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At a glance

A training centre is under construction in Togo with the help of your mileage donations

Architect Komi and his team are working on the project too - from the design stage right through to the completed training centre

Komi help alliance Togo architect June

This joint project by Miles & More and help alliance is making progress: construction of the training centre for disadvantaged school leavers in Togo (West Africa) is progressing well thanks to your mileage donations. We will provide you with regular updates on the project here and also hear from the people involved.

Logo help alliance Togo 16-9

The architect Komi Avenunye Adegnon explains why he is pressing ahead with the project with such passion

A dream comes true

“The aim is to complete a forward-looking training centre here as early as the end of 2023. This will have a positive impact on the entire region. A place of education that will train lots of young, dynamic people, giving them hope for the future and good opportunities in the labour market. I firmly believe this is exactly the kind of centre we need here in Togo. Togo has to contend with considerable poverty and a crumbling education system, which is why there is a shortage of well-trained workers. That's why I was so enthusiastic when we were awarded the contract for this exciting model project.”

 

Plenty of attention to detail

“It took a while before we could start the actual construction work. That's because various studies need to be carried out for a project of this size, such as for the structural integrity of the building and the electrical and sanitation facilities. We also had to calculate and plan the final budget in precise detail.”

 

 

Team help alliance Togo June architect craftsmen

“I and my multidisciplinary team consisting of architects, engineers, structural engineers and planners are now carefully overseeing the progress of the construction work. We also talk every month with the project team from help alliance, the charitable organisation of the Lufthansa Group and its employees, and are making ongoing adjustments to our original design.”

Team help alliance Togo June architect craftsmen

Respect for nature and tradition

“Our concept for the training centre is based on bioclimatic architecture that respects the environment and uses regional materials. That's also why we chose clay as the main building material. It is sourced locally and is perfectly suited to the climatic conditions here. At the same time, using this traditional building material sends a message to local people: our traditions and cultural heritage have value - they are the foundation for our future development.”

 

Together for the future

“Thank you to all the Miles & More donors who have provided financial resources! A project like this would have been inconceivable without their help. We are also getting a lot of positive feedback from the region. This is what motivates me and my team to do our very best every single day.”

The project and the key players

More information about the project

Life in Togo

This small country in West Africa has a population of eight million and is slightly larger than Switzerland. Two-thirds of the people live from agriculture. Even though all children have to complete six years of compulsory education, there are many who leave school early. One in three adults is illiterate. The country's education system lacks infrastructure, equipment and qualified teachers. Even if they complete their schooling, the labour market situation for young people is precarious. There are too few training places that qualify people for the jobs needed on the ground.

 

Together with Miles & More, help alliance - the charitable aid organisation of the Lufthansa Group and its employees - aims to improve this situation long term with the “Modern training centre for a sustainable future” project.

The project director's vision

Jean Adadevi, Senior Consultant Finance Solutions and Products at Lufthansa Systems in Hamburg, is the project director and has been working with help alliance for a long time. He says: “Education in any form is the key to combatting global poverty. This applies to Africa in particular. I grew up in Togo myself and only escaped a life of poverty thanks to my good school education. That's why I consider the planned training centre to be a very important investment for enabling young people to have a better future.”

A vision arose from his commitment in Togo: a place where young people can receive qualified bilingual training that will give them a future with greater opportunities.

This vision is now becoming a reality. Plans are in place for a training centre with modern workshops and classrooms; construction began in early 2022. The “Modern training centre for a sustainable future” will be a top priority for both help alliance and Miles & More over the next two years. With the help of your mileage donations, the project is set to be completed by the end of 2023. From then onwards, around 100 disadvantaged school-leavers every year will receive practical training in subjects like mechanics, organic farming and food processing.

This ties in with the Miles & More approach to sustainable social commitment and, together with help alliance, supporting people in the poorest countries in the world. Consisting of teaching and administration buildings and three workshops, the training centre in Togo is intended to be fully and exclusively funded with mileage donations from the Miles & More community. That's EUR 300,000 for the construction phase in 2022.

 

Creating a future with miles - in leaps and bounds. Jean Adadevi is delighted that construction is progressing so well thanks to the support of Miles & More members.

 

We will update you regularly on the progress of the project here and in Miles & More media.

The construction project so far
Logo help alliance Togo 16-9

More projects funded through your mileage donations

Fifteen years ago, Miles & More teamed up with help alliance, the charitable aid organisation of the Lufthansa Group, to make the world a slightly better place with the help of Miles & More members.

 

The miles donated have been supporting many projects in the fields of education, work, income, medical care and nutrition since 2006 - with many more set to follow. We will be presenting the most important of the many projects to you over the next few months.