Togo: Inclusive leadership, resilient futures

ORGANISATION
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)

LOCATION
Atti-Atovou, Maritime Region, Togo

The context

In the rural village of Atti-Atovou in southern Togo, farming has long been the heartbeat of community life. But as the rains have become less predictable and droughts more frequent, families who depend on agriculture have faced growing hardship. Each missed rainfall means lower yields, lost income, and difficult decisions – whether to sell livestock, reduce meals, or pull children out of school.

For years, disaster risk was viewed as a matter of weather and infrastructure. But in Atti-Atovou, the real barrier to resilience lay elsewhere: in who got to make decisions. The traditional village council, made up entirely of men, governed land use, managed disputes, and determined how to respond to environmental challenges. Women – though central to food production and family survival – had no voice in shaping the community’s future.

The approach: Investing in inclusive leadership

This began to change when GNDR member, ADRA Togo, started a series of community trainings on human rights, gender equality, and inclusive governance. Supported through local partnerships, the sessions emphasised that resilience cannot be built if half the population is excluded from decision-making.

These dialogues opened space for transformation. For the first time, women were invited to join the traditional council – not as observers, but as equals. The change was both symbolic and practical: it meant that when the community planned for risks such as drought, every perspective was represented.

One of the newly appointed leaders, Salomé Drafor, now serves as Queen Mother of Atti-Atovou.

“Today, I sit at the table not as decoration, but as a voice for women and children,” she says. “When we plan for risks, I bring forward the realities we live every day.”

Results: Real impact on resilience

The inclusion of women in leadership quickly produced tangible benefits. When rainfall patterns faltered last season, the council – guided by its new members – acted swiftly to coordinate collective seed purchases. This locally led decision ensured that farmers could replant despite delayed rains, preventing widespread crop losses and hunger.

The measure required no large external funding – just inclusive, proactive planning. Yet it saved livelihoods and strengthened trust between community members. Beyond agriculture, women leaders have helped prioritise nutrition, child well-being, and household food security in local decision-making. As a result, the community is not only better equipped to manage drought but also to protect its most vulnerable members when crises arise.

Lessons and insights

Atti-Atovou’s experience shows that resilience is as much about social systems as it is about physical ones. By changing who participates in decisions, the community has created governance structures that integrate disaster risk reduction into everyday life.

The case illustrates a core message of IDDRR 2025:

Disasters are never natural – they are the outcome of choices we make.

By choosing inclusion and empowerment, Atti-Atovou has built a foundation for risk-informed, community-driven development.

Looking forward: Funding people, not just projects

As climate risks intensify across Togo, Atti-Atovou’s story highlights the power of investing in people, not only infrastructure. Funding resilience means funding the social and civic spaces where decisions are made.

When women and men lead together, communities become more accountable, more equitable, and more adaptable. This is what resilience finance looks like in practice – small investments in inclusion that yield long-term security and stability.

Civil society organisations like ADRA Togo are proving that with knowledge, trust, and inclusive leadership, even the smallest communities can design their own protection against disaster.

This International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, GNDR calls for governments, donors, the private sector and financial institutions to prioritise funding for resilience, not just funding for disasters when they strike.

All photos: ADRA Togo