From Togo to Greenland – my Arctic odyssey
When Tété-Michel Kpomassie was ordered to join a snake-cult in Togo, he had to escape. He read a book about Greenland, learnt there was no snakes, and 'paradise' beckoned.
As a 16-year-old boy in Togo, Tété-Michel Kpomassie knew he had to escape. It was the late 1950s, and his father had ordered him to train as a priest in a snake cult. But Tété-Michel was terrified of snakes after a close encounter up a coconut tree that had nearly cost him his life. One day, he came across a book about Greenland. He read that there were no reptiles, only ice, and he was intrigued by the Inuit people. So he set out on an eight-year odyssey to reach this mysterious country, full of images of icebergs and sledding and hunting. (This episode was first broadcast in February 2022)
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Katy Takatsuki
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Tété-Michel Kpomassie in the 1960s. Credit: Tété-Michel Kpomassie)
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- Tue 17 Dec 202412:06GMTBBC World Service
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