A Rose by Any Other Name
Yes, I am quoting Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet" for this blog post because it is an accurate representation of my life right now. Most of you know me as Sofia Howson—that would be my legal American name. But here in Togo I am HOWSON Kossiwa. Yep, Sofia no more—only Kossiwa. Kossiwa is the name given to me by the community in the local language Ewe. When translated, it means “born on Sunday.” Names given in Ewe are based on the day on which you were born, so there are seven root names, but the names are also distinguished by gender, so there are actually 14 names. My name, Kossiwa, distinguishes that I was both born on Sunday, and I am also a girl (If I were a boy, I’d be named Kossi). I am known as Kossiwa in a village of 1,500 inhabitants—a village that is neither too large nor too small. There is a primary school (an elementary school) and a secondary school (middle school) both of which holds 80 students in each classroom. There is a small health clinic which is st...