Togo is one of the 49 least developed countries.
69% of children nationwide live in poverty-affected families.
Rural poverty is deeper than urban poverty , and strong discrepancies exist
between regions. 
Health indicators also vary significantly between urban and rural areas in Togo and throughout Africa. 86% of those in urban areas but only 40% in rural areas can access safe drinking water.
Up to 36% of children in the northern region where we will be teaching have stunted growth due to malnutrition. In the south, 62% of the population can access health services within an hour's walk. But only 30% of the population in the Savanes region where we will be teaching can access health services within an hour's walk.
Mortality of children under 5 stands at 123 per 1,000 live births, with 35% of the deaths occurring during the neonatal period. Outside of the neonatal period, malaria, diarrheal diseases and pneumonia are the main causes of death.
We have arrived in Lomé, the capital of Togo. Tomorrow, we depart for Kara which is in northern Togo.
When I changed planes in Paris, I met up the 3 nurses who are part of our LDS Humanitarian Services team. Two of them have 10 grandchildren and the other one has 11 for a grand total of 31!
