The Background

Working as a youth worker for Otley Air borough Methodist circuit ( in the Leeds district of West Yorkshire) I was eager to
give the young people in my area to visit Africa, in other for them to work within a community and learn more about a
continent which is often misunderstood or stereotyped in the Britain. Having led a group of young people before( in 2002 to
Brazil, and in 2000 to Kenya) and having been a member on many other short term experience trips I know first hand the impact
that such an experience can have. I myself first went on expedition to building in me skills of organization, concept of
financing and fundraising, creating independence and forming a greater understanding of the world and a desire to reach out
beyond my own country. When I was 18 years old I went on a 3 month placement with the St. David’s (Africa) Trust to Morocco,
during my gap year. With this knowledge of the organization I felt that they offer the kind of experience that I hope to be
able to offer the young people in my area. A focus on fundraising and preparation, integration into the culture via language
and lessons, using local partners rather than relying on ex-patriot staff and encouragement to report back on their
experience upon their return to the UK are qualities I was looking for. I contacted them with a proposal that we work
together to reproduce a program for under 18 years olds for summer 2003 in September 2002 and I was pleased to receive
enthusiastic response from Kofi Kwansah-Filson, director of the Africatrust Network foundation in Ghana. Together we worked
out a program that suited us both, and I recruited young people and assisted them in fundraising and preparation, as well as
organizing the UK end of the administration and financing (booking flights, buying insurance etc.). I approached a university
friend of mine, Daniel Dawkins, about the possibility of bringing a group of young people from his Anglican church
(Kirk Heaton Parish Church, near Huddersfield) to join with the young people from the Methodist churches. He agreed and
together we co-led this joint ecumenical group.

The Group,

11 young people responded to our advertisement for the trip: 5 from Methodist church, and 6 from the Anglican church. The
age range was from 15 – 23 years old. With myself and Dan, this made a total of 13 people in the team.

[ Picture 1 ]
The team meeting the local Chief: From left to Right.


The Program

A 3 week program was put together and was found to be successful. We landed on Monday 21st July at Accra and were met by
Dr. Filson. After a night in a hotel we transferred the next day to another hotel in Cape Coast for 2 nights, and during our
days there we had lessons (language, culture, history, health) which sometimes involve trips out. We visited the fort at the
Cape Coast, which was historically very interesting, and also visited the National park, which involved a walk along rope
bridge hanging 100 feet off the ground in the tree tops. The hotel we stayed at was interesting in itself, having crocodile
in the grounds!

[ Picture 2 ]
Picture of Cape Coast, taken from the Fort.

Following this introductory period we transferred to Kumasi, our main home for the stay. There we stayed with host families,
who made us feel most welcome. We visited 3 centers where we were to work - The Kumasi children’s home (where the majority
of the group would be working and where our project was), and also St. Cyprians Anglican School, and the Garden city special
school for the mentally handicapped.

At the end of the trip we spent 3 days in the Mole game reserve in the North of Ghana, viewing the wildlife and relaxing
around the swimming pool in the amazing sun, before transferring to Accra and flying home.



Our work at the Kumasi children’s home,

With 2 people each day at both of the schools (assisting in lessons as the were needed) it left 7 team members at the
children’s home. The home is under funded government institution which is home to a number of orphans. As well as a variety
of other children at their day care. The children are split into 3 groups – the babies (age 0 - 2) in one building, the
younger children (age 2 - 5) in the day care building and older children, who go to school. We split our group into 2, with
half of us each day working with the younger children in day care and half of us with the babies. Our time with the younger
children was spent playing and teaching with games and toys we had brought out from England, and the babies group were
involved with feeding, potty training and generally looking after the needs of the babies.

[ Picture 3 ]

We found that the ladies who work at the children’s home, especially those with the day care group left us to it. We planned
ahead each day as to what activities we would run with the children, taking in coloring books, teaching songs and games,
sports games, toys and other activities. The children’s home does have an old and run down climbing and swings and on a couple
of vacations we took the children out of the compound to play on them and on the grassed area outside. Future groups should
plan ahead too – taking with them things to do with children and maybe thinking about taking more outside games and sports
equipment. One cheap and successful activity was taking colored in they could draw on the ground and the chalks last for a
longer time ( longer than felt tips for examples) and are easily cleaned off clothes and skin.

Before we arrived in Ghana Dr. Filson had identified the children’s bedrooms, in the babies section, as in need of
decoration, Upon arrival we talked to the director of the children’s home (Victoria) and confirmed that this will be useful
for them and could feasibly be done in the short time that we had. One large bedroom and 4 small bedrooms were identified.
With the idea that the large bedrooms would receive special attention as it would be our ‘showcase’ when the press came to
see our work at the end of the visit.

[ Picture 4 ]

We discussed with Vic and the other staff about what they would like and decided upon using the color scheme from the
hallway on the bedrooms walls – blue half way up from the floor, and white up to the ceiling. We also looked at tiles that
had been laid on the floor in the area where the babies spend their day and asked if it would be helpful to lay these in the
bedrooms too. The response was enthusiastic, as the tiles are much easier to keep clean than the bare concrete and also
lighten up the dark, drab building.

[ Picture 5 ]
The completed main bedroom.

As we progressed in our work we realized that we had a lot of project money to spare and went tiling crazy – paying to have
the whole hallway done too! We have left the whole upstairs floor of the building tiled, white in the hallway and small
bedrooms and blue (like the play area) in the main bedroom. The main bonus I can see of taking a large team, rather than the
one or two people Africa Trust usually place, into this situation is the significantly larger amount of project money that
they bring with them., we brought £200 per person, making a grand total of £2600 – an amount large enough to leave a real
impact after we have left. As well as tiling the floor and buying the paints for the walls and cots we were also able to buy
a children’s home a television, expensive disinfecting and cleaning solutions, nappies and plenty of toys.

[ Picture 6 ]

When the children had their afternoon sleep (from about 1:30pm) we started with our project work, usually working until 5pm
but towards the end of our placement we stayed longer in order to get the work completed. The staff at the children’s home
were very interested in what we were doing and helped us out when we asked of assistance. As the placement progressed the
could interestingly see what we were trying to do, and as they could the result they become more helpful where at first they
seemed a little skeptical. On the final day, when we presented our work to the home and to the press and Mayor of Kumasi,
their thanks were genuine and warm.

[ Picture 7 ]
Painting the cots outside we always had an audience!

If another team were to work in Kumasi children’s home I would recommend that they use their money to sort out the bathroom
in the babies section. It would probably be an expensive job as the plumbing would need looking at. The sinks were constantly
blocked , the tiles and suites were broken and chipped, and quiet dangerous for the babies tottering around. I would also
suggest that a VCR could be brought to go with the television we donated. Although in the UK we might frown upon putting kids
in from of the TV, in the Home it would be positive stimulation for the children to watch some children’s program. Videos
could be sent out from the UK or brought locally, and network television shows kids shows (even tweenies and Teletubbies!) in
the late afternoon. Just like in England.

We took out many toys with us, but each day took them back with us, bringing them again the next day. We found that if we left the toys at the Home they were put away "to stop the children braking them". This concerned our group; that when we left all the toys we were going to donate would not be used but left to sit in a cupboard. The children and the babies were not usually given toys to play with, and the staff at the Home had to be encouraged to use the toys and .
that when they used the toys they wouldn't brake as such be ruined.
Dr Filson and Joyce talked to us about how Ghanaians are not used to given children toys and that the act of given children expensive items which would inevitably break is alien to them.
They said that gradually, through volunteers aren't there. As such, each new volunteer or team in placement at the Home should try and locate the toys brought by previous groups and bring them out for the children.