that she saw a nice future for us together. I asked if she liked me. She said yes. She asked if I liked her. I said yes. We kissed. That was my first kiss. I was so happy because I found my true love.
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If I could tell Americans one thing about Togo, it’s that life here is hard. Finding work is very difficult. But I’m also very proud of my city. There is no violence; everything is calm.
If I could give advice to Americans, I would say first to always be safe. There are a lot of illnesses you can contract if you aren’t careful. Then I would say that you have to go out and meet people. Don’t be a person that sits in his room and says he knows everything. And be kind. Don’t be unkind to anyone, and you’ll lead a happy life.
When I grow up, I’m going to be a doctor. I love being with kids, and I admire adults that treat kids with respect and listen to them.
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Faré is a 17-year-old student in Bassar, Togo. This story is posted with his consent.
togodaniel 