For Farida Nabourema, fighting for democracy in her country has come at a high price; she’s had to sacrifice her family, friends and her safety.
Nabourema has lived in exile from her childhood home of Togo for 10 years after speaking out against the regime of Faure Gnassingbé, whose family has ruled the West African nation for more than 50 years.
During the Gnassingbé dynasty, Togo became one of the world’s poorest countries and a place characterized by a crackdown on freedom of speech and dissent.
The US State Department recently raised deep concerns about rising levels of violence in the country and restrictions on free speech.
Nabourema had an early introduction to the regime’s brutal tactics when her father was arrested in 2003 for opposing the regime, she says.
