Parent-Teacher Association at Apewosika School in Axim, Ghana

So many parents, so many children! Such enthusiasm!

Madame Ackah Welcomes the PTA

When Maryanne Ward, of Ghana Together, visited Axim in Jan-Feb 2013, she was thrilled to be invited to a PTA meeting at Apewosika “Christ the King” School in Axim, Ghana where, with our affiliate Western Heritage Home, we sponsor 43 scholarship students (see our news update of Nov 12, 2012).

 

James Kainyiah, Chair of Western Heritage Home, Maryanne Ward of Ghana Together, and David Ackah, Headmaster of Apewosika School meet in the school yard.

What a pleasure to meet so many parents! Many announced they were representing not only their own children, but the children of other families whose parents were working. All in all, it was an impressive and enthusiastic showing!

The meeting was held on a Tuesday morning, a good choice by Headmaster David Ackah, since it allowed lots of Dads to attend (as well as Moms, of course), being that Tuesday is the day that the Axim fishermen bring in their canoes from the ocean and spend a day at home.

It was just great to see Dads exhibit such enthusiasm for education. Until recently, most folks in this community didn’t feel much need for education, because they assumed their kids (at least the boys) would go into fishing. But the fish are dwindling and reality is that many of the children will not be able to “grow up to be fisher folks” (and even if they do, a little education won’t hurt!!).

The Apewosika Scholarship Students and their Parents

Lasting about two hours, the meeting was lively, with lots of exchanges among the parents, the PTA President, and Headmaster David---all in Nzema or Fante languages, with a smattering of English (school instruction is in English, except for youngest students).

None of the 43 scholarship students was enrolled in the school year prior to Sept 2012 (Ghana school year runs Sep - Aug). Some had never started school; others had dropped out as parents made the financial decision to enroll younger siblings after their older children had learned “the basics” of reading and math.

Children were chosen for scholarships after families were interviewed by school and WHH representatives.

At first, in September, attendance was somewhat irregular, as both parents and children adjusted to the discipline of going to school, rather than spending their days playing on the Atlantic Ocean beach! But, when January 2013 term started, all but three were back!  Headmaster David and a representative of our affiliate, Western Heritage Home, visited those homes, and soon thereafter, all 43 were fully present!

 

Apewosika School Stresses Handwashing. It's  very simple--just a headpan with water--but it's a BIG step forward and is instilling the habit in the lives of the children.

The tuition for these primary school students ranges from about $60 USD for the youngest students to about $90 for the “Primary 6” level--per year! Ghana Together invests an average of about $75 per student for an entire year of school (thank you, dear friends!!).

The parents commit to providing a uniform (often a ‘hand me down’ from an older friend or sibling), shoes or sandals, underwear, exercise book, pencil, and near-perfect attendance. Our goal is to get every child through Primary 6. Headmaster David has launched a basic textbook program---trying to get enough basic math and reading texts for the upper levels. We have contributed a small amount to that effort, as well.

 

A typical cluster of homes in the Apewosika neighborhood

Ghana Together has noticed the growing popularity and influence of the individual schools’ Parent-Teacher Associations in Axim. Meetings are well-attended. Parents help out with the school. Dads, especially, volunteer to help maintain the school buildings. This is just one more indication that Ghanaians are putting top priority on education.

Education is our NGO affiliate Western Heritage Home’s top priority, too, and we are delighted to help them achieve their mission! And we were gratified by the many “thank you’s” from the Dads and Moms, teachers, and administrators at Apewosika Village School.

 

Kindergarten Classroom at Apewosika School
 

Contact us at info@ghanatogether.org

Our website is http://ghanatogether.org (from there, click on "News" to see more articles like this one!)

 

Thank you from Ghana (2nd try!)

(Note: We wanted to post James' thank you letter with letterhead, etc., but since it's essentially not very readable, here is another "readable" try!! Maryanne just returned from Ghana, and James surprised her with this letter on the last day of her stay.)

 

 

Ghana Together

808 Addison Place

Mount Vernon,

WA 98273

USA

Dear President,

On behalf of the Board members of Western Heritage home, Chiefs and people of Lower Axim Traditional Council, Nzema East Municipal Assembly, and all the direct beneficiaries of the many projects you have done through us in Axim since we started this partnership date as far back as 2005/6.

Through our God given donor and contributors in the USA and other part of the world, we were able to clothe and shelter 22 orphans and needy kids, provided roofing on School Buildings for kids, placed mattresses on all beds in Axim Government Hospital, established science laboratory for JHS Students, help Axim library with benches and Books and a motor bike. We also tried to establish Remedial classes for Student and a Bakery which we could not succeed.

The 43 kids we are currently paying their fees at Christ The King Academy in Apewosika is a great sign of relief to their poor mothers let alone the fathers who's fishing business is collapsing due to the oil find in our sea.

You Madam President, coming to Ghana to see the girls hostel at the Axim Community Development Institution being fixed and meeting with the staff and students at the Institute was kind of inspiration and promotion for this school.

We shall forever be grateful to you and your team for your partnership and pray that Our Dear Lord will guide us ALL to find good and useful projects which will be within our means to support.

We ask for Gods guidance and blessing to you, the entire members of Ghana Together and your wonderful sponsors in the coming years.

Yours Sincerely,

 Nana Kaku Bullu III (Development Chief, Lower Axim Traditional Council)

(aka James Kainyiah, Chair of Western Heritage Home Board)

Thank You From Ghana

http://ghanatogether.org

http://ghanatogether.blogspot.com

WE HAVE BENCHES

Step-by-step we are upgrading the Axim Public Library. Recently ten benches built by a local carpenter were carried to the library by some story-hour student enthusiasts!

Story Hour Students Carry New Benches into Axim Library Children's Room

Librarian Mercy Ackah reports growing interest in her story hours for upper primary students. Unlike in the US, where we usually gear story hours to younger students, Ms. Ackah uses the “mobile library by motorcycle” program to deliver books to the schools for the youngest children who can’t reasonably walk the distance to the library.

Meanwhile, the older upper primary students can walk the half mile or more with their school class to “story hour.” (The schools don’t have their own libraries and mostly no textbooks, either.)

We provided floor mats, such as we typically use in our American children’s library programs, but Mercy also asked for benches, to accommodate the long legs of the older children.  So benches it is!

Librarian Mercy Ackah Telling a Story. (We need to work on getting Zak into making a video!)

We wish you could all sit in on the story hours! A wonderful dramatist, Librarian Ackah tells/acts the stories, especially the traditional African stories, in a mixture of English and Nzema. Riveting!

Later, each child gets to choose and check out one book, thanks to the hundreds of books now available to them, with more on the way (lightly used, mostly, chosen by librarians, teachers, and other generous souls who know how to spot quality and cultural insensitivities…thank you...).

And the children must not only read their book, but treat it as such a precious object amid the general scarcity, and read it to their proud Moms and Dads to show off how they can read and in the process, impart some literacy skills, especially to Mom. And when they bring it back to the library--guess what? They get ANOTHER one!!

How, now, to keep it all going forward, year after year? The actual monetary costs here are not that great—mostly it’s a matter of shared goals, professionalism, mutual respect, friendship, communication, intentionality, and determination…not easy, but do-able. 

End result? Finally, Axim children have books in hand!

Our website (including earlier news articles) is

http://ghanatogether.org

Contact us at info@ghanatogether.org

Calculators for Axim All-Girls High School

Teachers at Axim Girls High School with new calculators

As we reported in earlier posts, thanks to the efforts of Chief Awulae and many other local leaders, a new girls’ high school was established in Axim in 2009. As of this school year starting Sept 2012, it has been absorbed into the Ghana Education Service. That means the school is open to girls from all over Ghana and graduates will receive full accreditation.

More importantly, it means that many local Axim girls who had passed the stiff admittance tests for high school, up to now simply could not afford not only the tuition, but also the room and board to be able to attend high school in other communities.

We of Ghana Together wanted to help at least in a small way. Mrs. Bonku, the headmistress (and our hero), says she wants the school to have calculators. We looked in Ghana, but found they are exorbitantly expensive and not reasonably available there.  So we searched our own desk drawers and the back-to-school sales and managed to find 52 solar-powered, non-graphing, math/science calculators.

Dorothy, the top student in her 3rd year class, shows off one of the school's new calculators

GO GIRLS!

http://ghanatogether.org

info@ghanatogether.org

Apewosika Primary School Filled to Capacity!

Now this is exciting!!

New scholarship students at Apewosika Village School. The school was operating under capacity, with about 60 students and now has about 110. They look a little solemn---probably the first time they've seen a camera or had their photo taken!
(Photo taken by Ussif Zakari, WHH Manager-in-Training)

Remember how in our 2011 Update Letter we set a goal for 2012 to provide scholarships to families with primary school children in the Apewosika neighborhood in Axim?

Well, we are overjoyed to tell you that dream has been fully realized! Yes, the little Apewosika School now has about 50 more students joining the 60 or so already enrolled and is FILLED TO CAPACITY!

Our experience in Ghana suggests to us that primary school is still unattainable by many families, and is one of the best investments we can make. Without primary school, what future can there be?

Several members of the Western Heritage Home Board interviewed Apewosika families, selecting 50 children. They focused especially on families where parents had managed to send their children to school for the first year(s) of primary school, so their children could acquire basic reading, writing, and math, but had to withdraw their older children to give younger siblings their turn at school. We especially want to help those children finish primary school.

Somehow with the help of the WHH Board, parents, and some generous Axim community members, uniforms, underwear, shoes, exercise books, and pencils were procured. Ghana Together provided tuition of about $25 per student for the first term of the 2012-2013 school year. Any student who successfully finishes the first term and who shows steady attendance will be funded for subsequent terms as needed until he or she finishes primary school.

We were told that the students were so excited, they started attending school even last spring, long before the current term which started in Sept. Uniform or not---they were going to SCHOOL--- the dream of every Ghanaian child (and parent).

Apewosika Village Fishing Canoes

We have visited the small fishing community several times, noting that many children are playing on the ocean beach during school hours. We learned this is the poorest neighborhood in Axim. Fish are becoming harder to find; their old canoes are not in good condition and more seaworthy ones are beyond their reach economically. Parents in Apewosika realize their children’s futures cannot depend on fishing and want to send their children to school.



With the help of WHH Board Chair James Kainyiah, we interviewed this Mom in Feb 2012, who begged us to help her send her children to school and gave her permission for us to use her photo for this project. Their Dad also talked with us about how he wanted his children to attend school.

The school was founded by Mrs. Ackah, a dedicated Ghanaian teacher who at the end of her life wanted to help this poorest of communities. The school is a private school and has to collect some tuition to pay its teachers. That is beyond many families, but the school is the only one within reasonable walking distance for these children.  Maybe someday it will be absorbed as a “government school” but until then we will try to fill its classrooms with children every term!



Headmaster and Teacher Mr. David Ackah, son of the Founder. David trained as an engineer, but decided to teach instead. Notice the few students in this classroom, in Feb 2012. Now it's full to capacity!

Sometimes things just work out! We especially thank Maureen Kainyiah and James Kainyiah, WHH Board members, and also Zak, for their tenacity in interviewing. We thank Ms. Mercy Ackah, daughter of the Founder, and also Mr. David Ackah, the Headmaster, for arranging for additional teachers, organizing the school itself physically to accept students, and for basically putting this project over the top. Without their local leadership and dedication, this would not have been possible.

And we thank you, generous friends!



Website: http://ghanatogether.org

Email: info@ghanatogether.org

Congratulations to James Kainyiah!



James at the graduation ceremony of the Dispute Resolution Program, October, 2012

James emailed us saying he has completed all the required training and is one of five (out of forty-five in his class) who passed all requirements and tests to achieve the award of “Master of Appropriate Dispute Resolution.”

This advanced professional certification is specifically designed to help leaders like James develop mediation skills. As a “Master”, James will play a crucial role as mediator in the inevitable conflicts that will arise as Ghana modernizes its economy---especially among traditional groups, in areas of new economic development, and in intra-West African affairs.

It's for real!!

James is a traditional leader in his appointed position as Economic Development Chief of Lower Axim Traditional Council and also a modern businessman, as Owner and Managing Director of Jamkay Ltd.

He had been playing a mediating role for some years prior to this training and realized that to be more effective he had to acquire more skills. For example, he recently used his negotiation skills when a gold mining company completely relocated and rebuilt ancient, traditional Salman Village, in Ghana’s gold-producing Nzema area.

James began training in conflict resolution in early 2011, attending 25 all-day Saturday classes that met at the central offices of the Organization of African Trade Union Unity in Ghana’s capital city, Accra---no small feat, since Accra is at least a four-hour drive from his home in Sekondi.

The training is provided by Gamey & Gamey Inc, a company based in Canada that works in Africa. G&G uses the PULSE Institute’s methodology to develop practical tools for leadership and conflict management. Participants are trained in brainstorming, simulation exercises, role-plays, and case studies to build core competencies to fully appreciate, understand, and develop effective leadership, and peace/conflict management skills.

We’ve often written about James in our news articles. As Economic Development Chief, James founded and currently chairs Western Heritage Home, a Ghanaian non-profit based in his hometown of Axim, and modeled a bit after our own United Way. It’s been Ghana Together’s privilege to work with James for the past seven years, mostly on projects involving children. He believes education and youth development are key factors in Ghana’s economic future and its development as a democracy and we agree.

In his email, James especially thanked Barbara Gilday of Bellingham, WA, who facilitated a class in Appreciative Inquiry with the Takoradi, Ghana Chamber of Commerce at James’ request in 2007. That class opened his eyes as to how empowering training in communication is in helping individuals and groups take action. From that experience, he was inspired to pursue the “Master” certification.

Barbara Gilday and James following the AI Class held at the Chamber of Commerce in Takoradi, Ghana, in Sept 2007. James was President of the Chamber at that time.
 

He also thanked Maryanne Ward, President of Ghana Together, who has been his non-profit business partner since 2006, and who has shared management expertise on many occasions when they have been together in Ghana.



James and Maryanne at Ashesi University, Accra, Ghana, January 2012
 



Barbara and Maryanne have been privileged to work with James, to know his family, and to be welcomed into his home. But they agree that the credit for this achievement goes entirely to James, who has never flagged in his energy and ambition to develop his own skills to better the lives of the people of Ghana, especially in the Nzema region.

 

website: http://ghanatogether.org

email: info@ghanatogether.org

Vacation School Photos

Well, we finally received a few photos of the 3-week English/Math/Computer Vacation School we described in our last post. We would have enjoyed more, but we're grateful for what we received! It has been fun to experience the excitement of this "education experiment" in Axim. By all accounts, it was a smashing success.

Where is Africa? Where is Ghana?



Per James, kids who missed the bus walked the 1-2 miles or so to be able to use the One Laptop Per Child Computers. Thank you, you G1G1 donors! By popular demand, WHH will run "OLPC Saturday Classes" going forward. These kids have only SEEN computers---never touched one before. Did we mention we accept OLPCs in any condition?

 

What is a measuring cup? 

 





Now it's getting complicated! LED light sources? Where is Nana Jerome when we need him?



http://ghanatogether.org

Axim Vacation School Report from Zak & Maureen

(Note: We received the following report from Zak and Maureen, the organizers, about the first-ever vacation school in Axim (see article from August 25 below, which we revised slightly to correct some facts). We highlighted Zak, the WHH Manager-in-Training in an Aug 2 post, also. We're still hoping for some photos! Note that the term "Nana" is James' title as a traditional chief focusing on development. He is also a full-time businessman. James founded the NGO Western Heritage Home to help him in this work.) 

Vacation School Report from Zak and Maureen

The three weeks vacation school which was organized to help school children at primary to improve their academic level particularly in ICT computer has ended today 28th August 2012.

The vacation school started from 6th August 2012 at Western Heritage Home. The attendance on the first day was low as 21 pupils. This number increased incredibly by the end of the first week to 51.

The total people registered at the end of the program was 117.

These pupils were grouped into three classes that is primary class 4,5 and 6 and are thought [taught] according to the class timetable. The subjects treated were science, Math, English language and ICT computer [Note: One Laptop Per Child computers / OLPCs]. The introduction of ICT computer made the school very lively and interesting to both teachers and pupils.

The classes start from 8:30am and end 12:00pm everyday. The pupils are conveyed to and fro by a bus in the morning and afternoon. The pupils came along with their foods and drinks to enjoy during the break time at 11:00am.

The pupils suggested that this educative program should be organized for them every school vacation to help improve their academy performance so as to compete with pupils in big cities in the field of academics especially ICT computer. This they said when Nana (James) visited the Home.

Nana (James) advised them to be serious with their education since they are the future leaders. He continued that education without ICT is not complete and they should take the advantage of this opportunity to learn ICT. The children thanked Nana, W.H.H/GT [Western Heritage Home / Ghana Together]very much and all and sundry who made little a contribution to bring this project into reality.

In order not to kill the interest and the zeal the kids have, the organizers (Maureen and Zak) have decided to bring the children to the home to learn ICT computer every weekend (Saturday).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Our ultimate appreciation goes to God Almighty our source of knowledge and strength. It interests us to express much thanks to the following important personalities;
1. W.H.H/Ghana Together headed by Maryanne ward for sponsoring the program. It is our prayer that God will give you  strength to continue the good work towards the children of Axim.

2. Nana (James Kainyah) and W.H.H board members for encouraging and supporting us through out the weeks we say God bless you all.

3. Teachers  - Mr. Simon(Science), Mr. Daniel Armah (English), Jeremiah (ICT), Zak(Math) for their relentlessly work done. We hope you will be with us next time when such opportunity comes.

MAY GOD BLESS US ALL

(MAUREEN AND ZAK)

http://ghanatogether.org

First-ever "Vacation Camp" in Axim, Ghana

We are absolutely delighted to report that 117 upper primary students are taking advantage of the first-ever Western Heritage Home/Ghana Together sponsored “Vacation Enrichment/Remedial School” held in the WHH Heritage Building in Axim, Ghana.

It’s a sort of Ghana-style “summer camp,” with students working on English, math, science, and One Laptop Per Child computers (OLPCs).

A couple of months ago, the Western Heritage Home Board came up with a plan to run 3-week vacation enrichment classes for upper primary students in their Heritage Community Learning Center. They singled out upper primary, because, although Ghana now provides tuition-free education through Junior High, many students drop out after primary school.

WHH Board members believe vacation classes will inspire the children to continue with their education beyond primary school, study hard for the tests to qualify them to continue on to junior high, and encourage families to continue to provide the uniforms, underwear, shoes/sandals, exercise books and pencils required for all students, often at substantial sacrifice to the family.

Maureen Kainyiah, a young WHH Board member, and Ussif Mariko Zakari, WHH Manager-in-Training wrote a proposal. The WHH Board approved it and, in turn, requested funding assistance from Ghana Together, which we agreed to do, after reading the proposal ourselves and discussing with James Kainyiah (Chair of the WHH Board).

Fast forward to the first week of August. Children walk either to the Heritage or to the Axim Town Center Junction from various points---at least 30-60 minute walk for many. At the junction, they are met by a bus which transports them to the stop near the Heritage. Actually, the bus makes three runs due to the number of students.

The first week not many students showed up, but word spread quickly and now, Zak says, they have the problem of “overpopulation”with 111 attending the cost-free program. The families must provide water, food, and some sort of clothing to enable their child to attend.

Zak reported this morning, chuckling, that the children are “very, very happy”, especially with the chance to use the OLPCs---this is exciting beyond words!!

We strongly are encouraging them to use Jerome Chandler’s “Science Experiments for Junior High,” venturing just a bit outside the rote curriculum (this is “camp” after all!) to have a little fun adventuring with science as exploration and experimentation rather than just memorizing facts.

We requested that the English classes include, at the end, an essay about what the students like about the program and “how they would improve it.” It will be interesting to read their comments! They are pioneers, after all.

We’d love some photos. Patience. There is one camera in town, as far as we know, owned by WHH, thanks to us. Zak is learning how to use it.

The first task was for Zak and the other young teachers to figure out how to take out the chip which was “full,” and download the photos onto one of the laptops (thank you, “big company,” that donates laptops now and then). That done, they are now taking photos. Next comes the challenge of figuring out how to select and upload pics to internet and send to us, not easy in out-of-the-way Axim with very poor internet service. Did we mention how proud we are of these young adults learning all these new skills?

We thought maybe you’d like to see the budget Zak and Maureen prepared (in estimated US dollars) for the 5-week program:

$400 for 4 teachers (1/2 days for 17 days)

$200 for radio announcements and banner at the junction

$125 for bus (six trips/day, for 17 days)

$250 for exercise books, pencils, erasers, chalk, magic markers, etc.(expensive in Axim!!)

$ 50 for "contingency"

$1025 TOTAL

We'll post photos when we get them!

 

http://ghanatogether.org

Condolences on President Mills' Passing

We Ghana Together Directors and friends offer our heartfelt condolences to our friends in Axim on the sad passing of your President John Evans Atta-Mills.

We know something about how ordinary folks such as you, feel about such a sad event, because most of us are of the age to remember well the death of our own President John Kennedy, many years ago, who died while in office, also. (Note that President Mills died of natural causes.)

Although we are not very familiar with Ghana’s governmental or political life, we know Ghana is a democracy and to lose an elected President while he is serving in office is a shock and great loss to the entire nation, regardless of individual political affiliations. 

I thought you might like to read our President Obama’s statement of July 24, when he heard that Ghana had lost their President.

” It was with great regret that I learned of the passing of President John Evans Atta Mills of Ghana. I will always remember my trip to Ghana in 2009, and the hospitality that President Mills and the people of Ghana showed to me, Michelle, Malia, Sasha and our entire delegation. I was also pleased to host President Mills in the Oval Office earlier this year.

President Mills tirelessly worked to improve the lives of the Ghanaian people. He helped promote economic growth in Ghana in the midst of challenging global circumstances and strengthened Ghana’s strong tradition of democracy. Under his leadership, the United States and Ghana deepened our partnership in the promotion of good governance and economic development.

He was also a strong advocate for human rights and for the fair treatment of all Ghanaians. On behalf of the American people, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the people of Ghana, and reaffirm the deep and enduring bonds between our democracies that President Mills helped to strengthen.”

We join our own President in these sentiments.

And, we wish Mr. John Dramani Mahama, Ghana’s new President, well. Some of us have read his recent book, My First Coup D’Etat and other True Stories from the Lost Decades of Africa.  It is a really interesting and well-written account of his early life and also the early life of Ghana as an independent nation.

http://ghanatogether.org

Introducing Ussif Mariko Zakaria

Zak putting up a poster designed by Axim Public Library Story Hour students. We provided poster paper and pens, and the kids did the rest. The "me" refers to the little drawing of a book---yes, use ME daily! Zak is standing in the new Children's Library Room, created by the District Assembly.

Zak, as he prefers to be called, joined Western Heritage Home this spring as a Manager-in-Training. His job is to carry out all the tasks necessary to keep projects going. Since almost all of the WHH Board members work during the day, and have limited personal time, Zak is their right-hand man. Zak and Francis, the night watchman/cleaner are the two WHH employees. The Board members serve without compensation.

We asked Zak to write a short article to introduce himself...

"My name is Ussif Mariko Zakaria. I am 25 years of age. I was born and lived in Axim until 2003 when I completed my junior high school at St. Augustinus preparatory school.

I live with my mom and 2 of my siblings in Axim. I am the first boy and second born of a family of six. I graduated my senior high school at Ghana Secondary Technical School in 2006. I offered science as program and passed out with first class grades. I have been teaching mathematics at my formal [former] junior school.

I have had the opportunity to enter into the university but could not afford the fees. My dad died three month after I graduated my senior high school in 2006. I understand and speak English, Arabic, Nzema, Fante, and Hausa.

I am very humble, intelligent, respectful and hardworking and above all God-fearing Muslim. These qualities have earned me fame among the old and young in my community.

It is my dream to be a philanthropist one day in future so it is a great opportunity to be at WHH as a stepping stones to bring my dream into reality.

At my leisure time I do reading of Holy Quran, story books and searching of information. Being a philanthropist is my future dream after university."

Note: we think by "philanthropist", Zak perhaps means "humanitarian." But, maybe he will be a philanthropist one day! Would that we all were this articulate in our 2nd or 3rd languages!

GhanaTogether.org

Elena Robertson Returns to Axim

Elena Robertson (taken at Axim Beach in June, 2012)

If you click down to our news items of Sept 12, 2008, you’ll see an article entitled “Bellingham Teen Returns from Literacy Project at WHH Children’s Home in Axim, Ghana.” Elena Robertson was about to enter her senior year of high school, and she and her Dad, Doug, hatched the mother of all “senior projects” by traveling to Axim, Ghana and working with orphaned children sheltered, at that time, by Western Heritage Home in their facility now known as the Heritage Community Learning Center. 

Fast forward to spring of 2012. Elena has just completed her second visit to Axim. Much has changed. The orphaned children have all been transitioned into kinship or foster homes. Every one of them can read and write and some are at the top of their classes. Two are actually in high school! But Axim hadn’t forgotten Elena and Elena hadn’t forgotten Axim! Axim was delighted to welcome her back.

Here is her account of her visit...

My name is Elena Robertson and I am a senior Diplomacy and World Affairs major at Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. I received a John Parke Young Fund Research Fellowship through my department to conduct an independent research project on the UN Millennium Development Goals (UNMDG) in Axim and so, between May and June of this year, embarked on my own to Ghana.

My primary goals were to understand the progress that has been made towards accomplishing the UNMDGs—that encompass everything from ending malnutrition; reducing infant and mother mortality rates; universal primary education and gender equity in education; and providing affordable technology to all—in a non-urban area of one of Africa’s most stable and most rapidly growing countries, economically.

I spent the majority of my time walking around Axim and talking with people about their lives and that gave me a sense of the areas which have developed the most and which have developed the least.

While "walking around", Elena found time to help out with the story hours in the Axim Public Library. Ghana Together has been instrumental in improving the library since Elena's initial visit in 2008. Elena is the "obroni" there, way in the back!

Through my work, I concluded that nutrition; economic opportunity; and quality of education are the areas I am most concerned with.  The people of Axim simply do not consume enough protein or vitamins, and their overconsumption of cassava may be a major factor in their health problems. As several people told me in Axim, cassava can contribute to blindness or deafness which, I discovered, is due to its (naturally occurring) dangerously high levels of cyanide. If cassava is not prepared correctly, cyanide remains in the starch and is consumed.

In most of my conversations, people emphasized how much they would like to leave Axim or get a good job but that there was simply no way to do so.  While I do not have any theories of how to improve the economic condition of Axim as of yet, I will be working on developing some ideas throughout my last year at Occidental.

It was not, however, all bad news. The general health of the East Nzema District has improved dramatically within the last 10 years—maternal and infant deaths in Axim’s hospital have dropped by nearly 90%! People had very positive things to say about how the government was helping them and the good ways their community has changed in recent years.

I will be continuing to work with this information until my graduation in May, and am currently in the midst of applying for a Fulbright research grant to travel back to Ghana for ten months and expand my research project to look at the Northern regions.

Elena with teaching staff at the new Axim All-Girls High School

Ghana Together coordinated with Western Heritage Home, our partner organization in Axim to facilitate both Elena's 2008 and 2012 visits.

In 2008, we also arranged for some pre-trip mentoring by Barbara Gilday, who was on our Board at the time and had extensive Ghana experience, and Bonnie Olpin, a retired Skagit County Washington elementary school teacher. Bonnie introduced the famous "wallpaper" books, which at least one Axim girl has carefully kept in her possession all these years!

The children hadn’t been living in the Children’s Home long at that time, and had almost no literacy. Elena gave them an initial boost. You can imagine how exciting it was for them to have this “nice obroni” (white lady) living with them for several weeks! Probably their first experience with such an exotic creature!

Elena in 2008, teaching reading to orphaned children in the Western Heritage Children's Home

Go to Ghana Together Website to Learn More...

Axim, Ghana All-Girls Senior High School Absorbed into Ghana Education System

Nearly seven years ago, when we first began working in Axim, we heard the dreams of local leaders about establishing a new “all-girls high school.” 

In the last few days, we have been informed that the new Axim All-Girls Senior High School, started by local Axim leaders as a "town project" in 2009, has now been fully absorbed into the Ghana Education System. This means it’s a fully-recognized high school, with graduates accredited by the GES, teachers hired and paid by the government of Ghana, and the national curriculum the same as for other established high schools in Ghana. Student test scores will be fully accepted.

All the Axim All-Girls High School Students - Feb 2012

A new public high school building is in the making on land donated by the Catholic Church under the leadership of Fr. Paul Awuah, a dedicated community leader. The school is currently meeting in another of the church-owned schools. An oil company operating in Ghana has indicated interest in building a new hostel, so girls from other areas or beyond walking distance can attend.

Starting Construction of New Girls High School

This is a momentous achievement especially for Mrs. Bonku, who, as the Founding Headmistress, took on the major responsibility of starting a new high school from scratch! She is a dedicated educational leader, starting as a JHS vocational teacher, moving into HR administration for the Nzema-Axim District, and currently serving as Founding Headmistress charged with starting a new high school.

Other leaders who somehow found funding and the political support, both at the local and national levels, include Awulae Attibruskusu, Paramount Chief; Ana “Esi” Biney, District Assembly Woman and Chair of the local committee; James Kainyiah, Development Chief and businessman; Isaac Bentil, local community leader and businessman; and many others.

On right, Mrs. Bonku, Founding Headmistress of Axim All-Girls High School (with Maryanne Ward of Ghana Together)

Chief Awulae set the theme of the September 2011 Kundum Festival as “Girls Education”. The Vice-President of Ghana came to Axim to voice his support. Those of our readers who met Awulae in Washington State summer 2011 probably remember his remarks about his determination to improve girls education.

Chief Awulae Attibrukusu, Axim's modern, tech-savvy traditional Chief, sending emails from the Ward home in the US back to his assistant in Axim. Girls: your Chief is your role model!!

The teachers also must be acknowledged, because each took a career gamble by joining the effort with no guarantee of future success. Catherine Afeku, Member of Parliament, showed strong support.

This has been entirely a locally-conceived project, with years of working to find funding and political support on the part of local leaders. Ghana Together has not been directly involved in this project. Mostly, we just bring scientific calculators (a scarce and precious learning tool in Ghana!) and encouragement.

When Maryanne Ward was in Axim in Feb, 2012, she helped arrange a visit to Axim by the Admissions Officers of Ashesi University, organized on the US model of higher education. They met with the Axim Girls HS and other students in the area--the first such recruiting type visit by any university to Nzema East District!

You might well ask: Why is an “all-girls” high school needed in Axim?

First, there is no other government high school in the town of maybe 15-20,000 souls. Nsein High School, the nearest, is some distance. Girl education is a top priority in Ghana. The 2003 Population Census for the Nzema East District showed only 7.6% females of 6+ years had finished high school. About 1.9% had tertiary education. Adult literacy for females 15+ years was 44%. Of females 6+ years, 64% had never attended school. Currently in Axim, among primary students, there are about the same number of boys and girls enrolled, so they are making good progress.

Study hard, girls---who knows what your futures could hold!!

Since many of the leaders involved in this project are the very same people we of Ghana Together have been working with for going on seven years now, you can understand how as friends we share their pride!!