Villagers in Togo mourn homes swallowed by the sea

by Reuters
Thursday, 4 June 2020 10:00 GMT

In the Togolese coastal community of Baguida, the ocean has swallowed agricultural land, the school playing field and the cemetery

By Luc Gnago

BAGUIDA, Togo, June 4 (Reuters) - The Togolese coastal community of Baguida has always had the ocean at its doorstep, but the waves have lapped higher and higher in recent years, destroying homes and locals' hopes for the future.

On the outskirts of the capital Lome, crumbling abandoned buildings dot the shoreline, their empty windows staring out at the advancing water. Remaining residents are fearful.

"I have three children. I think that one day the sea will take us by surprise, we won't know where to go," said 27-year-old Olivia Afanubo Hollalie, standing outside her single-storey house, metres from the surf.

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