SCRIPT - Togo: Chocolate, a Taste of Independence

 

NB – Timecodes given relative to Eng version (7546-HQ)

 

00:00:36:20 --> 00:00:41:13

When we initially launched the

chocolate-making project,

 

00:00:41:14 --> 00:00:44:01

a lot of people

couldn't believe it.

 

00:00:44:02 --> 00:00:46:00

Most people laughed at us.

 

00:00:46:21 --> 00:00:49:02

People said we were mad.

 

00:00:52:14 --> 00:00:55:23

The locals, the natives,

the Africans,

 

00:00:55:24 --> 00:01:01:03

were never encouraged to

produce exportable goods

 

00:01:01:04 --> 00:01:02:24

in their own country.

 

00:01:03:02 --> 00:01:06:01

Togo is one of these

productive countries,

 

00:01:06:02 --> 00:01:08:21

like Ghana, the Ivory Coast,

and Cameroon.

 

00:01:09:02 --> 00:01:11:18

The worst thing is

that here in Togo,

 

00:01:11:19 --> 00:01:16:20

there has never been a business

that has processed cocoa

 

00:01:16:22 --> 00:01:18:22

farmed in Togo,

and refined it into chocolate.

 

01.43

Komi Agbokou – politically active chocolatier – has revolution on the mind.

After learning his craft in Italy, he returned to his country of birth to write a new page in its history.

His cause – to fight for the poverty-stricken cocoa farmers, currently weathering historically low prices.

The radio relays the bad news from the London stock exchange.

 

00:02:04:06 --> 00:02:09:11

...Early indicators for the period

between the 16th-31st of June 2017

 

00:02:09:12 --> 00:02:14:21

are estimated as: High-quality

cocoa - 730 Francs per kilo,

 

00:02:14:22 --> 00:02:19:15

exports for coffee as of the

18th July 2017 stand at...

 

00:02:19:20 --> 00:02:22:14

The London Stock

Exchange, the West,

 

00:02:22:15 --> 00:02:25:04

it represents those who

process the cocoa,

 

00:02:25:06 --> 00:02:27:21

and to this day,

it is they that decide,

 

00:02:27:23 --> 00:02:30:18

they, the processors, who decide

what the farmer's price is.

 

00:02:30:24 --> 00:02:32:12

It pisses me off,

 

00:02:32:14 --> 00:02:35:20

because they shouldn't

get to decide the price.

 

00:02:36:09 --> 00:02:39:19

The price cannot be

determined from the outside.

 

00:02:40:04 --> 00:02:43:21

The price must be determined by

the cocoa farmers.

 

00:02:43:23 --> 00:02:46:13

They are the ones

who have suffered,

 

00:02:46:14 --> 00:02:52:10

they are the ones who know how

long they have toiled in a field.

 

00:02:52:16 --> 00:02:58:19

It's not like we here in Africa have the

power to decide the price of wheat.

 

00:02:58:24 --> 00:03:01:24

Could we decide that wine was

now worth 200 Francs?

 

00:03:02:01 --> 00:03:04:13

Are we able to decide that?

 

00:03:04:20 --> 00:03:07:16

And that is what you call

globalisation.

 

00:03:07:18 --> 00:03:10:24

Imperialism, real imperialism -

that's what it looks like.

 

00:03:11:10 --> 00:03:13:23

The reality of our

lives is ignored.

 

03.15

After four years of running their cooperative, Komi and his team decided to tour the length and breadth of the nation.

Their journey will take them 600km, where they will preach the worth of their land to their fellow countrymen.

03.30

They have come to places like this, where no investment has come to tarmac their roads, where those who produce cocoa to live have never tasted chocolate.

 

 

00:03:40:13 --> 00:03:42:19

-What is this?

-Cocoa!

 

00:03:43:12 --> 00:03:44:12

Cocoa.

 

00:03:44:18 --> 00:03:47:16

What do you do with this?

What does your cocoa become?

 

00:03:47:22 --> 00:03:48:22

We don't know.

 

00:03:50:05 --> 00:03:51:05

What's this?

 

00:03:53:01 --> 00:03:55:13

-It's a parcel.

-It's an envelope.

 

00:03:56:07 --> 00:03:57:24

It's some kind of mobile phone.

 

00:04:03:16 --> 00:04:05:03

There's something in here.

 

00:04:05:17 --> 00:04:07:11

I'm going to introduce

you all to it.

 

00:04:12:18 --> 00:04:13:18

What's this?

 

00:04:14:13 --> 00:04:15:19

Chocolate.

 

00:04:16:08 --> 00:04:17:15

-Are you familiar with it?

-No.

 

00:04:17:17 --> 00:04:19:04

Who here has tried it before?

 

00:04:19:11 --> 00:04:21:03

-We've never eaten it.

-We aren't familiar.

 

00:04:21:08 --> 00:04:23:19

Those that have never eaten

chocolate, raise your hands.

 

00:04:27:21 --> 00:04:29:08

Who wants to try some?

 

00:04:37:20 --> 00:04:42:13

In Paris, their is a big exhibition which

is called the 'Salon Du Chocolat'.

 

00:04:42:19 --> 00:04:46:03

And at this exhibition,

 

00:04:46:09 --> 00:04:48:04

I presented this to the

visitors.

 

00:04:48:05 --> 00:04:50:11

And I asked them, I said,

'Do you know what this is?'

 

00:04:50:13 --> 00:04:53:05

They said 'Yes, it's chocolate.'

 

00:04:53:06 --> 00:04:54:09

'And this?'

 

00:04:54:09 --> 00:04:55:18

That, they don't know.

 

00:04:55:20 --> 00:04:57:08

And that made me think.

 

00:04:59:02 --> 00:05:05:22

Whilst some countries produce

cocoa, others eat chocolate.

 

00:05:07:11 --> 00:05:11:11

My friend and I visited a

chocolate factory in Italy.

 

00:05:11:22 --> 00:05:17:18

They built a huge factory where

our cocoa is processed.

 

00:05:18:02 --> 00:05:22:01

There, you see young women,

17, 18 years old,

 

00:05:22:02 --> 00:05:23:19

behind the wheel of their car,

 

00:05:23:21 --> 00:05:30:04

but how is it that these people

have cars? Or houses?

 

00:05:30:11 --> 00:05:31:24

It is thanks to our cocoa.

 

00:05:32:22 --> 00:05:36:12

And do you at least

have a hospital?

 

00:05:36:15 --> 00:05:37:15

No, we don't.

 

00:05:37:24 --> 00:05:39:12

-You don't have a hospital?

-No.

 

00:05:39:14 --> 00:05:41:05

What do you do

when you fall ill?

 

00:05:41:07 --> 00:05:42:12

We self-medicate.

 

00:05:42:13 --> 00:05:44:23

And what if you are suffering

from a serious illness?

 

00:05:44:24 --> 00:05:48:13

We risk dying, and if we must,

we perish.

 

00:05:49:08 --> 00:05:51:19

They made us believe that we

could not process cocoa!

 

00:05:52:24 --> 00:05:54:02

You understand?

 

00:05:55:03 --> 00:05:58:14

And as a result, you have to

sell it at any old price!

 

00:06:01:04 --> 00:06:04:09

Because if you just sit on it,

it's worthless!

 

00:06:05:19 --> 00:06:10:02

Our problem is not that we don't

know how to consume cocoa,

 

00:06:10:03 --> 00:06:14:04

what we need is money to assure

the survival of our children.

 

06.15

Komlan is a cocoa farmer, like the other villagers. He has eleven mouths to feed.

06.27

His plantations are a few kilometres from the village. It is here, beneath these trees, that the Germans first introduced the cocoa plant, around 140 years ago.

06.49

In this country, cocoa farming provides a livelihood for some 20,000 families just like Komlan’s.

 

00:07:00:24 --> 00:07:04:14

I have been harvesting

cocoa for 25 years.

 

00:07:06:08 --> 00:07:07:22

I didn't go to school.

 

00:07:10:13 --> 00:07:16:24

I gave my life to these fields so

that I could provide for my family.

 

07.27

Cocoa farms in Togo are typically small and family run, covering on average about five acres.

 

 

00:07:31:20 --> 00:07:34:02

I'm not going to sugar-coat it;

 

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we work, and we work, but at the

end of it all we are still in debt,

 

00:07:38:02 --> 00:07:45:19

and some fields are mortgaged to

cover debts and avoid prison.

 

00:07:47:03 --> 00:07:52:22

Many people have fled the

village because of debt.

 

08.02

Komlon and his wife sell their beans through the village cooperative.

Foreign companies then buy up the entire region’s harvest before it is exported to Europe, the US or China.

 

 

00:08:20:05 --> 00:08:23:20

Don't lose any of the beans,

there aren't that many!

 

00:08:23:21 --> 00:08:26:16

Leave nothing left over!

 

08.27

In the last few months, small scale producers have been powerless in the face of free-falling prices, from 1300 francs, ie 2 Euros, per kilo, to half of that.

Since the 1980s, IMF-imposed deregulation gave Togo no choice but to sell at the whim of the markets.

The village of Akolokoutche [AK-OH-LOW-KEWCH-EE] has never been more deserving of its name – translated, it means ‘one must suffer before he eats.’

 

 

00:09:04:01 --> 00:09:07:05

Cocoa farming doesn't earn a

living anymore.

 

00:09:08:13 --> 00:09:12:07

I'm seriously considering

selling dead wood instead.

 

00:09:12:08 --> 00:09:16:18

But the problem is that this is

the only job we know.

 

00:09:16:21 --> 00:09:21:24

The situation is so bad that we

fear for our children.

 

00:09:24:20 --> 00:09:27:02

The price of cocoa

isn't going up.

 

00:09:27:04 --> 00:09:29:14

How long will this last?

 

00:09:30:03 --> 00:09:32:24

How can we buy food or

medicine like this?

 

09.42

In Togo, 60% of the population live under the poverty line. Electricity is a luxury for the majority of cocoa farmers. 

In small, isolated villages such as this one, sudden heavy rainfall can change lives at a moment’s notice.

 

00:10:04:19 --> 00:10:07:16

This is the bedroom - look

at what is happening.

 

00:10:10:03 --> 00:10:12:23

Water is coming through

the foundations.

 

00:10:14:10 --> 00:10:18:20

Think about when it rains in the

night - our children sleep here!

 

00:10:26:13 --> 00:10:28:04

We have our debts.

 

00:10:28:18 --> 00:10:30:11

What do we look like?

 

00:10:31:05 --> 00:10:34:07

Our creditors treat us like

we're nothing.

 

00:10:34:13 --> 00:10:37:15

We are their slaves.

 

10.47

In West Africa, the land of cocoa, Togo’s operation looks relatively lightweight compared to the farming giants of ghana and the Ivory Coast.

But in the last 50 years, yields have fallen by one third, due to a virus known as ‘swollen root’. On top of that, the state has failed to offer technical support to its farmers for the past twenty years.

In order to stay competitive, the cocoa industry is banking on quality over quantity.

 

00:11:18:05 --> 00:11:22:01

Togo produces some varieties of

cocoa that can't be found anywhere else,

 

00:11:22:03 --> 00:11:23:20

like Amelonado,

 

00:11:24:01 --> 00:11:30:13

but unfortunately, cocoa from Togo is

listed on the London Stock Exchange

 

00:11:30:15 --> 00:11:32:12

just like any other variety.

 

00:11:33:16 --> 00:11:36:02

The goal we want to achieve

 

00:11:36:04 --> 00:11:41:24

is to make Togolese cocoa a

unique kind of cocoa,

 

00:11:42:10 --> 00:11:51:21

which doesn't follow the market price like

the others, but demands it's own price,

 

00:11:52:08 --> 00:11:55:15

a price that is recognised,

 

00:11:56:08 --> 00:11:57:18

a special price.

 

11.59

To justify a special price, Komi thinks that the country should emphasise its organic nature. He buys from this cooperative, which is still struggling to find its market. This year, only Chocotogo payed a good price – the rest was sold to a Swiss buyer, which paid the standard rate.

Those making the decision have chosen to break with the pack on pricing, as they see the writing is on the wall for the future of the industry.

 

 

00:12:30:16 --> 00:12:34:07

All of us are getting fucked

over by the multinationals,

 

00:12:34:10 --> 00:12:37:08

who have told you that there is

no new market for cocoa.

 

00:12:37:10 --> 00:12:39:12

I want you to erase

this from your minds.

 

00:12:39:14 --> 00:12:43:07

There always is and always will

be a market for cocoa,

 

00:12:43:11 --> 00:12:47:21

but those who are buying cocoa know

that you can't just hold on to it,

 

00:12:47:22 --> 00:12:50:03

so they are going to create

demand,

 

00:12:50:04 --> 00:12:51:23

and when they sense

that you are desperate,

 

00:12:51:24 --> 00:12:54:18

they will buy it at

whatever price they want.

 

00:12:54:22 --> 00:12:56:07

That's the whole problem.

 

00:12:56:09 --> 00:13:02:03

The multinationals think that their

money gives them absolute power;

 

00:13:02:04 --> 00:13:04:04

that they can buy whole

countries if they want.

 

00:13:04:05 --> 00:13:05:24

And that's exactly

what they're doing.

 

00:13:06:00 --> 00:13:08:20

But you can decide if you want

to be bought or not.

 

00:13:09:02 --> 00:13:12:07

If the product stays

idle in the store,

 

00:13:12:09 --> 00:13:14:18

there is interest accumulating

 

00:13:14:19 --> 00:13:17:17

on the money we spent getting

the product,

 

00:13:17:19 --> 00:13:20:18

and in the end it amounts

to a debt for the union.

 

00:13:21:16 --> 00:13:25:22

So if we at least sell the

product at the conventional price,

 

00:13:25:24 --> 00:13:28:16

we can at least pay back the

money we borrowed.

 

00:13:28:18 --> 00:13:34:05

I'm here to say that we need a change of

mentality if we really want to succeed.

 

00:13:34:24 --> 00:13:40:00

You must only endure for a short

time before victory will finally be ours.

 

00:13:40:14 --> 00:13:42:09

What are the buyers buying?

 

00:13:42:17 --> 00:13:43:17

Cocoa.

 

00:13:43:22 --> 00:13:45:20

What do the exporters export?

 

00:13:45:21 --> 00:13:46:12

Cocoa.

 

00:13:46:14 --> 00:13:48:14

And the factories

process what?

 

00:13:48:15 --> 00:13:49:10

Cocoa.

 

00:13:49:12 --> 00:13:51:15

Who are the producers of cocoa?!

 

00:13:51:20 --> 00:13:52:24

We produce it.

 

00:13:53:06 --> 00:13:56:14

Then why is it that you,

the producers of cocoa,

don't appreciate your own value,

and if someone fails to recognise that,

kick them out!

 

00:14:02:11 --> 00:14:04:04

I came here to tell you today,

even if our future is modest,

we have a future.

 

14.12

Going from village to village, Komi advocates for the future of his country.

The road to victory will be a long one – he must convince a people with little purchasing power to eat his chocolate, and take up his struggle.

 

00:14:33:05 --> 00:14:35:24

We in Africa believe that what

comes from Europe,

from Asia, from the West,

must be what's best.

 

00:14:40:23 --> 00:14:46:24

So eating something locally produced;

for Africans, for the Togolese,

as things are, represents the

fact that you are uncivilized.

 

00:14:51:22 --> 00:14:56:19

Civilisation means

to buy European.

 

00:14:57:06 --> 00:15:01:07

That's nobody's fault.

 

00:15:01:23 --> 00:15:05:16

It is down to our own ignorance.

 

00:15:05:23 --> 00:15:08:14

The ignorance of the Africans,

who are unaware of the fact that

anyone could impose anything

on them,

but when it comes to what they

eat, they alone are responsible.

 

15.38

Ambtroise Karabou is the nationwide representative for coffee and cocoa producers. He has been at the helm for 3 years, trying to maintain an optimistic outlook despite the difficulties.

When the villagers learnt that Chocotogo would be visiting them, they decided to receive them in the traditional manner.   

 

 

00:16:17:11 --> 00:16:19:04

What do you see over there?

 

00:16:19:05 --> 00:16:20:21

Chocotogo!

 

00:16:22:14 --> 00:16:24:24

So what is Chocotogo?

 

00:16:25:11 --> 00:16:31:07

Chocotogo is an association

that produces chocolate.

 

00:16:31:10 --> 00:16:37:10

Voila! But not any old chocolate

- Togolese chocolate.

 

00:16:38:09 --> 00:16:43:22

So if the chocolate comes from

Togo, who's chocolate is it?

 

00:16:44:16 --> 00:16:45:24

It's ours!

 

00:16:46:13 --> 00:16:47:15

It's for you!

 

16.51

Like the majority of West African countries,  Togo has an trade deficit. It imports more than it exports, and the situation has been getting worse over the years.

 

00:17:02:00 --> 00:17:07:22

When we eat things that we

produce here, locally,

what effect does that have on

the national economy?

 

00:17:11:15 --> 00:17:16:23

Those who roast the coffee beans,

those people are paid.

 

00:17:17:20 --> 00:17:21:04

Those who make the dough,

it is work done by men,

who are paid.

 

00:17:24:19 --> 00:17:26:08

To make the packaging,

men do work,

and they are paid.

 

00:17:29:02 --> 00:17:31:02

Before you get the chocolate,

along the whole chain,

men do work,

and are paid.

 

00:17:34:03 --> 00:17:38:17

But I'll tell you something -

we are proud, because we

give work to the people here.

 

00:17:41:14 --> 00:17:45:07

And there are many families today

who’s lives have changed.

 

00:17:49:07 --> 00:17:52:04

 So, here the children will

taste hot chocolate,

and the adults will get their

chocolate over there -

each person is allowed

one chocolate.

 

00:18:00:11 --> 00:18:03:07

When we first heard about

Chocotogo, we laughed

because we thought,

'Who is this guy?'

 

00:18:05:22 --> 00:18:09:20

'What's he doing?

Where's he from?'

 

00:18:09:24 --> 00:18:13:14

I have been in this

business for a long time,

and have seen businesses

large and small,

and I had never heard of him.

 

00:18:18:19 --> 00:18:20:00

I had no idea.

 

00:18:20:01 --> 00:18:22:09

But after spending

some time with him,

seeing his passion -

he is extremely dedicated.

 

00:18:25:21 --> 00:18:28:24

That's what we like about him -

when he says he'll do something,

 

00:18:29:01 --> 00:18:30:17

he does it.

When he says 'I'm in',

he gets stuck in.

 

00:18:32:01 --> 00:18:33:15

He has conviction.

 

18.35

Kpalimé, the country’s forth largest town, is also known as Togo’s cocoa capital.

18.50

In this modest building, Chocotogo completes the first stage of cocoa processing.

 

 

00:19:00:18 --> 00:19:02:24

Good morning Antie,

How are you?

 

00:19:03:01 --> 00:19:05:01

-Did you sleep well?

-Yes.

 

19.06

Komi has made women in work a personal priority. Florence Tsedi Yawa [SSEDDY-YAWAH] is one of the seasonal workers here. As the daughter of a cocoa farmer, she has no right to her father’s estate.

Cultural customs are patriarchal, ensuring that only sons inherit land.

 

 

00:19:27:11 --> 00:19:29:14

It makes me sad to think about.

 

00:19:30:05 --> 00:19:32:17

We should also be

able to benefit.

 

00:19:32:24 --> 00:19:34:21

But we never get anything.

 

00:19:35:11 --> 00:19:44:00

Often, our fathers see us women,

after we marry,

our children belong

to another family.

 

00:19:47:09 --> 00:19:50:23

So if I was entrusted with

maintaining the land,

it would eventually be

handed to my children

and would therefore

leave the family.

 

00:19:58:16 --> 00:20:03:07

But us women are not

allowed to manage land.

 

00:20:03:24 --> 00:20:05:24

It is for our

brothers to inherit.

 

20.09

Women remain confined to small-time, irregular work.

In Togo, salaried employment is a male preserve.

But today, the work of Florence and her colleagues will be valued.

They are tasked with husking the cocoa beans, a task normally carried out abroad once the cocoa was exported.

20.45

At 42 years old, Florence was finally able to receive her first pay check.

 

00:20:51:03 --> 00:20:55:13

Before this I did nothing,

I just stayed at home.

 

00:20:55:16 --> 00:21:00:01

Then I got a micro-loan,

I started a small business,

and that's how I got by.

 

00:21:02:10 --> 00:21:07:16

And then Chocotogo

arrived in the region.

 

00:21:08:18 --> 00:21:12:23

I asked for my husband's

permission to get a job here,

and he allowed me to work.

 

00:21:15:19 --> 00:21:19:22

This job gives us a chance.

It really helps us a lot.

 

21.26

In one day, Florence earnt 3500 Francs, or just over 5 euros.

 

 

00:21:33:14 --> 00:21:37:23

Before this, I wasn't able to buy

new clothes for myself or my kids,

shoes, jewellery...

 

00:21:40:24 --> 00:21:44:19

I just couldn't afford it.

 

00:21:47:22 --> 00:21:49:19

How much does this cost?

 

00:21:49:21 --> 00:21:52:18

8500... Ok, 8000.

 

00:21:54:13 --> 00:21:57:02

Could you do me a deal?

 

00:21:58:07 --> 00:22:01:18

Do you have something

less expensive?

 

00:22:03:01 --> 00:22:04:12

Goodday Ekedo.

 

22.06

Thanks to this job,  Florence and her husband were able to fulfil a dream of theirs – to build their own house.

 

00:22:13:02 --> 00:22:14:18

Come and give me a hug!

 

00:22:15:24 --> 00:22:18:03

-Hey mum!

-Hello my darling.

 

00:22:20:03 --> 00:22:21:15

Do you like it?

 

00:22:23:01 --> 00:22:24:01

Yes.

 

22.26

They hope that their success will be an inspiration to their daughter.

 

22.33

The Gnasinghé [NEEYA-SING-GAY] dynasty has ruled Togo for 50 years. One third of young people are unemployed, and poverty is on the rise in rural areas.

22.48

This is the result of years of political instability, whilst a negligent agricultural policy has caused great harm to a country where 70% of the population live off the land.

In September 2017, the people took to the streets to demand the resignation of the president Faure [FORAY] Gnassinghé [NEEYA-SING-GAY]

 The people are hungry for change.

 

 

00:23:12:19 --> 00:23:16:11

The worst thing is when young

Africans leave Africa,

this Africa, our Africa,

where we have everything.

 

00:23:21:07 --> 00:23:27:20

They leave here to die in the

Mediterranean like animals,

and the treatment the receive

from the Europeans on the borders...

 

00:23:33:06 --> 00:23:34:24

like... like...

even the fish are more

important than they are.

 

00:23:37:09 --> 00:23:39:12

I have to admit...

 

00:23:39:14 --> 00:23:43:10

It's true that in some countries

where there is a war on,

or real famine, I understand,

but that's not the case here in Togo.

 

00:23:46:15 --> 00:23:50:09

So if the Togolese leave the fields,

abandon everything

to go somewhere else,

I think that's ignorant.

 

23.53

To round off his tour, Komi has chosen a small cocoa farming village a few kilometres outside of Kpalimé [PAH-LEEM-AY]

 

00:24:01:22 --> 00:24:04:22

You must go to the

village square!

 

00:24:06:05 --> 00:24:07:12

Why?

 

00:24:07:23 --> 00:24:10:15

We're bringing you

some nice chocolate.

 

24.14

This village, like so many others, has suffered an exodus of youth.

 

 

00:24:19:23 --> 00:24:21:14

Do you know what this is?

 

00:24:22:03 --> 00:24:23:21

Do you have one

of these at home?

 

00:24:23:22 --> 00:24:26:10

If you don't have one,

then at least you have a cooking pot?

 

00:24:26:12 --> 00:24:27:23

So long as you have that,

you're ok.

 

00:24:27:24 --> 00:24:31:03

Now you can make chocolate -

it's very simple.

 

00:24:32:22 --> 00:24:37:05

We've brought something with us

- and you have it here already.

 

00:24:39:23 --> 00:24:41:09

This is sugar.

 

24.42

By simply demonstrating how chocolate is made, Komi wants to pass on a message – enterprising young people can build a life in this country.

Amongst those gathered, Kokou and Ama want to believe… their older siblings have already migrated.

 

25.05

They live a few kilometres from the village square, with their two children who are still too young to leave the family home.

 

 

00:24:51:06 --> 00:24:53:20

Touch your cocoa, smell it.

 

00:25:15:00 --> 00:25:17:01

This one here is their big

sister. She's 22.

 

00:25:17:05 --> 00:25:21:13

This is her younger brother,

he's 18.

 

00:25:23:13 --> 00:25:27:24

We knew he would never

find anything here.

 

00:25:27:24 --> 00:25:31:08

Four years ago, we let him leave

to go to Ghana,

where he is now studying.

 

25.42

The Togolese diaspora is vast – almost one quarter of the population lives abroad.

 

00:25:51:11 --> 00:25:54:12

Welcome welcome welcome!

 

26.01

In the month of July, many come home to visit their families.

 

00:26:13:15 --> 00:26:16:00

Get down, don't let

the bike fall.

 

26.17

Today, Kokou and Ama are reunited with their children after many months apart

 

00:26:24:02 --> 00:26:26:18

Ah, it's my big sister!

 

00:26:29:09 --> 00:26:31:09

Hey, come and give me a hand.

 

00:26:38:11 --> 00:26:40:19

-So, did your exams go well?

-Yes.

 

00:26:40:24 --> 00:26:43:09

-They weren't too difficult?

-Yes, but it was ok.

 

00:26:43:13 --> 00:26:46:06

By the grace of God,

can I count on you?

 

00:26:46:19 --> 00:26:47:19

Of course.

 

00:26:49:04 --> 00:26:51:10

You are Togolese.

You are smart.

 

00:26:54:12 --> 00:26:56:10

I want to become a doctor.

 

00:26:56:22 --> 00:27:01:15

I don't want to stay here and

suffer like my parents.

 

00:27:02:16 --> 00:27:06:02

I would like to become

something better.

 

00:27:08:12 --> 00:27:10:03

I have dreams.

 

00:27:10:17 --> 00:27:16:12

The way that people around here

talk about finding work...

 

00:27:17:22 --> 00:27:20:18

Sometimes I worry

about staying here,

that's why I had to

force my dad to leave.

 

00:27:24:18 --> 00:27:25:21

My dream...

 

00:27:27:03 --> 00:27:29:03

Is to one day become a lawyer.

 

00:27:44:04 --> 00:27:46:19

I am a bit sad, but

what can you do...

 

00:27:48:10 --> 00:27:52:05

Today's realities are different

from those of the past.

 

00:27:52:14 --> 00:27:57:18

The state of the world today

makes our children strive to find a better future

for themselves.

 

00:28:04:14 --> 00:28:07:19

Considering the life we had,

we, their fathers,we can't deny them that

chance for a better life.

 

28.12

Like many of their generation, Kokou’s children are turning their backs on Cocoa farming.

 

 

00:28:21:19 --> 00:28:25:06

This farm is what allowed

me to provide for them.

 

00:28:25:08 --> 00:28:29:13

I will never let it disappear.

 

00:28:30:09 --> 00:28:32:12

Whatever they decide to do,

I won't allow this land to fall

into disuse.

 

00:28:37:08 --> 00:28:38:08

Never.

 

00:28:39:13 --> 00:28:42:16

I will keep farming here

until the day I die.

 

00:28:48:00 --> 00:28:50:23

If everyone leaves,

who will build the country?

 

00:28:50:24 --> 00:28:54:19

We need hands to

rebuild this country.

 

00:28:55:00 --> 00:28:59:00

But you also need courage,

because it won't be easy.

 

00:28:59:04 --> 00:29:01:18

I took the risk in coming back,

 

00:29:01:20 --> 00:29:04:20

because someone had

to start somewhere,

to show others the way and get

them to follow an example.

 

29.08

After an initially bumpy road, Komi’s small co-op has now managed to find its feet, as Togo prepares to unleash a new generation of inspired entrepreneurs.

FIN