2. WHO AM I?
• My name is Blaine, I am 27 years old, from
Moorhead, Minnesota. I have a full-time job, go
to school full-time, and of course I am a full-time
mom of a beautiful one year old.
• I get asked all the time if my name is really
BLAINE? I tell people I have had that name since
I was born, and I didn’t pick it out!
6. TOGO
• Culture Name
• Togolese; Togolais
• Location and Geography
• Covering a total area of 21,925 square miles,
Togo extends 365 miles inland, 40 miles wide at
the coast and 90 miles wide at its widest point. It
is bordered by Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Benin.
• Demography
• The population of Togo is estimated by the
United Nations to be 5 million in 2000.One fifth
of the population lives in Lomé, the capital.
• Food in Daily Life
• Togolese usually have two or three meals per
day, each consisting of a starch product, such as
cassava, maize, rice, yams, or plantains. A hot,
spicy sauce is served with midday or evening
meals, consisting of a protein; fish, goat, beans,
or beef, and often rich in palm oil or peanut
paste. Fruits and vegetables, though readily
available, are eaten more by the bourgeoisie.
Traditional French staples, including baguettes,
are mainstream in the cities.
7. TOGO CULTURE
• Togo's men eat alone with other men, and the women sometimes eat with there children or alone.
Before anyone eats they wash both of their hands in a bowl of water. When Togo people eat they sit on
a mat. there food is served in a communion bowl. When they eat meat, diners express satisfaction with
the food by breaking the bones and sucking out the marrow
• A Togo's woman primary role is to give birth to children and to raise and educate them, while offering
submission to her husband.
• Many young people are allowed to choose their spouses, but families often frown on unions outside of
their ethnic group.
8. TOGO ECONOMY AND LABOR
• Togo has an agricultural economy with over 65% of its people engaged in subsistence and commercial
agriculture. Togo is drought-prone but is food self-sufficient in years of ample rainfall. Coffee, cocoa,
and cotton are the major cash crops, and the food crops include corn, sorghum, millet, cassava, and
yams.
• Togo's labor force in 2002 was estimated at two million. In 1998, about 65% of the labor force engaged
in agriculture, 30% in services, and 5% in industry. The minimum working age is 14, but it is not
enforced and many children work, especially on their family's farms.
9. GENDER ISSUES
• Traditionally the woman’s place has been at home with the kids, cleaning and cooking. Recently, with
the feminist movement and modernism, women are accepted in the work force and are often seen
working outside the home.
• Women in are incredible hardworking. It’s common to see a woman carrying a heavy load of goods like
firewood to cook dinner with a baby on her back and a child in tow. She may even be breastfeeding
while walking.
• In most rural and tribal areas, a women must show respect to men at all times, especially her husband.
Talking back is very disrespectful. She must always be dressed appropriately, clothes must be clean and
her legs must always be covered. It is acceptable for her breasts to be uncovered as it is very hot during
the day but she must never show her legs. She must complete all the housework each day in addition
to child-rearing and preparing meals.
10. WORKS CITED
• Culture Grams 1998 by Brigham Young
• Absolute Web Graphics, http://www.grsites.com/webgraphics/
• http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Togo.html#ixzz3CSDbVxTx
• "Togo." Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations. 2007. Retrieved September 05, 2014 from
Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2586700128.html
