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.