About
da told me
Damadit is a group of volunteers who wish to carry out preventive and educational actions for families. Our humanitarian association has the health and well-being of women and children at heart and aims to build several Maternal Protection centers. and Infants (PMI) in Africa.
Our history
The story of Damadit is simply the story of beautiful human encounters, of encounters with people who have a little more justice and health and social well-being at heart in a world where the less fortunate see their situations worsen and not improve. Damadit is a group of volunteers who want to carry out preventive and educational actions for families...
The initiator of the project, Emilie, is of African origin. She completed her higher education and acquired her professional experience in France, where she has lived for more than 20 years. Her training as an educator of young children and her daily work in a mother and child protection center (PMI) in France have shown her how much the care, as soon as they leave the maternity ward, of the mother and the child by a multidisciplinary team would be an effective preventive measure in Africa.
Indeed, confronted with each of her returns to Togo, with the experiences of mothers and children, she has seen how much poverty causes tragedies that could be avoided. For example that children are still dying of tuberculosis, tetanus, polio or measles simply for lack of vaccines and primary care. It therefore reflected on ways to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates and to ensure the health protection of children and their families. The desire to implement, in Togo to begin with, a structure encouraging prevention against these evils germinated in his heart.
Of course, health centers already exist there but they only provide a small percentage of care and the association's objective is not to limit itself to the vaccination of children. It is to accompany the mother and the child as soon as they leave the maternity ward, and even before, by offering advice on childcare, education and family planning, by creating a listening space for mothers (a mother who is well is more attentive to her little one and the care she lavishes on him is then adequate and appropriate).
This dream, this project, Emilie shared it with those around her, with her friends, her work colleagues, already very aware of her subjects, and with members of her family. It gradually found an echo, even enthusiasm, and at the end of March 2012 the association was born in France and then, in December, in Togo.
Why da told me?
DA in the Ewe language, in Togo, means "Mom". This same word among the Mina (still in Togo) means big sister and its diminutive Da is commonly used in South Togo to name any person representing a maternal and educational figure.
Thus we find it as a prefix to call his eldest: Da Françoise Da Marie, Da Florence... and when we know that the role of the eldest (who has not only Rights but also Duties) is, among other things, to taking care, protecting, accompanying, supporting and advising we understand better why this word is used to name any educator.
Thus the teachers, in Togo, are called Davi (little mother, small all the same compared to the place of the mother!).
Through this word Da we wish to underline the accompaniment and the support which we wish to bring to the child in his family environment. .
DAMADIT: To say is to verbalize, it is to put words on what is done or will be done to better grasp and internalize it. This SAYING is intended to be INDIVIDUAL in the sense that it is part of an interpersonal relationship where everyone knows that “what is valid for me is not necessarily valid for the other”. Da told me to ME, to me a subject in its own right with its specificity. And yes DAMADIT!
Da m'a dit is a major project that we even hope to see hatch in other developing countries. The prefix may change according to dialects or languages, for example YAYA told me (in Congo) or YAYE told me in Senegal. If the prefix changes the background remains because it is the “MATERNAL” discourse that builds the child, and therefore the person. Taking into account the well-being of the Mom is to ensure the future of the Child and to give him an anchor in his history.
Where do we act?
Our association brings together volunteer members from all over France and Africa. This is why Damadit is made up of two branches: The group Damadit France which makes the decisions and is responsible for the budget and the Damadit Togo group which is responsible for the execution, and the smooth running of the missions on site.
Kpalimé, Togo
Initially our action is based in Kpalimé in Togo, because it is in this rural environment that the need is greatest. But we hope to extend our field of action to all of Togo and even to all of Africa.
Paris, France
Our group of founding members is mainly located in the Paris region.
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