"It opened my eyes, he says. I had heard stories, but it opened my eyes to the reality of what my dad faced growing up, the conditions. And you're fighting against the [odds]. If we're in a race with the rest of the world, you're starting further behind [in Togo] than, let's say, we are in Canada. So I thought to myself, if one day we can come back as a family, do something."
"You imagine how it is, but it's not quite the reality. I saw that [their difficulties] didn't change that the people had good spirits. They had smiles on their faces, and they were positive people, and everybody's kind to each other, Auger-Aliassime says. At the same time, I saw the conditions. How many kids were in one class, up to 50 [children] in one class."
Felix Auger-Aliassime first visited Togo at 13 and has returned multiple times, most recently in December 2024. He saw warm, kind communities with smiles despite extreme hardship and limited infrastructure. He observed overcrowded classrooms with up to 50 children, scarce materials, and conditions far below Canadian and European standards. The visit revealed the realities his father faced growing up and convinced him to consider returning with his family to take action. His experience motivated ongoing charity efforts and a long-term commitment to follow progress and support improvements in education and living conditions in Togo.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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