Reflections from the Happytogo board on the passing of Togbui Adodo, village and canton chief of Tomety Kondji. Read at the funeral service in September 2025.

Photos: The board of Happytogo at the welcoming audience with Togbui Adodo

Dear attendees

Dear residents of Tomety Kondji

Dear family

It was a day of deep sadness when we, thousands of kilometers away from you, learned that Togbui Adodo had left us forever. The board of Happytogo and all friends from Switzerland who have already visited the village are thinking of you today and of the farewell ceremony for the great Togbui Adodo.

Unfortunately, none of us can attend this ceremony. We have therefore asked for a few lines to be read on our behalf, and we sincerely thank the family and those who mourn.

In recent years, we have made numerous trips to Tomety Kondji and Donomadé and have had the privilege of working with many of them. We met people who welcomed us with open arms and whose enthusiasm infected us. A visit to the village chief was a natural part of every trip to Tomety Kondji – which was always a great honor for us and a highlight of the trip. Togbui Adodo welcomed our delegation each time with distinguished courtesy and great hospitality – always with the dignity of a responsible leader of his community.

These wonderful visits allowed us to get to know a wise man, a great man full of humanity and a subtle sense of humor, whom we will hold dear in our hearts for a long time to come. People like Togbui Adodo are rare, and whenever we meet them, we are touched by their generosity and wisdom. He knew the people in the village; he had been in office for many years and had witnessed many small and large changes. And he had experienced and demonstrated to us that the greatest strength lies in the heart of the people. Thus, we left our audiences with him with renewed confidence and zest for life.

We live in a world of rapid change, but full of inequality and injustice. Much is improving, but some things are justifiably worrying. Togbui Adodo knew that the future would require strength and courage from you, that it would not be easy. For this reason, he placed humanity at the center of his actions and his fellow human beings first. He wanted to give us the confidence to tackle and master our tasks. In doing so, he made a significant contribution to our ability to support the various projects in your region with

continued with enthusiasm and did not think about giving up.

To honor him, and because he was always a role model for us, we have decided to support today's ceremony with a donation. In this way, we would like to help ensure that his work and his thoughts remain embedded in our souls.

We bid farewell to the man Togbui Adodo, but not to his humanity and dignity. We will forever carry these in our hearts.

Our thoughts are with you, your family, and all those who mourn the loss of this great personality.

In September 2025

The Board of Happytogo