DAY 9

DAY 9   Monday 8^th April, 2013

After a good overnight flight from Accra I arrive in Rome at 6am.  It’s Italian coffee for breakfast and time to write up my journal.  Unfortunately, it’s a long stop over.  At 1.30pm I board my flight to London.  I can’t wait to see my family and dream of a long hot bath and a well earned ice cold G&T when I get home!
 

A few days later.....

 

This trip has been an amazing experience - a real sense of team combined with a common goal to help raise funds for AfriKids.  It's hard to sum up how I feel about the whole challenge or summarise AfriKids work on the ground and how their holistic approach and sustainable projects are truly turning communities around.  What springs to mind is the proverb... 

 “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

 Chinese Proverb

 

 

Headteacher Samuel with AfriKids Beneficiaries at Lorge JHS

  

If you have enjoyed the blog and would like to support AfriKids, please go to 

 

http://www.JustGiving.com/jacky-williams  

 

Thank you

Click here to find out more about the AfriKids Experience Challenge

 

 

 

DAY 8

DAY 8   Sunday 7^th April, 2013 

Travelling back to Accra 

It’s a really early start.  The sun isn’t up yet and we are waiting quietly in the dark for the AfriKids team to pick us up from the Next Generation Home.  All a bit tired we step into the taxi for the 2hr drive to Tamale Airport.   

 

At Tamale Airport we check in our bags and grab a coffee.  When it comes to saying goodbye to Katie and the team I feel unexpectedly tearful.  All the things we’ve seen, experienced and learned during our stay in Ghana come flooding back – it’s certainly been an amazing week.

Back in Accra we are greeted by the driver from the Lavender Lodge and we head back to the hotel.  Most of us have evening flights so have a day room to get showered and changed into clean clothes before travelling home.

Accra – Rome – London

I board my flight to Rome late on Sunday evening and now start looking forward to being back home.

DAY 7

DAY 7  Saturday 6^th April, 2013

Saturday morning at the NGH.  We have the luxury of a lie in until 6.30am!! and access to a cold shower and, hurrah!, a toilet.

AfriKids Medical Centre

This morning our group heads out to the AfriKids Medical Centre (AMC).  The AMC generates an income used to fund other child rights projects run by AfriKids Ghana.  It is in itself a sustainable programme at the heart of the AfriKids structure.  It aims to provide improved quality, range and access to medical care for the local community of Bolgatanga.  As we look round, we can see why people want to bring their children here.

 

  

About the Centre…

The unit is bright and light.  Our tour takes us through the departments of Registration, Haematology, Maternity and X-Ray before visiting the Women’s Ward, the Children’s Ward and the Dispensary.

There is one doctor at the Medical Centre who sees around 68,000 cases per year, a high percentage of which are malaria.  To give you an idea of numbers - an A&E department in the UK might see around the same number of patients but with a team of staff working 24hrs!

AfriKids would like to expand the Medical Centre to create a Paediatrics Unit and to replace the Kodak scanning equipment which is so old they are unable to get replacement parts.

It is evident AfriKids have worked hard building partnerships with hospitals in the UK to help teach and train local staff to use equipment and help them plan the infrastructure as they plan future expansion of the centre.  See their partnership with Southampton NHSFoundation Trust 

About the Tour… 

On the Maternity Ward a baby had only just been born and we’re all able to see this new little life, only 2hrs old.  Over in Ultrasound some of the machines are out of order as it’s near impossible to get replacement parts for such old equipment.  This means that children who have travelled to the centre in pain with broken arms or legs have to travel to another hospital some distance away before being x-rayed.  I can’t imagine having to transfer one of my children with a broken arm to a hospital several miles away – not even with the speed and comfort of a car to take them in.

On the Children’s Ward we observe three very young babies who are recovering from malaria.  One mother had been crying for two days because her baby was so sick she didn’t know if her daughter would survive.   Take your own tour around the AfriKids Medical Centre
 

In this region 1 in 9 children die before their 5^th birthday

The Bolga Craft Market

The local currency is the Ghana cedi and the exchange rate is approximately 3 cedis to the £1.  The local craft market is vibrant and colourful with beautifully woven Bolga baskets outside each shop.  There are handmade bags in traditional fabrics, jewellery and various African artefacts.  Putting my haggling skills to the test I buy a Bolga basket for 30 cedis and hope that I haven’t destabilised the local economy having knocked them down from 45 cedis!

NGH Lunch and Debriefing Session

Back at the NGH we all meet under the wooden gazebo for a lunch of fish, rice and yams and a much needed ice cool drink.  Afterwards we all feedback our thoughts on Ghana, The Experience Challenge and AfriKids.  Everyone is very positive about Ghana where we have all received a warm welcome.  The AfriKids team has been a delight to spend time with and their professional, friendly and supportive approach has ensured we’ve all experienced as much as possible from our stay in Ghana.

Ghana Broadcasting Corporation

After the feedback session we are invited to join Sophia Ackumey at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to record an interview about our time in Ghana with AfriKids.  Sophie hosts the GBC’s Women in Development radio programme in the Upper East Region of Ghana.

Between the group we whip up an international team of speakers, comprising Catherine (from Hong Kong), Som (from Thailand) and myself (from the UK). 

Catherine, Jacky, Sophia & Som at GBC

Ray from AfriKids drives us all to the recording studios along with Sophia and we have a little practice answering questions on the way.  I’m feeling the fear – I’ve never been on radio before! 

                       

The producer takes a sound check and as quick as a flash we’re off with the first question.  Unfortunately, it’s a question on language which is directed at me.  I am now on national radio demonstrating to the country the limits of my Fra Fra as I say “Wantenga” (Good Afternoon).  Luckily, Som saves the day by counting to 20 in the local dialect and everyone’s impressed!

The radio show lasts quite a while and it gives me an opportunity to reflect on our whirlwind tour of Ghana, the Experience Challenge itself and how this will impact on each of us when we go back to our home countries. 

As the talk show goes on I have an opportunity to tell Sophia and her listeners my plans for continuing to help the children of Ghana, through AfriKids, by running a new fundraising initiative back home using my skills as an image consultant.  This is something that I will be working on when I get home with the aim of going into schools to run free Body Confidence Workshops for children.  In return for the free workshops, the children in the UK can help the children in Ghana by making a suggested donation to AfriKids.  I go on to explain that the main focus of my business is about empowering women with confidence.

Hear the AfriKids Experience Challenge radio interview (April 2013) here on Soundcloud

 

Bolgatanga Main Market

Bolga is one of the main meeting points on the trans-Saharan trade routes from Mail which passes through Burkina Faso and onto Tamale before reaching Accra in Southern Ghana.  The market has a lively atmosphere and is famous for its handcrafts and baskets, food and spices. 

 

 

 

Our fleeting visit to the market is for some traditional wax block printed material typically used for women’s clothing.  Luckily for me I know what colours suit my colouring so choosing is a quick and easy process.  Experience Bolga for yourself by taking a walk through the market…

 

Saturday Night Drinks

We go into Bolga for drinks on Saturday night.  It’s our last night and the whole team are out.  The beer is cheap and the company is good – a perfect night and an enjoyable end to the week.  I even get a chance to speak in Welsh!  Nos da!

 

AfriKids (Wales)!

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 6

DAY 6  Friday 5^th April, 2013

Last Day

Today is the last day with my host family and at Lorge JHS.  I feel a little sad about the prospect of leaving as I’m just getting into the swing of Ghanaian life and compound living. When I arrive at school the children are happy to see “YenMah” wearing traditional Ghanaian dress.

 

Goodbye to the children

 

Goodbye to Bridget 

Education in the Community

Mid-morning we head over to the local Mother & Baby Health Clinic in the Kongo/Logre region which is running an education programme to promote the consumption of green leafy vegetables.  While waiting for the Chief of Kongo to arrive I get to meet some of the local mums.  Much to their amusement and my dismay, their babies all cry when I go near them!  Some look absolutely petrified when presented with a white face!  Despite this being a slightly depressing experience it makes the mums and me laugh.
 

Medical Staff

There is a real sense of community at the gathering and the Medical Centre staff look very efficient in their uniforms. After the arrival of the community leaders there is music and dancing and an opening prayer followed by the Women’s Drama Group who act out a story about two families and the benefits of healthy eating.

 

Local Women's Drama Group

  

Experience Challenge Team Reunited!

Midday, we travel by motorbike to meet the rest of the Experience Challenge team, the other host families and the AfriKids teams for a debrief session.  It’s great to see everyone again and we all enjoy swapping stories of our time spent living with our families.  After lots of positive feedback, photos are taken and we say our final goodbyes.

 

The Experience Challenge Team & Host Families

 

Som, Shakira, Jacky, Catherine and Jane 

  

with the AfriKids Team

 

 Debriefing Session

 

Sharing Stories and Feedback Session

 

Final Farewells 

 

Our Community Project

Our next stop is for lunch at the AfriKids office before going on to the Gbeogo School for the Deaf to paint one of their classrooms.

 

The children greet us in sign language and, for the first time since I was 9, I am able to use sign language, not as an alternative to getting caught talking in class, but to introduce myself.  It is certainly going better than my spoken Fra Fra and Nabt!

 

Learning Sign Language

 

The next heart-warming moment is when we notice the pupils are wearing TOMS.  TOMS is a company which make shoes and for every pair purchased, TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need.  It’s fantastic to see TOMS’ One-for-One mission in action.  It turns out that last summer TOMS gave every student in the school a pair of shoes!  How cool is that? http://www.toms.com/our-movement 

 

While we paint the classroom some of the children come in to watch.  After we’ve finished they sign “thank you” and teach us how to sign “good morning”, “good afternoon” and “good evening”, etc.  It’s a rewarding moment and the children are genuinely pleased with our painting.

 

Return to Next Generation Home

 

Back at the NGH it’s time to have another good long “faff” around with the contents of our cases, sorting out the gifts we’ve brought for the children at NGH and everything we need for our last day in Bolga.  I’m delighted to see I’m not the only person who has used the “Ziploc bag” approach to packing.

 

Meeting Mavis

 

The inquisitive little Mavis comes in to see what we are doing.  We draw puppets onto brown envelopes for her to play with.  Mavis doesn’t say many words, here is her story…

 

“Mavis is three and half years old, she moved to the NGH in June 2011 after being found in the village of Samburugu, locked in a room, abandoned and uncared for.  Her family believed she was a spirit child, a traditional belief that babies and children are possessed by evil spirits and ‘not fit for the world’ which leads to infanticide.” AfriKids

 

After suffering years of abuse, having little social interaction and suffering from malnutrition and severe anaemia, life is turning round for Mavis.  Now used to wearing clothes, potty trained and slowly learning to speak, Mavis will soon start school and has a safe a loving environment to grow up in.   She is one of the lucky children.  

 

Learn more about the Spirit Child Phenomenon on BBC Radio 4 (28 minutes in)

 

 

Dancing the Night Away

Before dinner we sit chatting and playing games with the children.  Their homemade welcome sign reads “Experience Us and We Experience You!”. 

One thing we all experience is the children's love of taking photos as we're all relieved of our cameras so they can pose for snaps.  When the music starts we all take to the dance floor.  I try out some of my new African dance moves which prove to be a great source of entertainment to the children.  As they mimic my dancing, I realise I am dancing like a crippled chicken! 

Dinner arrives from Laadi’s, including one of my favourite West African dishes “Jollof Rice”.

After dinner the children put on a concert… it’s loud, seriously loud! The loudspeakers are so big someone is standing on top of them to do their performance.  The children are fantastic singers and dancers and the AfriKids team explain how much they have grown in confidence since being at the home. 

See the NGH children in action.. click here
 

 

 



DAY 5

DAY 5  Thursday 4^th April, 2013

Today, woke up at 6am.  It’s already pretty hot in the room.  The sun is blazing down on the metal roof which, combined with small windows, adds to the accumulation of heat.  By 7am it’s raining again.  I’m feeling tired today.  The last few days have been intense.

 

My travelling mosquito net, frame and matress

Material Girl

 

It’s incredibly humbling seeing families living with so few possessions. In the Upper East Region of Ghana 70% of the population live in poverty so this made me think carefully about choosing practical gifts to give to my host family during my stay. 

 

Textiles in Ghana carry a lot of importance so I decided to bring some British materials and, given our family’s Welsh connection, chose to bring Laura Ashley fabrics for both Bridget & Samuel.  They were delighted and, completely by coincidence, had also chosen a piece of African material to give to me to make a traditional Ghanaian dress. 

A Dress in the Making 

 

It’s rare to see readymade clothing in Ghana (except for the plethora of football kits sold in the markets).  As a rule, everything is made to measure and finished by hand from school uniforms to women’s dresses.  I take my material to the local seamstress who asks me to select a style of dress from various pictures, promptly takes my measurements and arranges for the dress to be collected later that day.  

Gifts for the School

Before going out to Ghana we had some fun choosing world maps, writing materials, books and craft supplies to take out to schools in Ghana.  My daughter’s teacher, Kathryn, also arranged for her class to create some personalised book marks to give to the children in West Africa.  The teachers at Lorge are delighted with the new resources and one of the teachers takes coloured cards and pencils to ask his class to create some bookmarks to take back to the children in the UK.

Book marks from African children to children in UK

Girls Football Match

Mid- morning, the Lorge JHS Girls Football Team get ready for a game to demonstrate their footie skills.  The Head Teacher is really proud of his girls’ team and delights in explaining that they have only just received proper football kits.  Despite the intense heat and a severe lack of footwear, it is an exciting match.  One of the best moments was seeing the linesmen improvising with tree branches.

 

Teaching a Class

Late morning I get a chance to teach.  The pupils are eager to learn all about me so we start with by drawing a family tree.  This throws up the subject of marriage and the question… “How many cows do you give when you get married?”   

In Ghana there is a tradition of giving four cows to the bride’s parents. The cows are to help her parents generate an income when the groom takes away a girl who is living at home contributing an income to her family. I find this fascinating because, generally in the UK, it is quite the opposite – we give wedding presents to the bride and groom. Also, I’m sure that in the UK when our children leave home we are, financially speaking, significantly better off!!

 

The Flags of Ghana & Great Britain 

Next we move onto the main lesson, looking at the flags of Ghana and Great Britain.  Drawing the flags on the board we discuss what the colours and designs represent.  This is a really interesting exercise which encapsulates a lot of history including Ghana’s Independence from the British Commonwealth in 1957.

 

YenMah in action!

 

During our open question time we chat about Easter, religious festivals and our tradition of exchanging chocolate eggs.  We then talk about healthy eating comparing vegetables grown in Ghana to those in the UK.  I introduce them to Butternut squash which has recently been introduced into Ghana for cultivation and export.

At the end of the lesson we shake hands and say our names.  I tell them what my name is here in Talensi-Nabdam and they absolutely love it and all start shouting “YenMah” in unison.

Talensi-Nabdam Mining Area

This afternoon I’m on a tour of the local area starting in the mining area. 

It’s a sad sight to see the conditions children are living and working in here at the gold mines in Talensi. 

Please visit the area and take a look for yourself… Talensi-Nabdam Mining Area

 

Mad Dogs and Englishmen

Next we head off to the local livestock markets to see the sale of cattle, goats, fowl and dogs!  

In the Northern region many tribes consider dog meat a delicacy.  Being a dog owner, I feel rather uncomfortable seeing dogs for sale for human consumption.  The market trader, misinterpreting my anguish, explains that if I had arrived earlier in the day there would have been a much better selection of dogs to choose from!  I guess a lot of families are having dog for tea tonight. 

I can feel the midday sun burning through the high factor sun cream whilst out on the motorbike so it’s time to return to the shade of the compound for lunch.  Today Bridget is cooking Tuo Zaafi (known as TZ) which is made from ground maize and served with a fish stew.

The Founder of AfriKids 

Georgie Fienberg, the founder of AfriKids, calls by our family’s compound with Dr Jane to see how I’m getting on and to take some photos in situ with my family. The best moment is when we put up the British bunting (made by my friend Tessa) over the front door of the compound.  As it flaps in the wind, I explain to my host, Bridget, the importance of bunting in the UK (particularly in Edison Close, allegedly the “Bunting Capital of Europe”!).  Take a look at The A&O Alumni Team’s Experience Challenge photos here:  AfriKids Through a Lense

British bunting flying in Ghana!

 

Dancing in the Dark
 

With no electricity and the sun fading fast, I quickly take my bath having mastered the art of bathing in a bucket of cold water. 

In the dark, I sit down with my family for a dinner of Jollof rice (a spicy tomato and onion rice dish) served with chicken, making the schoolboy error of wearing my head torch to see what I’m eating.  Consequently, I end up eating more bugs than chicken as anything airborne is attracted directly toward the light!

 

Samuel arrives home with my material which has been expertly tailored into a dress – it’s wonderful and I am delighted (even though I can’t see it in the dark!).  The compound is then lit with candles in readiness for the local guitar  man who is coming over tonight to play the “collogo” and sing for us and our neighbours.   

Learning some African dance moves!



Playing the collogo!

 

The beat of the collogo music is intoxicating and after only half a STAR lager I’m up and dancing in the dark, learning some new dance moves! It’s a lively and entertaining evening dancing and playing the collogo.