In Winneba, traveling the community and spending most of our time at Challenging Heights. We're working through our partnership agreement with the Director, James Kofi Annan, now. Both James, Kaleigh, and I are more than ecstatic about the immense potential we have for this project. We've seen the land and talked basics. Now, we're developing a program overview and working on our proposal (hopefully to be close to completion before we leave). Next week we'll be taking measurements of the land, traveling to the rehabilitation shelter and Volta Lake, where you can find rampid child slavery.
A few nights ago, we followed along to one of the organization's Community Sensitization events. We went to a nearby community, set up microphones, speakers, and a projector. Then right as the sun set, they began to play music videos and mostly strange foreign films in Japenese (i know, we were confused, too). TONS of people from the village gathered around to see what was going on, and as we had a captured audience, they put on a documentary on child slavery in Ghana. David, the Programs Officer began describing to the villagers the danger of selling your children into "forced work", as well as the legal implications. A mother who sells one or all of her children into slavery can face severe fines and 5-25 years in prison. This seemed to absolutely shock the mothers/caretakers in the audience. The whole event was unorganized and a bit chaotic at times, but one of the most effective messages we've seen while we've been here.
We've decided to skip our weekend trip up north-- Jess has been sick for the past few days and Kaleigh fell sick this morning. Let the Ghana Cleanse Diet begin! We're heading to the pharmacy now to get antibiotics and other meds. All is well, no worries. =)
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Down the Coast
What an amazing couple of days. Sunday we drove down the coast to Anamabo beach on a trotro (a taxi van that fits an unimaginable amount of people inside). After getting dropped off at the beach, we unloaded our bags to realize we are one bag short. At some point in the crazy hustle of the Accra streets, or one of the many rides we had to take, we lost a bag. =(
After the long, long, and longer rides, we joined the ABAN girls to enjoy the beach to relax, network, and brainstorm over a few Stars (local Ghanaian beer). We stayed the night in a tent just feet from the ocean. So great.
Left the next day on another trotro for Winneba. Settled into the hostel and checked out the University of Education, which seems to be a college for the Teaching Professionals.
Today we visited Challenging Heights, which is the organization we're hoping to collaborate with for the duration of our whole project. We sat in on their staff meeting, where they discussed the new CCPCs (Community Protection Committees) set up in the different villages to be somewhat of a "neighborhood watch" for children not attending school, child trafficking and labor violations. After meeting with the Director, we moved next door for one of the women's empowerment microfinance classes, where an official from the local Union Rural Bank came to discuss terms on the potential loans they could offer the women. The discussion was almost entirely in Twi (the local language), so we practiced reading body language.
Tonight, our meeting was cancelled, which we are ecstatic about. We're going to get food on the beach, watch the sunset, and catch up on work. =)
After the long, long, and longer rides, we joined the ABAN girls to enjoy the beach to relax, network, and brainstorm over a few Stars (local Ghanaian beer). We stayed the night in a tent just feet from the ocean. So great.
Left the next day on another trotro for Winneba. Settled into the hostel and checked out the University of Education, which seems to be a college for the Teaching Professionals.
Today we visited Challenging Heights, which is the organization we're hoping to collaborate with for the duration of our whole project. We sat in on their staff meeting, where they discussed the new CCPCs (Community Protection Committees) set up in the different villages to be somewhat of a "neighborhood watch" for children not attending school, child trafficking and labor violations. After meeting with the Director, we moved next door for one of the women's empowerment microfinance classes, where an official from the local Union Rural Bank came to discuss terms on the potential loans they could offer the women. The discussion was almost entirely in Twi (the local language), so we practiced reading body language.
Tonight, our meeting was cancelled, which we are ecstatic about. We're going to get food on the beach, watch the sunset, and catch up on work. =)
Saturday, June 18, 2011
ABAN
Yesterday morning we visited ABAN, a local organization in Achimota that runs a women's empowerment program for those who are pregnant or have recently had children. They girls were beautiful and impressive. We held a few one-on-one interviews, took a tour of the facilities, and held some babies! It was great to see the work they do first-hand (www.aban.org).
We left early afternoon for a long taxi ride to Street Stream Remedial College, which didn't work out exactly as planned. The school was eerie and in a poor neighborhood and the students were nowhere to be found. The school's director wouldn't allow us to take any video recording and then told us that he didn't trust our motives (and thought maybe we were there to steal of all his business ideas). Needless to say, we did not get a tour. It was a quick way to feel grounded again in the culture of business in Ghana.
Left for the artisan market to look at art and jewelry and then to an International Film Festival. There were free food/drinks everywhere, and as we walked in, we were sure we must have accidentally snuck into the wrong event. Then a fashion show, with models showing off a line of clothes made 100% of recycled material, followed by 6 short independent environmental films. What an amazing night.
This morning we met Tina Oh (from Partners Worldwide) for lunch and are now waiting, waiting, waiting for the Grand Valley State service learning team to arrive-- a group of 18 students and 3 faculty members here to work/study in Ghana for 7 weeks. As it is custom in Ghana.... we are patient and wait. Thank God for internet cafes.
We left early afternoon for a long taxi ride to Street Stream Remedial College, which didn't work out exactly as planned. The school was eerie and in a poor neighborhood and the students were nowhere to be found. The school's director wouldn't allow us to take any video recording and then told us that he didn't trust our motives (and thought maybe we were there to steal of all his business ideas). Needless to say, we did not get a tour. It was a quick way to feel grounded again in the culture of business in Ghana.
Left for the artisan market to look at art and jewelry and then to an International Film Festival. There were free food/drinks everywhere, and as we walked in, we were sure we must have accidentally snuck into the wrong event. Then a fashion show, with models showing off a line of clothes made 100% of recycled material, followed by 6 short independent environmental films. What an amazing night.
This morning we met Tina Oh (from Partners Worldwide) for lunch and are now waiting, waiting, waiting for the Grand Valley State service learning team to arrive-- a group of 18 students and 3 faculty members here to work/study in Ghana for 7 weeks. As it is custom in Ghana.... we are patient and wait. Thank God for internet cafes.
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