Give on Get One

It's that time of year again. The One Laptop Per Child program is running their give one get one campaign. When you buy a XO laptop for your family one will be sent to the developing world.

As you may know the XO was developed at MIT. I have had the opportunity to hear Nicholas Negroponte speak a few times and he has a wonderful vision. Unfortunately they aren't in Ghana yet but maybe they will be soon. For more info check out the project website or just buy a laptop on Amazon!

Alicia Keys African Documentary

I just found out about a new website called SnagFilms that has full lenght documentary films for free. Unfortunately they didn't have any on Ghana yet but this one on AIDS in Africa is a good one.

Notes from our trip to Ghana

When Kristen, Katie, and I traveled to Ghana in January to volunteer we had not clue the impact our trip would have on us. The warmth of the Ghanaian people had been described to us by our Ghanaian classmate & friend, Victor, but we could hardly imagine his contagious laugh magnified exponentially.

In the days leading up to our trip Kristen was a bit nervous about traveling to such an unknown destination. The experience of visiting such a different place was especially moving for her and upon returning she feverishly wrote more than thirty pages of her impressions. Below you will find some of her impressions on teaching in Sogakope.

When class begins, which seems to me a somewhat arbitrary time as there is no clock in the room, and no bells, the children sit on their wooden benches. Some, but not all, have shared tables in front of them. None of them have books, workbooks, or pens. There are no brightly colored posters, no alphabet painted around the room, no visual aids or fancy wipe boards. It is an open-air cement room with a dirt floor and a tin roof, a chalkboard, and thirty small children. This is grades 3 and 4- in one classroom. Garrett introduces me as his fiancé, and the class stares in bemused silence, smiling and wondering at me. I smile back and tell them I’m happy to be here. I watch Garrett begin the math lesson, slightly nervous. I have no lesson plan, no idea of the curriculum or level of the students. How can one possibly teach without a plan?

This summer we hope return the gift that was given to us launching a non-profit focused on helping the people of the Volta region. Check back later for more info on that effort.

Heifer Project gets $42 million from Gates Foundation

The Heifer Project is an organization that is focused on relieving hunger around the world. They provided needy individuals with livestock, education, and micro loans. Today Heifer received a four year $42 million donation from the Gates Foundation. Heifer is doing a lot of good work in Ghana and they provide many volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups. Take a look at their website and see how you can get involved.

Kids' book on microlending

I recent heard about a new book called "One Hen" that tells the story of microfinance efforts in Ghana. Through the micro loan, the main character, Kojo, is able to buy a hen, sell the eggs, and help feed his family. Boston.com has a write up of the book and you can also check out the book's website.

A wish list

This week a group of MIT Sloan students are headed to Ghana for an educational trip. As I worked to prepare a package to send over to Living Faith I started to make a list of some of the things that would be most useful to the school. If you would like to help out Living Faith or a similar African school here are a few ideas.

Books (10-20 copies for readers) - It is so much easier to work on reading with the students when they are have the same book. The library at Living Faith has a few sets of books but mostly individual copies. Also, "readers" that have many short stories are really useful.

World Map - laminated to stand up to the elements.

Flashcards - English is the official language of Ghana but most students speak the local language at home. It would be great to have flash card to work on English vocabulary.

Soccer Ball - around the world everyone loves soccer (aka football)

Typing Software - the community center is setting up a computer lab and they could use a some good typing software for people to learn on.

Encyclopedia/Dictionary Software - always useful and much easier to ship than a book.

SAT/TOFEL study books - the library also serves the community and many students are trying to get scholarships to college.

I've started a list on Amazon. Unfortunately things can't be sent directly to the school through Amazon but you can send them yourself through the address listed on this website or I can help organize sending packages.

A trip to Ghana

It all started when some friends and I hatched a plan to travel to Africa to promote entrepreneurship. As MIT Sloan students with the month of Janurary off we thought we would go help with business plans, maybe teach marketing or some other business subject. After a few potential projects fell through our good friend Victor convinced us to travel to his home country of Ghana. Through a connection with his mother we were put in touch with the Living Faith Prep School in Sogakope, Ghana. In mid January Kaite, Kristen and I set off for Ghana. It was a moment that changed our lives.


Coming from a middle class background in the U.S. it is hard to describe the first trip to Africa. We tend to think we have seen poverty in our own country. However, it has no comparison to the challenges many people face in a country like Ghana (one of the more stable and prosperous countries in Africa). The children at Living Faith live on less than a $1 a day. They are lucky if they have a workbook to study from. Mostly they just read from the lessons written on the black board each day. Despite these challenges they have a passion for learning. By brining attention to their community, fundraising, and mentoring we hope to help them have a brighter future.

Living Faith Donation Form

English as a second language

One of the interesting things about our trip to Ghana was the opportunity to learn a bit of the local languages. Ghana has many languages, English as well as 9 other official ones and a total of 79. However, Akan (and others in the same family) is the primary one for Accra and areas West of the capital. In Sogakope the local language is Ewe. All of the children speak English at school but in the village people mostly converse in Ewe. The children at Living Faith tried to teach me a few useful phrases. I can't say that I was a great student. Unfortunately, my keyboard doesn't have many of the characters so until I figure that out I can't post what I learned. Until then check out some of the Ewe story called Headless Crabs.

Ghana Statistics

Here are a few of the interesting statistics I found about Ghana from the UNICEF and World Bank Sites. With a life expectancy of 57 years and an average income of $450, life can be a challenge in Ghana. Additionally, although primary school education is fairly good getting to secondary school, much less college, is very difficult.

Basic Indicators

Total population (thousands), 2005 22113
GNI per capita (US$), 2005 450
Life expectancy at birth (years), 2005 57
Total adult literacy rate, 2000-2004 58
Net primary school enrolment/attendance (%) , 2000-2005 65


Education

Adult literacy rate, 2000-2004*, male 66
Adult literacy rate, 2000-2004*, female 50
Number per 100 population , '2002-2004*, Internet users 2
Primary school enrolment ratio 2000-2005*, net, male 65
Primary school enrolment ratio 2000-2005*, net, female 65
Secondary school enrolment ratio 2000-2005*, net, male 39
Secondary school enrolment ratio 2000-2005*, net, female 35

Ghana Today

A description of Ghana from the World Bank:

At 50, Ghana is a nation with tremendous opportunity to grow. Compared with South Korea or Malaysia, her contemporaries at independence, Ghana’s development story may not be exactly what Ghanaians wished it were. But viewed from another angle of recovery to democratic and economic stability among its African peers Ghana’s story is a shining example and that is cause for celebration.

Good results from the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy have enabled a stable economy, with inflation and interest rates nearing single digits. Ghana looks determined for economic takeoff. But with many tough challenges to deal with, a lot has to be fixed right and now. It is time to focus on delivering quality in several areas like education, health, water, sanitation, energy, transport; and corruption should be fought on all fronts.

While we were in Sogakope we had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Moses Kakaw, the District Director of Social Welfare. We learned that there are roughly 26 NGOs opperating in the Sogakope district. Mr. Kakaw is also a board memeber of Living Faith. In addition to education, his department is focused on issues such as child labor and early marriage.

Wli Orphanage

Aunt Aggie, the woman we stayed with while we were teaching, is trying to open an orphanage in her home region. She has already adopted eight children into her home and would like to be able to do more. Click on the image to read the full story.

Living Faith Projects

Living Faith is currently in the process of raising funds for projects including new classrooms, computers, general repair, etc.

A good read

Before leaving for Ghana I went to the bookstore looking for something good to read on the plane. I was hoping to find a good African travel story. As it turned out the first book I picked up, "Nine Hills to Nambonkaha," was written by a Middlebury grad (my alma mater). It is the story of Sarah Erdman's two year Peace Corps experience in Cote d'Ivoire. It is an excellent book that helped me understand some of the subtle cultural nuances that tourists are often oblivious to.

You don't have to take my word for it

Here is an interesting account from somebody else who spent time volunteering in the Volta Region.