Fifty is Not Easy

Not everyone in Humjibre lives to reach fifty years. So as one of GHEI’s all-star Health Program Assistants, Mensah Gyapong’s 50th birthday approached, everyone looked forward to a big celebration. ”Fifty is not easy.” When I asked Mensah what this meant, he explained: “I did not always think that I would live fifty years, but I have and I pray that my children do also. It is not easy to live this long.” Here, age brings respect, and to live to an age like fifty is something to be very proud of. 

Thursday was the day. The party started early since some of the staff had classes to teach in the afternoon. By 8:30, some people were already at the kitchen beginning preparations. The menu for the day included fufu and egusi soup with tuna and chicken.

Ghanaians enjoy a wide variety of delicious traditional foods, but there is something about fufu that sets it apart. If you ask people, many will explain that eating fufu satisfies you like no other food can. To prepare it: first you have to section, peel and steam cassava and plantains. Then the real work begins. The pounding process requires two people and a full-size mortar and pestle. The person at the top uses their whole body to work the pestle: literally pounding the fufu, sweat dripping down their back. The second person, the driver, sits by the mortar, sweeping their hand under the pestle as it is raised, turning the fufu, working in water and picking out fibers until it reaches the perfect soft, sticky consistency. Everybody took a turn at pounding for Mensah’s birthday. Abby even drove; doing a terrific job preforming in front of the group.

As Aggie was getting everybody’s dishes ready to serve, Happy brought over a large bin filled with water. We started singing “Happy Birthday,” and everybody began splashing from the bin and filling cups to pour on Mensah. In Ghana, when there is a big celebration, like a birthday or a wedding, it is customary to surprise the people at the center by throwing water on them. As Lawrence explained, “Fifty is not easy, so you need to throw water to celebrate.” 

Mensah was smiling, but completely soaked. When we all sat down to eat, his clothes were dripping. After a long morning of preparing fufu and throwing water, everyone was very hungry. We ate quickly until we were full, and then ate a little more. After everyone was satiated and the extra food was put away, an all-out water war broke out with what was left in the bin.

Mensah’s fiftieth birthday was a great day. In another fifty years, when we plan to celebrate his 100th, it will be even better!

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Reflections from a Past Coordinator - Christina Briegleb

The following was written by Christina after coming back to visit Humjibre over the summer. 


 Although it had only been 3 years since I was last in Humjibre, during my recent visit in June, I was expecting things to be different. I found, however, the routine of village life to be relatively unchanged. The woman I used to buy boufruit from was still selling at the same spot and at the same time of the day; the shops to buy basic amenities were stocked with the same items and managed by the same people; while walking through the village in the morning to start my daily runs, the same village elders greeted me at their usual spots. Unlike the fast pace and ever changing ways of the city, the slower pace and routines of rural, village life reminded me of the constancy of Humjibre – how it has moved along as it did yesterday and will continue so tomorrow and so on.

While much of village life remained the same, I found GHEI as an organization had grown. The programs had clearer focus, direction and evaluation, and many had expanded outside of Humjibre. GHEI staff had also grown. While not necessarily in numbers or positions, solidarity among the team was stronger. I believe that much of the success and endurance of GHEI comes from its talented and dedicated staff. GHEI has always been a close knit group, a family really, that works together for a common vision for its community. During my short visit, I saw a team who had grown, each individually and also collectively, into a stronger unit who supported each other, laughed together and worked as one. The work of GHEI has never been easy, at times tiring and exhausting, but together the staff help carry the burdens as well as celebrate the successes of the work. Because of this, I believe that the work of GHEI, much like the constancy of Humjibre life, will continue to make a positive impact on the community for many years to come.

To get to re-visit such a special place as Humjibre, and to re-connect with such incredible people from GHEI, reminded me how honored I am to have been part of this community and team, and to get to witness again in-person the continuing success, commitment and growth of GHEI. 

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One Week Left for Scholarship Fundraising!

To everybody who has already donated, sent their warm wishes or helped in spreading the word, thank you for all of your support! To everybody who is still thinking about donating, don’t forget - the deadline is this Sunday, September 15th.

SHS Scholarships comprise one of our most popular programs in the Humjibre community. If you are still on the fence, read this letter from one of our current students. She may be able to help convince you.

Our scholarships are 100% funded by donations during this fundraising period. The amount we raise dictates how many we offer. By donating, you can help give more students- like the one who wrote this letter- the opportunity to attend senior high school and continue their education. By giving the full $900, you will enable a student to attend all three years of high school and will receive regular updates on that student’s progress toward a brighter future. If you choose to give less, your contribution will still be added to pooled funds for the scheme.

One last time, here’s how you can donate:

• Visit our #STARTARYOT page and be sure to type SCHOLARSHIP in the comments section of the donation form
• Donate through Network for Good on our website
• Make a check out to GHEI and send it to Louise Rickard, 108 Little Brook Dr, Newington CT 06111, indicating that it is for the scholarship fund

For printable fliers and other promotional materials, or if you have any questions; feel free to send me an email at communications@ghei.org :)

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Fundraising Update: Less than Two Weeks Left to Contribute to the Scholarship Fund!

So far we’ve raised $1,290 on Crowdrise and are about a quarter of the way to reaching our goal. Don’t forget to keep fundraising and spreading the word about the #STARTARYOT Challenge!

I promised last week to share more about one part of the challenge: funding for our SHS Scholarship Program. In Ghana, senior high school is neither universal nor easy to afford. It is true that access is getting better and there are more students attending from Humjibre than ever before. However, there are still far too many students who are excluded because their families are unable to pay tuition. Like those in many rural communities in Ghana, the vast majority of people in Humjibre are farmers. Their flow of income is irregular as it follows the harvest of crops. School fees, on the other hand, are due at several points throughout the year. Farmers don’t have the luxury of being able to save, so while paying tuition at some times may be manageable, at others it is not. This is where we fit in.

GHEI’s Scholarship Program helps families by giving deserving students the opportunity to attend senior high school. A senior high school diploma provides a gateway to the life-changing prospects of further education and advanced career options. Check out our website or read our blog Thank You from an SHS Mom to get a better idea of what this can mean.

So far we’ve helped a total of 72 students. Our scholarship program has a 98% retention rate and several former scholarship recipients have continued their studies at the tertiary level. Many have also returned to be volunteer teachers with GHEI to give back and inspire younger students to excel.

The program relies entirely on donations. By donating the full $900, you will enable a child to attend all three years of high school and receive regular updates on that student’s progress toward a brighter future. If you donate less, your efforts will be added to pooled funds and will still benefit the scholarship scheme.

This year, the deadline for scholarship fundraising is September 15th. While there are always more capable and deserving students in Humjibre, the number of scholarships we can grant is directly related to how much money we raise. After the deadline, we will notify the scholarship committee of how many students can be chosen.

There are three ways you can donate:

1. Visit our #STARTARYOT page and be sure to type SCHOLARSHIP in the comments section of the donation form
2. Donate through Network for Good on our website at www.ghei.org/donate 
3. Make a check out to GHEI and send it to Louise Rickard, 108 Little Brook Dr, Newington CT 06111. Make sure to indicate that it is for the scholarship fund.

For fundraising ideas, printable fliers and other promotional materials, or if you have any questions; feel free to send me an email at communications@ghei.org.

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Fundraising, Recruiting and Prepping! Oh My!

To begin with, thank you to all our wonderful 2013 SSL volunteers.

We rely on you in countless ways. You have all been amazing and inspiring and somehow made the summer pass ridiculously quickly. Those of us who work with GHEI full time know the impact of what we do. We see evidence of it every day. Supporting the community is always a part of our daily focus.

To some degree, we get used to it. But when you come in, and we see the way you react and the awe in your expression, it reminds us of the extraordinary importance of our work.

There has been a short radio silence on this end. We were exhausted and took some much needed rest. Now, we’re back. And with our new found motivation and energy, we are going to hit the ground running.

There are almost too many new exciting things happening right now at GHEI. In an effort to keep track of them, here’s a quick run-down of what you should know about:

1. #STARTARYOT Challenge: We’ve partnered with Ryot News and are taking part in this year’s 5-week fundraising challenge to see how much we can gain. Check it out, spread the word and donate if you can. Let’s see how much we can raise together!

2. As part of the challenge, we’re also fundraising for our scholarship program. Senior high school in Ghana is not universal and the required tuition fees are often extremely difficult for families in Humjibre to afford. GHEI fundraises and offers scholarships to give deserving students the opportunity to continue their education. I will be posting more about scholarships in the next couple of weeks as we move toward the September 15th fundraising deadline.

3. We've just published our Annual Report and will be creating new promotional materials. For a beautiful overview of all of our organizational goals and programs in the last year, check out the 12-page report covering June 2012 through May 2013.

4. Summer Serve and Learn 2014: If it’s possible to top this year’s SSL programs, we are going to do it! We’ve had so many positive experiences this year. We are reflecting and carefully evaluating - the good and the bad - and will be rolling out improved programs for 2014. Stay tuned to learn more about them and the role you can play in the coming months.

To our volunteers, friends and supporters: thank you. Writing this, I’m overjoyed to be part of all these things. Thank you for making them possible.

To learn more about how you can help fundraise for scholarships, or if you’re interested in any other GHEI promotional materials, send me an email at communications@ghei.org!

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Girls Empowerment, Lessons Learned

That awkward moment after you say goodbye where nobody wants to take the first step to leave. “Maybe we could start over again?” one of the camp participants suggested. The girls sat in silence with their certificates of completion, goodie bags, and folders with all the work they had done. Communication during the camp had been more difficult than the volunteers expected. But as the workshops progressed, everybody learned to change their vocabulary and speech just enough so that they found a language everybody understood. In addition to the six official workshops, there were home visits, a drumming and dancing class, and other activities to help the groups find common ground and bond in a more relaxed atmosphere. 

Workshop One: Money and Business Management
 
After a few activities on the importance of differentiating between wants and needs and keeping track of purchases, Madam Comfort, a local shop owner, spoke to the girls about what it takes to start a business. Sitting on their benches, they leaned in and listened intently to Comfort’s advice “work hard…take your studies seriously… make plans….”

Workshop Two: Family Planning

Entering the community center on Wednesday, balloons scattered the floor. After having the girls grab as many as they wanted, the first activity was revealed: “This is how many children you will have. With a set sum of money, see how long you can provide for them.” As the girls moved between stations paying for food, healthcare, education and clothes for each of their future children, the lesson became apparent: bigger families are harder to support, and if you want to provide well for your children, you’re better off with fewer. 

Workshop Three: Safe Sex

Thursday began with making sock puppets and using them to role play different important conversations between partners. After some demonstrations, the girls sat down to talk with a local nurse. Judith spoke to them on their level. They opened up, asked honest questions and were satisfied with her answers. 

Workshop Four: Self- Confidence

While confidence is instilled in boys from a young age in Humjibre, girls do not get the same treatment. To help the girls become surer of themselves and comfortable speaking to others, the girls practiced expressing what they like about themselves and taking turns complimenting each other. 

Workshop Five: Leadership   

On Friday, the girls worked to understand what characteristics they would need to develop to be successful in specific occupations and how to make decisions for a group. They then sat for a talk from our very own Agnes Obeng. Beyond being a strong force on the GHEI team, Aggie is a mother, the president of her church and an involved community member in Humjibre. 

Workshop Six: Choice- Rugby and Happy Feet

Using a Nerf football, everybody split into two teams and played touch rugby. With the exception of one of our volunteers, this was a new game for the girls and volunteers alike. They ran around, laughed, and passed the ball in the wrong direction as equals. After the game and singing some football chants that aptly expressed their enthusiasm, everybody sat down to watch a movie together. 

The workshops presented new information and reiterated some ideas that the girls had seen before. Along with support and some translation from our local staff, the workshops were orchestrated by the volunteers. They played a greater role than just teaching useful lessons for the girls as they mature. The volunteers were positive role models and their presence provided encouragement for the girls to advocate for themselves and work toward their goals. To all our Girls Empowerment volunteers and camp participants, you have been amazing: Thank you. Y3 da mo ase paa!

Don't forget to check our Facebook where the final GE photos will be posted tomorrow!

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Girls Empowerment Check-In

The lives of Ghanaian teenage girls who have just finished junior high school hold a lot of uncertainty. Some wait for their exam results to learn if, and which senior high school they will attend. Others just wait to see what the next step in their lives will be. In many impoverished places like Humjibre, educating females is seen as a trade-off. It is thought that girls and women belong in the home, so there is no use in wasting resources by putting them in school. However, educated females ensure the health and education of future generations. For a community, their role creates now what is seen as one of the most successful paths out of poverty. GHEI’s annual Girls Empowerment camp sets aside two weeks for volunteers to help motivate local girls who have just finished junior high school, and give them the knowledge and confidence they will need to continue with their education and fulfill their aspirations. 
 

 Each SSL session completes a vastly different project, so the program changes throughout the summer. For this one, there are about 15 local girls participating in the camp. Workshops with the volunteers are held in the early evenings so that the girls can still tend to their household responsibilities. 

 Sunday night was the first opportunity for everybody to meet. No small affair, the girls had been meeting and preparing for their Girls Empowerment Presentation all-month. When the music came on, they entered the community center in two lines from the back. They danced their way onto the stage and into a line, each with a letter to spell “Girls Empowerment.” Next, they sang this year’s theme song “We are Women for the Future” and put on a hysterically funny performance of the GHEI classic drama The Importance of Girl Child Education. Afterwards, the girls preformed a choreographed dance and the Humjibre Queen Mother; Nana Adwoa Ampo II took the stage. This part was completely unplanned. She spoke about different opportunities available to girls and to the delight of the audience, even lead them in a song. After the presentation, the girls, bubbling with excitement, started a dance party on the stage. The volunteers joined them, taking their first steps to get acquainted and learn their first azonto moves. 

Over the week, workshops began. So far, volunteers have met with the girls on the topics of money, business management, family planning and safe sex. The community center has temporarily become a space reserved for girls to grow and learn. Every day, they are exposed to new ideas and encouraged by an all-female group of volunteers and local staff. This camp is a positive force in the girls’ lives; where they will become more confident, knowledgeable and prepared to face the next step.

More photos will be posted on our Facebook and be sure to check back next week to learn more about each workshop!
 
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Spotlight on Data Collection Teams

The Malaria Prevention volunteers left Humjibre early Monday morning, but will not be easily forgotten. As was mentioned in our last post, the volunteers were split into three teams. Each team member was assigned one of three roles: Data Coordinator, Logistics Coordinator, or Field Coordinator. The volunteers came from diverse backgrounds and varied experiences that enabled them to complement each other as they fulfilled their roles and worked together on teams. The system proved to be extraordinarily successful. Teams worked independently, understood what needed to be done and accomplished it in record time.


They were so effective, they were each able to consistently finish their work ahead of schedule. Survey session house lists were completed early and interviewers were given the choice to do either re-visits, get a head start on their next houses or go home and get some extra rest. The volunteers took advantage of extra time by bringing computers to the field to begin data entry during surveys. The teams were completely comfortable tackling their workloads. About getting ahead, Team Exquisite explained that it just “feels good to get it done.”

***

Team Profiles- Team Awesome

     This team was constantly joking and finishing each other’s fictional stories. While accusing one another of creating power struggles related to stolen pens and supplies, one of them admitted “deep down inside in this little place in our hearts, we actually love each other.” These guys had become so close; they started waking up every morning for a team work-out and cross training session. They brushed their teeth with a shared flashlight and created a culture all their own.

     Luckily, their interviewers had extremely good luck with visits. They visited houses, found everybody they needed to speak with, and moved on. The work felt easy, and their sense of accomplishment showed in their constant smiles. 

Team Profiles- Team Big

     The first day that teams met, Mensah entered the classroom ready to see who he’d be working with and asked: “Where’s our team?” When Team Two motioned him over he exclaimed “Whoa we’re big!” To cement the name, Alfred- at a staggering 6’6’’- stood up to greet him. Ironically, team members were often absent, lost or otherwise unaccounted for, and Team Big was by far the smallest working group.

     They refused to let this deter them. While all three teams were given an organizational system for their surveys, Team Big formulated the best working plan for them and created a unique system that each member understood perfectly. No matter how many revisits they had or team members they were lacking, Team Big was always prepared with a supply of biscuits, water and optimism, ready to take on their next challenge.

Team Profiles- Team Exquisite

     While the origin of their name was never fully understood, Team Exquisite lived up to the uniqueness and prestige that their title implied. This team had a consistently positive attitude and shared their good vibes with the others working around them. Team Exquisite took charge of keeping everybody’s progress updated on the white board and playing relaxing music for the larger group.

     When asked what set them apart, they answered with confidence, “Our work speaks for itself.” Managed by women, Team Exquisite was professional, competent and efficient. Sure enough, they were the first group to completely finish both their surveys and data entry.

***

While our initial goal was 250 surveys, the teams completed 267 with ease. It makes me wonder whether we could manage an even more ambitious goal next year. Overall, this was an ideal group of volunteers and an amazing group of people. They preformed beyond anybody’s expectations with the surveys, and learned a lot about life in Humjibre in the process. The volunteers grew tremendously in their understanding of culture and development, and formed genuine relationships with not just each other, but also their Ghanaian counterparts.

To all of our Malaria Prevention volunteers and interviewers: Thank you. Y3 da mo ase paa!

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Malaria Prevention Check-In

It has been almost a week since the Malaria Prevention volunteers have arrived, and in that time they been nothing but spectacular.

Their main concern is implementing an extensive annual evaluation survey throughout all of GHEI’s Malaria Prevention Program catchment areas. The survey consists of three parts; the first collecting general census information and two additional questionnaires to be filled out for each woman of reproductive age and child under five respectively. Depending on how many people live in each household, implementing the survey can take the interviewer anywhere from a very short amount of time to several hours. Data from each survey is then brought back to the volunteer team for review before the interviewer can move on to visiting the next house.

Administering the survey is a huge undertaking. This year GHEI has 17 trained interviewers, recruited from our local full-time staff, community health workers and volunteer teachers. These interviewers are split into three teams, each with a lead interviewer and interviewer-in-training along with three Summer Serve and Learn volunteers who have each taken the role of Data Coordinator, Logistics Coordinator, or Field Coordinator. The use of these defined positions for SSL volunteers is new this year, but has so far shown to be extremely beneficial. The volunteers are taking ownership of their responsibilities and each making a great contribution to some small part of the survey project.

The volunteers engaged in several trainings on GHEI’s Malaria Prevention Program and data collection before surveys began. They were incredibly enthusiastic and receptive to the trainings, taking detailed notes and asking well-thought out questions. Once the teams officially started surveys on Friday, they were professional and the volunteers were ready to effectively manage interview teams and code household surveys. All of the teams were based together in one of GHEI’s classrooms on Friday, where there was an air of positive energy as people happily dug into their work.

Everybody mostly took the weekend off from surveys- some elected to do some coding- and spent most of their time relaxing and taking part in cultural activities around Humjibre. Saturday morning brought a visit to Happy’s farm to learn about small-scale farming and cocoa production in Ghana. In the evening, volunteers participated in a community-wide workshop on the traditional Kete style of drumming and dancing followed by an informal workshop on the now popular Azonto dance style at a local drink spot. On Sunday, many volunteers attended local churches, tried their hands at doing their own laundry and participated in a pick-up football match with some of Humjibre’s youth. 

 

We have a full house with nine volunteers (including one awesome coordinator, Amy Henderson Riley) who are all a pleasure to have around. They have fun, but also work hard and are excited about the project at hand. At the close of work on Friday, 36 surveys were completed, and we hope to reach our goal of 250 by the end of this week.

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The Second Annual Quiz Competition

Friday marked GHEI’s highly anticipated and extremely popular Second Annual Quiz Competition. The competition gives students from each of Humjibre’s schools an opportunity to come together, compete side-by-side, and share what they have learned. In total, more than 600 people including students, teachers, members of the Library Board, the Humjibre Chief and Elders and other community members attended the event at the JoeKwart Memorial Community Center. Supporters packed the center and sat by their schools where they were ready to celebrate every correct answer.

The event was split into three rounds: one for Lower Primary (P1-P3 classes), one for Upper Primary (P4-P6 classes) and one for Junior High School. Teams of three, representing each of the four primary schools, competed during the two primary rounds. For the third round, teams from the two JHS’ in Humjibre competed head-to-head. In total, 30 students participated.

 Teams took turns using a set amount of time to attempt to answer each question. If they got it right, points would be added toward their final score. If they got it wrong, the question would be passed on to the next team for bonus points.

In its second year, the competition has become more sophisticated. Teachers demanded that the schools be placed in a random order since it is advantageous to follow weaker teams. Schools that were less prepared will want to prove themselves and become the ones to beat next year. Students competing for multiple years and family dynasties have also emerged. Moving forward, competitors will know to watch out for the all-stars and their younger siblings as they get older. To help control the lively crowd and deter potential cheaters, GHEI threatened to hand out yellow and red cards to schools who engaged in foul play. Luckily, no red cards were awarded and no one had to be disqualified. After close competitions, the two first-place schools were Memorial Primary and Deeper JHS.

Organizing the event was a tremendous effort. GHEI is thrilled to have hosted another successful Quiz Competition and grateful for the help of our two volunteers, Dan Doverspike and John Schaidler, who played an integral role in the its planning.

Overall, the event was a great opportunity for community members to get excited about books and rally around their schools. Clement Donkor spoke during the event to remind everybody that its’ purpose is to support the education of Humjibre’s schoolchildren. Academic competitions give students an opportunity to challenge themselves, practice critical thinking and public speaking, and help them grow to be future leaders. Everyone at the center was invested in the competition; at one point the Quiz Master had to turn around and advise some of the teachers who could not contain their excitement; “If you have a suggestion, put it in the box!” Those teachers, along with their students, GHEI and the entire community will be looking forward to the event next year.

As always, don’t forget to check our Facebook where more photos will be posted on Monday!

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