Family Action Programme in Togo

Around 40% of Togo’s population is under the age of 15. Like in many parts of the world, young people face many issues. Bishop Isaac Gaglo of the Diocese of Aného wants TO SET up a new programme to promote healthy family and married life and teach young people the importance of a WELL-ADJUSTED life.

By ACN Staff

Family Action Programme . (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

Throughout Africa the population is a youthful one. In the nation of Togo in West Africa things are no different, with around 40% of its population of 8.3 million aged under 15 years. However, many young people find it hard to accept responsibility for their own lives. Poverty, media influence, lack of prospects, broken families and other factors lead many young people to slip prematurely into sexual relations, alcohol, drugs and crime. Teenage pregnancies and AIDS are widespread.

Bishop Isaac Gaglo of the Diocese of Aného, in the southeast of the country, is very concerned for the young people in his diocese, and he would therefore like to provide some form of training for the young in the parishes in order to help them to make responsible decisions that will lead to a well-lived and happy life. There is already an established programme in place in his diocese since 2005, run by the African family life Federation (“Fédération Africaine d’Action Familiale”, or FAAF), which is working to foster healthy families and for the defence of human life. The federation offers courses and meetings aimed at raising greater awareness around issues relating to marriage and family life. Couples are encouraged to deepen their mutual love and respect, and share and talk together. For in many traditional cultures this sense of mutual partnership is by no means a forgone conclusion.

Now, however, the idea is to address young people in particular. One of the aims is to promote a form of sexual and relationships education that emphasises the real value and beauty of mutual love and the human body and encourage a sense of identity and mutual responsibility. This approach also aims to combat such evils as abortion and the spread of AIDS and lay the foundations for a happy and stable family life.

We are proposing to support this important programme with a contribution of €3,000.