Standfast

Hey all. So the elections are coming up in Togo, they are supposed to take place on October 14th, but the date has been known to change so we will see how it goes. These are the first major elections since the presidential elections that went so badly a few years ago. However, it seems that the country is going about things much more systematically than they did the last time. Also, this is not a presidential election, so hopes are high that everything will go smoothly. Just in case though, all Peace Corps Volunteers will be on what is called "Standfast" for the week leading up to the election and the week after. This means that we are not allowed to leave our villages for anything other than buying food. There is are several contact volunteers in every region and should there be some kind of emergency we would all be contacted and moved to our various consolidation points (in my case the maison de passage in Kara), and if things were to get really out of hand we would be evacuated, most likely to Benin or Ghana. No one is anticipating anything of the kind, but it is good to know that precautions are being taken. We are all hopeful that these elections will go well, not only for safety sake, but also because it would mean a lot of the aid organizations that pulled out after the last elections coming back into the country. In any case it is an exciting time to be here, and we could see a lot of change throughout the remainder of our service as a a result. Because I live so close to Kara, I am allowed to come in to buy food and recharge my phone. I do not, however, think Peace Corps would be thrilled to find me in an internet cafe. Therefore it may be a couple of weeks before you hear from me, so for the moment, no news is good news. If you would like my phone number you can contact either of my parents or Erin and they will explain the phone situation to you (after which you may well decide its not worth it). Thank you all again for all the care packages, emails, letters and support. I love you all very much. Happy Standfast!