Softwire, a London-based computer company, has long been a sponsor of Bonkron village, and provided them with sanitation, a kindergarten and other benefits.
Crofton Primary School is twinned with Bonkron Primary School. The two schools communicate in writing or via Skype.
Softwire and Crofton collaborated to provide Bonkron Primary with a fully-equipped IT room, as shown in the photo. This will increase the children’s life chances immeasurably.
The most unfortunate people in Africa are probably the disabled. In Ghana, for example, disabled babies are often killed at birth, while the adult disabled are left to beg or otherwise live on charity. No-one will employ them. Many people even dislike associating with them.
The Disabled Association of Nsuta was set up in 2008 by Anthony Duku, who lost both legs in a car accident at age of eleven. At his own expense, Anthony registered as members 451 physically disabled people in the District, together with a further 99 who were deaf or blind. He subsequently shamed the District into passing on to the Association an annual sum of £1,200 provided by central government for disabled people, and set up a committee to distribute this money. They use it to educate disabled children; to train disabled adults on how to trade; and to buy wheelchairs, crutches etc.
At Ashanti Development, we’re trying to extend our microcredit scheme to both male and female Association members. We’re also building the Association a new centre. Here’s a photo of work in progress.
Helen sponsors Dagati, a village of settlers from the north of Ghana/ Sahara who came south to look for an easier life. She’s already sponsored them for sanitation, and is determined now to give them clean water as well.
Dagati is on the east of the area we cover, and luckily boreholes in the east often strike water (unlike the west, where we have to resort to water filters). Helen’s in Ghana now, and is employing a hydrogeologist and others to find the best place – if there is one – to drill for water. Luckily they’ve managed to identify two in Dagati and one in the neighbouring hamlet of JY, so it looks as if these two villages will have a lot to rejoice over.
At present, one baby in every two of three dies in Dagati before age two. By the time Helen’s finished, very few babies will die of water-related disease. In the longer term, the birthrate will fall since people will feel more secure, and less anxious to have lots of children to look after them in their old age.
Sorry for the long silence. A very nasty computer virus was to blame. I’m waiting for people to send in photos of Taste of Ghana, so I can put them on the website. Meanwhile, here’s one of our newest volunteer, Saulius Sliackus from Lithuania, with his wife and with the driving force for the day – Martha, who had spent the preceding week peeling yams and slicing plantain. It was a lovely day, with lots of Ashanti Development volunteers and supporters, and others on the point of joining us. I’ll put up more photos when I can.
It’s raining in Ghana but despite that the work on Ankumadua Clinic is continuing and the building is now up to lintel level. When it’s finished, we’ll hand it over to the District to run. They’re very happy about it, as it will provide health care for people who’ve previously had none – we’ve been told horrible stories about sick people being driven on the back of a motor bike for miles to the nearest clinic and dropping dead when they got there
Last week, a six day eye clinic took place in Gyetiase, run by a team from Okonfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, and led by Dr Peter Osei-Bonsu. The team consisted of four ophthalmologist, six optometrists, five ophthalmic nurses, two technicians and one driver. They were joined by Ashanti Development’s Agnes Oppong and some supporting staffs.
In all, 1,123 people were seen, 103 cataract surgeries were performed and over 1600 spectacles dispensed. Dave Banks, Ashanti Development’s teacher trainer who happened to be in Gyetiase, comments that the clinic was ‘absolutely amazing. It was very busy all week and very well organised by Nicholas.” he says.
“The guys from Kumasi along with Agnes and a whole group of supporting staff worked so hard and the atmosphere was so positive,” adds Dave. Kay (his wife) spent the week dispensing glasses and I was able to help out on a couple of days – we both agreed it had been a privilege to part of it all. Needless to say the people being given spectacles, eye care and operations were so happy and grateful. Wow, what a week,” he says.
Best of all, the hospital team are promising to come back next year.
We had a great concert here in Central London on Tuesday, with performers including Jonathan Reid and Henry Roche (both pianists); Simon Wall and Nan Atichatpong (tenors) and Elizabeth Weisberg (soprano); and Mary Mundy on the cello. Music included work by Schumann, Beethoven, Quilter and Chopin.
It was a lovely evening, in a beautiful church (St Pancras New Church) full of friends and supporters. What could be better! Here’s a picture of Henry introducing some music.
Thank you so much to everyone who took part in Saturday’s sponsored swim. The total raised is over £1,000 and still going up.
Thank you particularly to Young Chelsea Bridge Club supporters, including Rob Cliffe, Chris Duckworth, Sarah and David Ewart, Chantal Girardin, Gordon Rainsford, Terry Hewett, Dick Jordan, Mahmoud Sadek, Kath Stynes, David Muller, Maxin Etkin, Paul Lamford, Margaret and Martin Nygren. They raised over a hundred fifty pounds sponsoring Mike and Carrie Eden’s swimathon.
And thank you most of all to the amazing Sybil Bell, who dreamed up and organised the whole thing, and then spent hours baking cakes for the swimmers. We owe her a big debt for her kindness and energy and hope she’ll come to Ghana soon and see what happened to the money she raised.
The beneficiaries will be the village of Dome, in the Ashanti Region. Materials will be bought to enable every householder to construct a household latrine, and Ashanti Development will show them how to do it. They will also be taught health and hygiene. The result will be a much healthier community, with baby deaths cut from three in ten to around about zero.
Work started recently on our third clinic, to be built at the crossroads at Ankamadua. Everyone is enthusiastic about it and work is progressing quickly. The site has been cleared, sand and stones delivered and the villagers are now making the blocks. When that is completed, building work can continue even during the raining season.
