Lawrence and the Library

The GHEI Humjibre Community Library first opened in May 2005, and the steady stream of book donations necessitated the construction of a larger facility in 2007. Generous donations from our partnered organizations, such as Books for Africa, as well as Lincoln Community School in Accra, have kept the library brimming with both relevant books and enthusiastic readers. Books at the Humjibre Community Library cover subjects such as Math, Science and Nature Studies, Ghanaian and African Studies, African Literature, Children's Story and Picture Books, as well as a wide array of textbooks for primary, junior and senior high school students.

I sat down with GHEI’s Library Administrator Lawrence Donkor to chat about the history of the library, his job, and his love for African literature.

How did you first begin working with GHEI?

Let’s see. In 2008 I saw a sign-poster in the community that GHEI was searching for a librarian, so I applied. I got feedback from GHEI that they would get back to me, as they had a number of people shortlisted. That was the middle of 2008, and then in November of that year they called me in to the office for a short interview. They told me after the interview that I got the job, so I started work part-time around the end of November. They asked me in January 2009 to work full-time.

Did you always know you wanted to be a Library Administrator?

No, when I was young I wanted to be lawyer. I completed JHS in 1997 and was accepted to some Senior High Schools (SHS). My late father at that time was quite old and was thinking that he could not afford to pay admission and tuition fees. My mind served me right to find something else to do. I was sent to Upper West Region, in Wa, to stay with my elder sister. Her husband was an auto-electrician, so by staying with them, I also learned this work. So I lived and studied there from September 1997 to December 1999. During this time, I really wanted to attend SHS, but a friend told me that with my line of work, I should study at a technical school. So I came back to Humjibre in December 1999. My senior brother promised that if my father could afford the admission fees, he would help contribute to the tuition fee. So I started attending Kumasi Technical Institute ‒ a school founded by Canadians. There I studied to be an electrical rewinding technician.

When I started working in the library, I didn’t know all that much about being a librarian. But that first year in 2009 I received training from Books for Africa, and then from there just learned a lot on the job.

Can you tell us about the history of GHEI’s community library?

Actually I came once the library was built and when I arrived there were around 1,500 books. At that time only these blue shelves were filled (motioning to the shelves against one wall). The rest were empty! That year we went to collect 3,000 books from Books for Africa, and that’s when I received my training. The people at Books for Africa returned here for our library's re-launch in March. From there, individuals and volunteers have been donating books. Books for Africa and Lincoln School in Accra continue to donate to our library each year.

How many books does the library contain?

Now it’s more than 6000 books.

Can you tell me about the library board?

Books for Africa requires a library board for there to be a partnership. GHEI established a library board and they started in 2009. They help in a few ways:

The board helps to keep order around the library. They want to make sure that kids don’t just play around the library but don’t go in. That was a problem for a time. They also go around to schools and encourage students to attend.

They also meet to talk about problems that come up. For example, the dark roads on the way to the library and the erosion on the roads became a problem. People were falling into the gutter! The board decided to have a large bulb installed outside the library that lights up the whole area, so people don’t have difficulty getting to the library at night.

There are 7 people on the library board, plus me and our education coordinator. All their work is voluntary. The library board now meets every 3 months. But in case of any emergency, we can call a meeting quickly.

What are the most popular books amongst the children who attend the library?

The Junior African writers are popular. Ghanaian writers are always popular, and the kids also study the textbooks we have here. There are only a few available at their schools, and the teachers keep the copies at school, so the kids come to use the textbooks here for their research.

How about the adults, what do they like to read?

Adults, they like to read the newspapers mostly, the Daily Graphic, but some of them also use our reference books, like encyclopedias, dictionaries and atlases.

What kind of books do you enjoy reading?

I mostly like to read African writers. I really like reading about the history of Africa.

Can you describe your typical day working in the library?

Library is open two times a day: the afternoon session is 2:00-4:00, and the evening session is 6:30-9:00 o’clock pm. So I’ll come in in the morning and make sure that the books left out from the night before are all in the right spot on the shelves. I’ve got to make sure the tables and chairs are organized and everything is tidy. I also have reports to write here, on library attendance for GHEI as well as reports to Books for Africa.


While the sessions are running, I take attendance to see which age groups are coming to the library, and at what time they are coming. This way we can make sure that the times of the sessions suit all the people who attend the library.

What’s your favorite part about your job?

I’m really friendly with all the school children. Some people call me “Library teacher,” “broda,” or Uncle, so I like the time with the kids.

And of course, working here gives me lots of time to read books!

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Early Childhood Literacy: A Teacher's Perspective

In many developing countries, children who do not show great potential in school often fall between the cracks of the education system. This is the case in Humjibre, and both parents and educators often invest more effort and resources into children who are thriving at school since they are seen as the ones who will benefit the family more in the long run by continuing on to higher education, eventually securing a good job.

Overcrowded classrooms are another challenge to young students in Humjibre, and it’s not unusual for public nursery school class sizes to exceed 100 children. This type of setting is problematic for children who are falling behind in class and may require extra attention from their teachers to acquire the skills necessary to succeed at the primary school levels. Once these children reach primary school, average class size in Humjibre is anywhere from 50-60 students, with limited teachers, textbooks, and school supplies. If students are not succeeding at this level they are not given the attention and materials they need to do well in school. Unfortunately, many students may even end up dropping out before reaching junior high school.

GHEI’s Early Childhood Literacy program aims to address these concerns by enhancing the early education experience through supplemental classes for students who are struggling in school. This is the latest addition to our education programming, consisting of two concurrent classes meeting three times a week for two hours. The students are taught a phonics-based curriculum, along with reading and writing workshops, while incorporating purposeful play, songs and poems. Small classroom sizes mean that every child receives the attention he or she needs, while our ample books and school supplies equip the children with the tools needed to succeed in school. Our ECL program enables our young students to build their creativity and critical thinking skills while actively participating in an encouraging and supportive environment.

Ernest "Saga" Badu

GHEI teacher Ernest Badu, affectionately known as Saga (short for Sagacious), spoke with me about his work as a teacher in the ECL program and his interactions with the students.

How did you first become part of GHEI?

I was part of the first group of scholarship recipients in 2005, and we completed senior high school in June of 2008. In August of that year, I realized how much GHEI had helped us with these scholarships and I wanted to give back. So I became a volunteer from 2008 until 2010. By 2010 they saw that I was doing well as a volunteer teacher so they asked me to join the staff full time. 

What is your typical day with ECL like?

I love ECL too much! I teach ECL from 2-4 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. From 2:00 - 2:30 we have table activities - things like puzzles, Play-doh, math games, blocks and many others. We also have some books for them to read during this activity time. After that we start classes, 2:30 – 4:00. We look at the days of the week then we look at calendar dates. Next we go through songs, like “Head and Shoulders,” and “If you’re happy and you know it.” The children really enjoy them. The students might sit for a long time, so the main purpose of singing songs is to get them engaged and enjoy themselves, letting them relax before we go on to other lessons. After songs we look at the alphabet. We look at two letters each day; the sound of the letters, and then key words that use those letters. We then give them a board and a marker to practice writing the letter. Next we’ll read to them with two books each day. We also have “choice-time,” whereby students can choose their favourite activities and play. The main purpose of ECL is to develop their skills in the English language by promoting literacy and purposeful play.

How do you make sure the students understand what you are teaching with them?

We always review everything we have been working on in ECL to refresh the minds of the students and make sure they understand. So before moving on to new material each day, we’ll go over the material from the day before. If they don’t understand what we are trying to say, we’ll translate it to them in our local language. (Sefwi)

On average how many students are in each class?

For ECL 1 we have 14 students. ECL 2 we have 10 students.

In your experience, what do the students enjoy most about the ECL program?

Yeah, they really like the table activities and all the songs we sing. They have so much fun during these times. They also really like practicing their letters with their board and markers.

What about yourself? What do you enjoy most about the program?

As a teacher, it’s given me great experience in teaching the little kids. Now I’ve learned how to control the students’ behaviour - this is easy for me now. Also how to get the students to really love my lessons and the way I teach.

What lessons has your job taught you?

I’ve learned a lot in being patient. Sometimes the students just want to do their own thing, and it can be very difficult to deal with children. You’ll tell them not to do something and then they’ll go and do it right away! So patience is important. (laughs)

I love teaching. Teachers help people to become accountants, bankers, doctors, lawyers and so on. So I know that hard work bears a fruit!

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Youth Education Program: A Student's Perspective

GHEI's Youth Education Program (YEP) began in 2003 with the recruitment of 16 Junior High School Form 1 students. Originally called “English Literacy,” the program was built around offering supplemental classes focussed on English language skills and critical thinking. As the program progressed GHEI saw the need to expand the curriculum to the core subjects (English, Math, Integrated Science, and Social Studies) to better prepare our students for their Basic Education Certification Exam (BECE), which students must pass to be admitted to a senior high school.

In rural areas school resources are often scarce in comparison to schools located in cities, and classrooms are often overcrowded. To address these concerns, YEP classes are provided to students in a small group setting with a variety of materials and resources that are not commonly available within the local schools. All classes are conducted in English, Ghana's national language. The YEP classes not only improve students' ability to excel on their BECE but also encourage active learning and critical thinking, providing students with the skills they need for a successful future.

I recently had a chance to get a student’s perspective on YEP in an interview with Akosua Akrasi-Gyapong, a 14-year-old Form 3 student.

How did you become a part of YEP?

I joined when I was in Form 1 because I want to better my education.

How does the program help you with your studies? 
 
If the teacher at my school teaches something that I do not understand, I can come to YEP classes to have our teachers here explain it to me. I study English, Maths, Science, Social Sciences, and ICT (Information and Communication Technology).

What is your favourite subject?

I don’t actually know, because I enjoy all my subjects. Hmm. Maybe maths. I like solving the math problems.

What would you like to be when you grow up?

My father says I should study hard to become a doctor. I would like to be a bank manager, or a doctor. I like maths, so bank manager would be good because they have to be very strong in maths to be good at their job.

How will you make this happen?

By getting good grades! (laughs)

What advice would you give to future YEP students?

I want to tell them that they should take good care of the opportunity to study with the YEP program at GHEI. It has helped me so much in my studies.

Did you go on the youth learning tour last year?

Yes, I went to Cape coast and to see the Akosombo dam. It helped me see all sorts of places of interest.

Why is the youth learning tour important to you?

It helps to study more things about my country. We learned a bit about these places at school. At first I didn’t believe my teachers, but then I arrived at these sites and saw for myself that these things are true. Youth Excursion helps the youth study things about our past and to try to do things for our country.

Thank you and good luck with school!

Meda w’ase!



Please donate what you can to make GHEI's Youth Learning Tour Possible for students like Akosua:
http://www.causes.com/actions/1696235

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Spot Checks Support Malaria Prevention

It’s 3 p.m. and around 34 degrees Celsius, but in the scorching sun it feels even hotter. I’m accompanying GHEI’s Health Program Assistant Mensah Gyapong on some “spot checks” around Humjibre in support of our malaria prevention program.

We make our way along the main road of Humjibre, greeting local residents as we march uphill. “Yes, here we are,” Mensah declares, double checking his clipboard. I follow Mensah down a short and dusty alley, taking a sharp right, where we meet a mother and her two children sitting on their veranda. The lady smiles at us warmly, greeting us in Sefwi. The children see me and point their tiny fingers in my direction. “Abroni, abroni!” Their mother shushes them.

GHEI’s community health workers (CHWs) have recently visited this household to conduct a survey monitoring bednet use in our community. The purpose of our visit is to verify information collected by our CHWs. GHEI’s health team runs regular spot checks of randomly chosen households included in the initial survey to make sure that we’re on the right track and that our surveys are correctly gathering the information we need to support the community in reducing the occurrence of malaria.

Mensah leads me through a few of the questions on his clipboard, translating from Sefwi into English for my benefit as he interviews the mother of this particular household. “You see, we want to know how many rooms there are in the house. And not just how many rooms, but also how many sleeping sites, as one room might have many sleeping sites,” Mensah explains. The lady informs Mensah that her house has two sleeping sites, but that they only have one bednet. Mensah then kindly encourages her to purchase another bednet from GHEI, adding that they are quite cheap since we subsidize the cost. She agrees, saying she had meant to come sooner since her last bednet was torn, but had been too busy around the house recently.



Mensah wraps up the interview, thanking the woman for her cooperation and gently reminding her to get a new bednet for her home. She cordially agrees and, smiling, offers both of us some fruit she had been peeling throughout the interview. “Ah yes, paw-paw,” he clarifies for me. “Very ripe at this time of the year. It’s like mango, but better!” We both take a couple of pieces of the bright orange fruit, savouring the sweet juices with each bite. “Wonderful! You see, when you join the health team, from time to time you get to chop some paw-paw!” Mensah says, laughing heartily.

From there, I split off from Mensah to join Aggie Obeng, our other health program assistant. She leads me across the main road and uphill through various paths to the other end of the village. Along the way people greet us happily. After a short hike, we arrive at the address listed on her clipboard. We stand in the centre of a family's housing compound, looking around for the head of the household. The only people in sight are some small children playing between the houses. Aggie asks the older of the two boys to call on their father. The small boy explains that his father is inside watching television and is not feeling very well, but that he would see if he’s up for talking with us. A few moments later the man emerges from his home looking rather groggy. He’s kind enough to run through the series of questions with us despite feeling under the weather. As he and Aggie carry on in Sefwi, my eyes wander around the family compound, from the grazing sheep between the houses to the boys roughhousing with one another noisily. A small girl appears from around the corner of one building, carrying her baby brother on her hip. She points, showing me to the infant. The baby takes a quick look at me and immediately shrieks in terror, bursting into tears.

“Okay,” says Aggie, “he has given us permission to see one of the sleeping sites to see how they are using the bednets.” We walk up to a small room where we are greeted by a young woman and welcomed into her home. Aggie allows her to explain how she hangs the bednet and tucks it into her mattress, without suggesting whether she is correct or not in her method. We thank her and pause for a moment between the houses for Aggie to jot down some notes.



We visit two more families, each going about their evening routines of peeling cassava and plantain for their families’ evening serving of fufu. It’s encouraging to see how welcoming our interviewees are. No one seems to mind our presence or hesitates to offer a few moments of their time for our interviews. It’s a pleasure to observe our health team in their element out in the community, verifying the information that GHEI needs to continue strengthening our malaria prevention program in Humjibre and the surrounding communities

Next week Aggie and Mensah will accompany our CHWs as they conduct more bednet use surveys around Humjibre. It is these spot checks and accompanied visits that ensure we remain on the right track by confirming the accuracy of the information we collect. GHEI has made great strides in reducing malaria among our communities, and reliable information plays a key role in evaluating our work effectively and making improvements to our malaria prevention program.

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The Development Game

This week GHEI staff took the opportunity to withdraw from our work in Humjibre and gather together at a guesthouse in the neighbouring town of Wiowso for our annual retreat.  A small hotel resting in the hills on the edge of the tropical rainforest, the Queen Elizabeth Guesthouse served as a quiet sanctuary for our purposes.   We commuted to the hotel from Humjibre each day in the early morning, admiring the stunning sunrise over hills draped in thick mists along the way.


The annual retreat is a time for GHEI to reflect upon our work, discussing our achievements, our shortcomings, and our aspirations for the future.  We trim and discard elements of our programming that haven’t met our expectations, while using each success as a blueprint to be applied to other projects and expand our overall impact.

One exercise, simply entitled “The Development Game,” stood out as an apt metaphor for our work in general.  Whether you have studied international development, worked or volunteered in a development context, or are interested in the process of nation building in general, this exercise offers food for thought for the development enthusiast.

For GHEI staff this was a thought-provoking exercise that illustrated our differing opinions and perceptions on development.  It also showed that each individual has his or her own priorities and values in approaching development work.

The following is a list of statements regarding development work.  The objective is to put the statements in order as you see fit, answering the question, "What steps have to be taken for development work to be successful?"  Why not try this out for yourself, either on your own or with a partner?

“Development results from a growing economy and the wealth and jobs that this produces."

“Development is about looking after the environment and protecting it for the future.”

“Development is about everyone having washing machines, cars, TVs, etc.”

“Development is about making sure that absolute poverty and hunger are eliminated.”

“Development is people having higher wages and more spending power.”

“Development is about having modern transport and communications, such as motorways and computer technology.”

 “Development means everyone has access to education, health care and their basic needs are met.”

“Development means being able to live in peace.”

“Development means people are not afraid to speak out and can have a say in their own future.”

“Development is about power of all sorts being shared equally amongst people.”

If you did this exercise with a friend, compare your results.   What was the logic behind the order you chose?  What does this order say about your values?  There is no one correct answer, and hopefully you discovered that prioritizing certain statements set the direction for the placement of others.   

Photograph by Mandy McConaha

Driving to the hotel each morning, it was enjoyable watching the people going about their daily routines, the school children in uniforms, marching to class together with their stacks of books carefully balanced on their heads, and the farmers with their machetes or their tanks of insecticide on their way to their plots of cocoa trees.  These ordinary folk, from the smallest child skipping to class to the elderly grandmas cooking breakfast over the fire for their families, each served as a reminder to us at GHEI of why we continue in our work, and why we are unwavering in our mission.

We strive to equip the individuals in our communities with the resources, including a healthy mind and body, needed to help their communities flourish.  Empowering local individuals cultivates the strong leadership needed to lead these communities out of poverty.

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