Not many teenagers can say they traveled to Africa to fulfill a community service requirement.

But that's exactly what Glenelg Country School junior Ben Smith did over the summer, when he established the Togo Internet Village, a cyber café in the remote Togolese village of Vo Pedakondje.

The project not only fulfilled the 25 hours of community service required of each Upper School student, but served as a valuable life lesson for Smith.

"It was kind of like an eye-opener," Smith said of his experience.

David Weeks, community service coordinator for the school, said Smith went above and beyond with his service project.

"What he did is more than fill that requirement," Weeks said. "He's demonstrated to others what's possible."

The idea of contributing something to Togo came from a friend of Smith's father, originally from Togo, who told Smith that most rural Togolese do not have computers.

Since April, Smith has been working on his resulting plan to establish a cyber café.

On June 13, he traveled to Togo by himself, where he was met by the son of his father's Togolese friend, who served as his host. He stayed until July 7 to complete the project.

After collecting donations from individuals and organizations both in the U.S. and Togo, Smith had about $20,000 to purchase 13 computers and printers in Lomé, Togo's capital city, as well as the funds for the actual site of the café, which was under construction when he visited. The café is housed in a temporary location until construction is complete.

The GlobalGiving Foundation, an organization that facilitates charitable giving, helped Smith establish the project as a certified charitable organization according to IRS guidelines.

Smith describes the village as "really, really, really, really rural."

Save for a few shops in town, residents do not have access to electricity or running water.

"Almost no family has their own computer," Smith added.

Smith spent a considerable amount of his time in Vo Pedakondje teaching basic computer skills to children and adults in the village.

Smith said he learned a great deal about life in Togo and how it differs from the U.S., particularly when it comes to material needs and wants.

"They receive happiness from much less than we do," he said.

Smith's eventual goal is to establish three more cyber cafés in Togo. To help meet his goal, he is planning a Tag Day fundraiser at his school, where for $2, students will be exempt from wearing their usual uniform for the day.

To learn more about Smith's trip, go to www.togointernetvillage.org/. To learn more about contributing to the Togo Internet Village project, go to www.globalgiving.com/projects/togo-internet-village/.

* Last week's School Days column featured the story of two Centennial High School students who created a short documentary about the Civil War's Battle of Monocacy. The students submitted their film to Monocacy National Battlefield as part of a program challenging students to create documentaries on the park. The column should have specified that the documentary program was not a contest and no awards were given. The documentary created by the Centennial students, Bijan Navid and Taylor Cairns, along with one other submission, is now featured at the park's visitor center.

* Mt. Hebron High School is holding a yard sale Oct. 10 from 7 a.m. to noon. Spaces are available for rent for $15. Donated items are welcome. Proceeds will benefit the freshman class. The school is at 9440 Route 99, in Ellicott City. For more information, e-mail gregory_murach@hcpss.org.

* The PTA Council of Howard County's health and wellness committee is seeking volunteers, both licensed medical professionals and community members outside of the medical profession, to assist with flu vaccines for the next six weeks. The vaccines will be administered in school and other locations throughout the county. To become a volunteer, go to www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3CTyq8mC3J1Xcfc5JJys7A_3d_3d) or e-mail ptachc@erols.com.

* The Marriotts Ridge High School dance department is hosting a community yard sale Saturday, Oct. 3, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Spaces are available for $20 per slot, with discounts for multiple slots. Donations are accepted. The school is at 12100 Woodford Drive, in Marriottsville. For more information, e-mail mrhsdance@yahoo.com.

* Glenelg High School will host the "Be Happy-Laugh Loud: James Munsey Comedy Hypnosis Show," Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $12 at the door. More information is available online at www.glenelgptsa.org. The school is at 14025 Burntwoods Road, in Glenelg.

Send school-related items to School Days, Flier/Times, 10750 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, MD 21044. Fax items to 410-997-4564 or e-mail mroshan@patuxent.com.

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