The Salesians of Don Bosco have been present in Togo since 06 April 1982, with the arrival of Fathers Juan Manuel Melgar, Antonio César Fernandez and Lucas Camino from the Salesian Provinces of Cordoba and Seville (Spain). They arrived at the request of Mgr Robert Dosseh, Bishop of Lomé, and founded the first Salesian community in the country. This community was given responsibility for the Maria Auxiliadora Parish in Gbényedzi (a working-class district of Lomé).
Togo
SALESIAN PRESENCES IN TOGO
LOME-GBENYEDZI
1982
The work of Kara was born in response to a request from the Bishop of Sokodé, Mgr Chrétien Matawo Bakpessi. On 30 September 1985, the Salesians José Antonio Rodriguez, Marcos Santos and Juan Melgar formed the first community.
1985
KARA
Today, the work of the Community includes several structures: the parish, two homes for children in difficult situations (for girls and boys), the Don Bosco college, the vocational training centre, a boarding school for pupils and a dispensary.
LOME-AKODESSEWA
In another neighbourhood (Akodessewa) less than a kilometre from the parish, the Salesians opened a learning centre, which years later became a vocational centre.
1988
In order to ensure that the charism would continue in the country, the Salesians opened a house of formation for young Don Bosco Salesians alongside the professional centre. This is the post-novitiate stage, where the Salesians receive training in the human and social sciences (philosophy, educational sciences and communications) at the Institut Supérieur Don Bosco.
1990
CINKASSE
The Salesians have been at Cinkassé since 20 June 1990, with the arrival of the first Salesians: Fathers Paco Rodriguez and José Manuel Nogueroles, and Brother Constant Kossé, an intern. They took charge of the Christian community of Cinkassé, which was then part of the Nadjundi parish run by the Franciscans. It immediately became a parish. Today, the work of the Salesian community of Cinkassé includes: the parish, the Don Bosco college, the boarding school and the oratory.
GBODJOME
In 1994, the Salesian novitiate, which was first located in the Maria Auxiliadora parish and then in the post-novitiate, was transferred to the new house built 22 km from Lomé, on the road leading to the southern border of Benin, in the village of Gbodjomé. This novitiate welcomes Salesian novices from the French-speaking area of West Africa. The community’s pastoral sectors are: parish and oratory-youth centre. The novitiate has a livestock farm and a factory producing alcoholic drinks from local produce: mango, coconut, orange, etc.
1994
