Being & becoming : a czech & a slovak perspective (2/2)

Being in Togo radically changed my perspective on the world. I was staying at this family’s farm, learning about agro-forestry. I became part of their daily lifestyle.

Simona works at the European Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)

I learned about living a simple life: waking up very early in the morning to take care of the farm; eating with care and responsibly; sharing more with the others for all to be satisfied. It was a beautiful experience; that came at a moment of my life when I really needed it; as I myself were in a confused emotional state and wanted to grow. I wanted to grasp my purpose in this life. So yes; I learned a lot from living that life.

A simple life but above all a very hard one. Also, working there has made me more sensitive to the struggles women face in the developing world. Both women and men work in the field – planting banana trees, or coco, which is a rarer commodity. But then women also cook for the household and take care of children.

I calculated whilst there that daily : women work at least five more hours than men. Can you imagine? Yet, at the end of the day – the lifestyle is difficult for everyone. They wear heavy baskets and use really small tools to work in the farm, which can be damaging for their necks, bodies and health.

Simona works at the European Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid Operations – ECHO – European Commission’s department for overseas humanitarian aid and for civil protection. She now deals exclusively with the situation of refugees in Turkey.