April 2013 AfriKids is a Child Rights Organisation working to improve life for Ghana’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in a holistic, inclusive and sustainable manner
The Experience Challenge participants meet their hosts for the first time
THE EXPERIENCE CHALLENGE
By Beata Bishop McCarthy Events and Communications Coordinator
A once in a lifetime opportunity to become immersed in the culture of rural northern Ghana This month saw the first Experience Challenge of 2013 taking place. The group was made up of members of the Allen & Overy alumni network as well as a current A&O employee.
the very first introduction between participants and their host families, and the second was the coming together again immediately after the challenge, to share experiences. These two meetings really illustrated the journey each individual goes on during this unique challenge.
Besides the challenges faced by Experience Challenge participants every year, such as the challenges of living in a compound home, and learning a trade alongside their hosts, the participants were faced with one further challenge; the temperatures of up to 43 degrees. As it was my first trip to Ghana, I felt that to a certain extent I was sharing the journey with the participants. I got to witness two very poignant, pivotal phases in the participants’ journey; the first was
On the way to the initial introductory meeting, two participants were practicing greetings in Fra-Fra and trying to remember the names of all the members of their hosts’ family. We arrived at the meeting place and were met by hosts Mary (a primary school teacher), Elizabeth (who works with the government’s school feeding programme), Frances (a Junior High School teacher), Samuel (a headmaster) and Veronica (a hairdresser) who were very excited to meet the guests. We all
sat under a large tree by the church in the community, and each host and participant began to get to know a little about one another, the jobs they each did and their living situations, before heading off in pairs to their compound homes. Jump forward three days and we are sitting by the church once again, waiting for the participants and hosts to return. One by one the A&O alumni members pull up on the backs of motorbikes, looking slightly pink from the sun, but very much at ease and happy! They are all wearing gorgeous kente cloth dresses that were made for them by their hosts, and have all been given local names by their hosts too! See the next page for quotes, photos and a link to an interview with participants on a local Ghanaian radio station!
Shakira from Electra Partners also did the Experience Challenge and was hosted by Frances
Here are some reflections from the participants taken from the initial meeting immediately after the Experience Challenge.
To learn more about The Experience Challenge please click here. Or click here to listen to a local radio interview with April 2013’s Experience Challenge participants.
“Everyone has been so open, friendly and welcoming. I’ve learned a lot about family culture, that’s a big lesson I’ll be taking away from here. It’s a very special thing for a family to open up their door and welcome someone into their home.”
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1 01: Catherine with her host Mary and her family
03: Jane wither her host Elizabeth
Catherine Husted Experience Challenge Participant, April 2013
“Samuel made me very welcome in the home. He is a very hardworking headmaster and very well respected in the community. I felt a sense of pride when one of the AfriKids’ beneficiaries was voted in with 100% of the votes to be class prophet”. 02: Som withVeronica and her family
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04: Jacky with her host Samuel
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Jacky Williams Experience Challenge Participant, April 2013
Next month you’ll be able to read about teachers Debbie and Jack’s extended Experience Challenge in April, that focused on education.
PROJECT FOCUS A CASE STUDY ON PATIENCE Patience, a former Operation Fresh Start beneficiary now runs her own seamstress shop, and has five trainees including an AfriKids beneficiary training under her.
During my first trip to Ghana last week, I had the privilege of heading out with one of AfriKids Ghana’s field officers Beatrice on her beneficiary visits. After winding through Bolga market on the back of her motorbike, we drew up outside a seamstress shop, with five young women working diligently outside. After a few moments we were met by Patience, a beautiful, charismatic woman who is the master seamstress trainer. I learnt from Bea that Patience was herself originally an AfriKids beneficiary, and now, at the age of 28 she runs her own seamstress shop and has taken on five trainees so as to give them the same opportunity she herself had.
Patience was originally from Yarigabiisi, a suburb of the Bolga municipality in the Upper East Region of Ghana. She lost her father when she was a baby, and ended up leaving school in the second year of Junior High School as she needed to help provide for her family. She joined her older sisters at a slum in Kumasi, where she began doing any menial jobs she could to get some money, such as washing dishes and selling oranges. While in Kumasi she faced a series of abuses and encountered many difficulties with her employers refusing to pay her.
“No one can ever tell the potential in someone unless the opportunity is granted.”
Gabriel Ayine AfriKids Ghana BAP Field Officer Patience was 16 when she heard about AfriKids through staff members that were educating young people in Kumasi about the need for
By Beata Bishop McCarthy
AfriKids IT Academy AfriKids Blue Sky Lodge AfriKids Ethical Trade AfriKids Medical Centre Bolgatanga Area Programme Educational fund Kassena Nankana Area Programme Medical fund Operation Bolgatanga Operation Mango Tree Operation SINGh Operation Smiles Operation Zuarungu Street Mothers Association Talensi Nabdam Area Programme Young Entrepreneurs Programme
them to return home and raising awareness about the packages that were available for them through AfriKids. So Patience was enrolled into Operation Fresh Start and placed into vocational training under a seamstress and proved herself to be enthusiastic and hardworking. When Patience received her initial resettlement package from the project, she quickly rented a store in Bolga market and invited others from her community to come and receive training from her, free of charge. When the AfriKids project managers saw the incredible work Patience was doing and met her trainees, they were so impressed with one of the trainees’ attitudes that they decided to take Gifty on as a beneficiary, as she herself had come from a difficult background too.
“My future depended on this trade.” Patience Operation Fresh Start beneficiary
Patience now has 5 trainees working under her and is planning to move to a bigger shop premises soon.
Patience sewing in her seamstress shop
On a side note, whiles undertaking training as part of Operation Fresh Start, Patience met another AfriKids beneficiary called Ayanga Gideon, a trainee gas welder. They fell in love and are now happily married!
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01: The hosts and participants come together at the end of the Challenge to share their experiences. The participants are all wearing their news dresses given to them by their hosts. 02: Catherine (A&O alumni) teaching a class in Nabdam 03: Shakira trying her hand at being a seamstress 04: Patience outside her shop with Bolgatanga Area Programme Field Officer Bea 05: Jane (A&O alumni) and her host Elizabeth outside Elizabeth’s compound home
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06: Gifty, a Bolgatanga Area Programme beneficiary training under Patience
AFRIKIDS ONLINE
AFRIKIDS’ ANNUAL REPORT 2012 IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE! Path to 2018
My time spent with Gabriel and the BAP team
Launch of a new business: Energy for Life Initiative
International Director, Georgie Fienberg
Reflections from the Ghana Director, Nich Kumah
To read more of the annual report, please click here. We hope you enjoy it!
New partnerships in 2012
Financial Summary
AfriKids
Our UK Trustees are still in Ghana. This is the welcome they got when they visited Operation Zuarungu
5 people like this AfriKids
AfriKids’ founder, Georgie, has set up a photo blog sharing pictures she’s taken in Ghana. http://afrikidsthroughalens.com/
5 people like this AfriKids
Raymond Ayinne and Bee from AfriKids Ghana were on BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour this morning, discussing the ‘spirit child’ phenomenon. Listen again 28 mins in.
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www.facebook.com/afrikids
Jessica Fostekew @AfriKids I’m doing a mini-preview @themillerpub on 24th for the best development charity @afrikids and it’s only £2, come http://www. wegottickets.com/event/214937 9 April
Lorraine Pascal @AfriKids About my trip to Ghana visiting projects such as @AfriKids on the @MailOnline for @comicrelief www.dailymail.co.uk/ComicRelief-2013 Loz x 15 March
Hazel Taylor @AfriKids New @Envirofit #cleancookstoves just arrived in Ghana for the @Afrikids Energy for Life Initiative! Great timing!! 13 March
Let’s tweet @AfriKids
Simien Mountain Trek AfriKids Ambassador and long term supporter, Simon Wooller, has taken part in past challenges in support of our work. 2008 saw him join a team climbing Mount Toubkal in North Africa, which led to a trek in 2011 up Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. In March this year Simon initiated an 11 day trek across the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia continuing the spirit of international adventure.
FUNDRAISE FOR AFRIKIDS
The trek was a challenge in every sense of the word and the eightstrong team were pushed to their limits on a daily basis. There were lows, such as the unexpected levels of rain as the team set off, but of course there were also great highs; not least of all was reaching the summit of Ras Dejen, Africa’s fourth highest peak at 4,600m.
We’d like to say a huge thanks to all the team for their efforts which have collectively raised over £35,000 for AfriKids. Simon, Dan, Alistair, Catherine, Bryan, Julian, Dawn, Roddy and their trek leader Brian – you’re stars!
British 10k London Run We still have a few places available for the British 10k London Run. Great chance to experience the cpital like never before.
Date of event: 14th July 2013 Deadline to register: 3rd June 2013 Contact to register: beatabishopmccarthy@afrikids. org
www.afrikids.org