The Yayra volunteer community lives in the small village of Kové, 20 km from the capital of Togo, Lomé.  The mission of the Canossian sisters began here in 1994,  and the lay volunteer community was added in 1998.

Currently, five volunteers serve in the Yayra community: Maristella, Claudia, Sabrina, Monica and Wiesława. Maristella, who has been in Togo since 1998, is the community leader and a Canossian lay missionary.

The volunteers assist with various projects: a professional school for women aspiring to become hairstylists, dress makers, and administrative assistants; a retreat house; and pastoral care such as  helping the sick (providing counselling, rides to hospitals, and medicine subsidies), assisting small-business initiatives, subsidizing school costs, and assisting in job searches. 

Affordable, quality health care is one of the most pressing needs in Kové. The best way of attending to this need was to construct and operate a neighborhood health clinic. VOICA began construction on the clinic on 1 April 2004.

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