I am writing this from the Central Region outside of Cape Coast, where I am visiting some friends. Tuesday I will head to Accra, and Friday I fly back to NYC. My role in the school building project is, for the most part, over. I stayed as long as possible, and when I left about half the walls were plastered. After the walls, the floors will be plastered, and all that is left after that is to paint.
Our money situation, while it is still tight, has been mostly resolved. Trina came through with a donation last minute that will cover the bare minimum, and there's still hope to bring electricity to the school, since it won't cost much money (probably no more than $400, maybe less). Even if we don't do it now, it's such a simple task we could wire money to Kwame to do it after we're gone. He'll be back in Naama in October anyway for his job at the School of International Training (SIT), which is where I first got to know him on my trip studying abroad through the same program.
We have yet to hear back from the local government about our water project proposal, but Kwame can cover that if it is approved. On Friday, my last full day in Naama, I gave a tutorial to a committee of village residents on the solar equipment that we plan to use for a water well. Our philosophy is that if the technology isn't teachable, it isn't sustainable. Luckily, I was taught well myself, and the committee seemed to understand the technology very well, evidenced by Kwame saying that he can manage the project without us if it's approved.
Trina and I have decided to start our own organization called Sankofa, of which I won't write much about yet here. We still have a lot of work to do, but this is our "launch project," which we didn't realize until Friday night at the goodbye ceremony the village had for me (Trina is staying until the school is completed). At the ceremony, the chief of the village, Nana Sarfo-Adu, told us that the school would be named Sankofa Primary School, named after our young NGO.
The ceremony was a moving experience for Trina and me. The love and gratitude that the people of the village have shown us has been truly remarkable. The council of elders named us King and Queen of Development in Naama. My official name in Naama is now Nana Osei Yao Akoto II, and I am obligated by my title to inform my family and friends that it is proper to use the term "Nana," out of respect for my position (I know this isn't gonna happen, but it would wrong to not even mention here).
The ceremony impressed upon Trina and me how much more work we have left in Naama alone. In addition to the school, electricity, and water, we still have to bring computers, help the village complete the Pre-K structure that they have been working on for years now, and build a Junior Secondary School (middle school), since the village doesn't have one right now. After we complete all this, we'll move on to the next phase of Sankofa. Until then, we much left to do here.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A State of Liminality
Moments ago I gave a printed proposal to the chairman of Naama's council of elders. The proposal asks the Municipal Government to fund our project to bring water to the village of Naama. We have offered to provide a solar-powered water pump and oversight and management of the project, and we are asking the government to provide about 7,500 cedis, which is about $5,500 USD. Right now it feels like a long shot that they will approve our proposal.
If I've gotten used to anything during this project, it's the feeling of being in limbo, a state of suspended liminality between certainty and uncertainty. I know what the task is for each day, but the greater scheme of the project remains obscure. Right now, if the government approves the project, it will most likely be done in a week or so. If not, we'll postpone the project until the next time we come to Naama for more development. Even if it were approved, I wouldn't see it happen. I leave the Ashanti Region on 28 August, which is this Saturday. My role in this round is almost complete, after almost four hectic weeks.
School construction is going well. The roofing was completed yesterday, and today our workers began plastering the walls in earnest. After that come the floors and then painting. Our funds are extremely tight right now. We are banking on a donation that I have no control over. If it doesn't come, we could be in trouble. Like I said, a constant state of uncertainty and certainty. This has been complicated by the fact that my wallet was stolen this week, making me quite broke and eliminating our insurance if the donation doesn't pan out. It's been chaotic, but I think we just might be ok.
The school looks amazing already. The structure is way more impressive than the old one, and the people in the village are very excited about the building. It is remarkable how much money is needed for this, compared to the resources that the poor community members actually have. $7,000 can build a structure like this if planned, but those resources are way beyond the means of the people here. Drilling a well is an analogous case of this.
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we're not out of the woods yet. We have hope, but in the meantime we can only struggle to stay afloat.
If I've gotten used to anything during this project, it's the feeling of being in limbo, a state of suspended liminality between certainty and uncertainty. I know what the task is for each day, but the greater scheme of the project remains obscure. Right now, if the government approves the project, it will most likely be done in a week or so. If not, we'll postpone the project until the next time we come to Naama for more development. Even if it were approved, I wouldn't see it happen. I leave the Ashanti Region on 28 August, which is this Saturday. My role in this round is almost complete, after almost four hectic weeks.
School construction is going well. The roofing was completed yesterday, and today our workers began plastering the walls in earnest. After that come the floors and then painting. Our funds are extremely tight right now. We are banking on a donation that I have no control over. If it doesn't come, we could be in trouble. Like I said, a constant state of uncertainty and certainty. This has been complicated by the fact that my wallet was stolen this week, making me quite broke and eliminating our insurance if the donation doesn't pan out. It's been chaotic, but I think we just might be ok.
The school looks amazing already. The structure is way more impressive than the old one, and the people in the village are very excited about the building. It is remarkable how much money is needed for this, compared to the resources that the poor community members actually have. $7,000 can build a structure like this if planned, but those resources are way beyond the means of the people here. Drilling a well is an analogous case of this.
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we're not out of the woods yet. We have hope, but in the meantime we can only struggle to stay afloat.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Crunch Time
It's been an eventful week. School construction has continued its progress, and now the walls are complete. The next stage is the roofing, which we anticipate to take about five days. We start this phase on Saturday, because the cement plaster is drying until then. After that we plaster the walls and floors, and the only remaining task left is to paint. I will leave the region for Cape Coast on 28 or 29 August, and my role as overseer of the project will be complete. Latrina will watch the school construction complete.
The well is a separate matter. Shipping for the solar equipment has proven a nightmare. The first attempt was thwarted by UPS's designation of Ghana as a particular threat for terrorism (which baffles me on multiple levels). Now, the second shipping attempt is by USPS has apparently been stalled in Ghanain customs, after USPS washed its hands of the matter, Ghana's postal service may have the package, and we may be able to locate it soon (I will definitely let the donor of the equipment know when I know). If we get it by the end of my stay in Naama, I can teach it to the village leaders.
The drilling of the well, the purchase of the tank, and the piping is longer within our funds alone. The reason for this is that this is no longer a Peace of Minds Project. POMP is only our tax-exempt fiscal sponsor, so all donations given thus far will be tax exempt. The funding that Latrina and I had reserved for the well was used to purchase the tax-exempt service of POMP.
This change in the role of POMP resulted in differences and issues between the chair and Latrina and I over our roles on the board of directors and the role of our project in POMP (obviously there is a long story here that I don't have time to fully go into). As a result, Latrina and I are now overseeing this project as individuals.
What this means is that the unexpected cost of the tax-exempt service (over $1,000) has forced us to change tack. We are now looking at completing the project through using some of our own personal funds. though we have two potential donations coming soon that could help us. We are committed to completing this school project, even if it means using our own money.
The well, on the other hand, is a different story. Recovering the shipped equipment is our most urgent goal, and I am in Kumasi looking into it as I write this. With that said, I am optimistic that the municipal government may be willing to help with the well project. We will request that the government will cover all other costs and we can (hopefully) provide the solar powered water pump. We meet with the municipal chief (something like the county mayor) on Friday to discuss the well.
If the government is willing to support us, the well will be installed. If not, it is highly unlikely we can afford to construct the well (at least this trip) without additional donations. If anyone is willing to donate to this project, please email me, or better yet call 011233240627250. I will give an update to anyone calling (though admittedly it is a unreliable phone and it may take several calls before I can answer). These donations would not be tax-exempt, and the most convenient method would be wiring through Western Union (the nearest one to Naama is in Mampong, Ashanti Region, Ghana). It's crunch time.
The well is a separate matter. Shipping for the solar equipment has proven a nightmare. The first attempt was thwarted by UPS's designation of Ghana as a particular threat for terrorism (which baffles me on multiple levels). Now, the second shipping attempt is by USPS has apparently been stalled in Ghanain customs, after USPS washed its hands of the matter, Ghana's postal service may have the package, and we may be able to locate it soon (I will definitely let the donor of the equipment know when I know). If we get it by the end of my stay in Naama, I can teach it to the village leaders.
The drilling of the well, the purchase of the tank, and the piping is longer within our funds alone. The reason for this is that this is no longer a Peace of Minds Project. POMP is only our tax-exempt fiscal sponsor, so all donations given thus far will be tax exempt. The funding that Latrina and I had reserved for the well was used to purchase the tax-exempt service of POMP.
This change in the role of POMP resulted in differences and issues between the chair and Latrina and I over our roles on the board of directors and the role of our project in POMP (obviously there is a long story here that I don't have time to fully go into). As a result, Latrina and I are now overseeing this project as individuals.
What this means is that the unexpected cost of the tax-exempt service (over $1,000) has forced us to change tack. We are now looking at completing the project through using some of our own personal funds. though we have two potential donations coming soon that could help us. We are committed to completing this school project, even if it means using our own money.
The well, on the other hand, is a different story. Recovering the shipped equipment is our most urgent goal, and I am in Kumasi looking into it as I write this. With that said, I am optimistic that the municipal government may be willing to help with the well project. We will request that the government will cover all other costs and we can (hopefully) provide the solar powered water pump. We meet with the municipal chief (something like the county mayor) on Friday to discuss the well.
If the government is willing to support us, the well will be installed. If not, it is highly unlikely we can afford to construct the well (at least this trip) without additional donations. If anyone is willing to donate to this project, please email me, or better yet call 011233240627250. I will give an update to anyone calling (though admittedly it is a unreliable phone and it may take several calls before I can answer). These donations would not be tax-exempt, and the most convenient method would be wiring through Western Union (the nearest one to Naama is in Mampong, Ashanti Region, Ghana). It's crunch time.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Construction is staying steady, and now my American colleagues have joined me on the project. They have brought more funds, but not as much as I thought. It appears we are having serious complications with our bank account, which has made things difficult. Luckily, we have enough funds to complete the roofing, which will last us a week while we try to obtain the rest of our funds. I'm pretty sure that we'll have it worked out so the rest of the money can be wired by next weekend.
The school is really coming along. The walls are almost complete. All we need are our door frames, because the carpenter has been dragging his feet. We'll have them by tomorrow, and the walls will be complete by Tuesday. After that we move on to the roof.
The well is still giving us problems. The municipal chief has been dragging his feet on supporting us, but I think that will be ok as well. Time is already running out before I leave the region, which will be August 28 (only two weeks away). Hopefully that small time frame will force the ball to start rolling. The project has definitely settled down and lessened my stress level, even though is still constantly things to be done and personalities to balance. Village life is very relaxing, which is a plus considering that the intense school semester is right around the corner.
We also have another potential project for next summer. It would be building a clinic in another remote region in the district. If we decide to do it (which is really contingent on support from the local government for this project), we'll have construction plans ready by the time we return to the US so we can begin fundraising. All things considered, our project is still looking good, as long as we can obtain the rest of our funds.
The school is really coming along. The walls are almost complete. All we need are our door frames, because the carpenter has been dragging his feet. We'll have them by tomorrow, and the walls will be complete by Tuesday. After that we move on to the roof.
The well is still giving us problems. The municipal chief has been dragging his feet on supporting us, but I think that will be ok as well. Time is already running out before I leave the region, which will be August 28 (only two weeks away). Hopefully that small time frame will force the ball to start rolling. The project has definitely settled down and lessened my stress level, even though is still constantly things to be done and personalities to balance. Village life is very relaxing, which is a plus considering that the intense school semester is right around the corner.
We also have another potential project for next summer. It would be building a clinic in another remote region in the district. If we decide to do it (which is really contingent on support from the local government for this project), we'll have construction plans ready by the time we return to the US so we can begin fundraising. All things considered, our project is still looking good, as long as we can obtain the rest of our funds.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The Best I've Ever Seen
The first week of construction is done, and what an eventful week it was. The village gave Kwame and me a rousing welcome on Monday. They were elated and excited about the project, and I got a much better idea of what they want out of it. And by the end of the week I fully understood why this enthusiasm among the people in the village was necessary for this project to be successful. The project is heavily reliant on communal laborers.
The men and women of the village provide communal labor for the construction process. The women carry blocks and water to the school site on their heads in the morning, and the men mix and cement, sand, and water and carry it to the foundation. We are paying locals to make blocks and to cut the lumber. As they work most of the day, we feed the men lunch as compensation.
This project, even though it involves no actual education, has reminded me just how many social problems are involved in education, not just in Naama but everywhere. I can't name all of them off the top of my head, among them are hunger, cynicism, and alcoholism (ranging from moderate to extreme) among the workers, widespread illiteracy, poverty, tension between the contract workers and the villagers, injuries, and in a few cases undiagnosed mental disorders. I am left with the uncanny feeling, not for the first time in Ghana, that I am closer to my hometown than the thousands of miles suggest.
I also have come to understand the malnutrition among workers and children in the village much better this time around. These farmers work with the simplest of tools, with ground that is very hard, for very little money. The work is so difficult, they must eat a greater portion of food than their children (though their wives get a raw deal, since they work the farms too) just to have the energy to work. They need to eat more bread to win more bread. I have done my share of manual and menial labor, but my body remains unable to do their labor for longer than short bursts. It is very difficult to accept (especially for the well-fed Western mind), but the children can't eat as much as they should for legitimate reasons.
When I watch the communal laborers working and playing, I am reminded of a scene in my favorite war movie, Platoon. The main character describes his fellow soldiers as "grunts,"
hailing from small towns you've never heard of, doing the work the rich refuse to do. That's how these workers are. Some have fathered and mothered more children than they have the means to provide for, some are raging alcoholics, but almost all are hard workers just trying to provide their children with a better opportunity than they had. They are, as Charlie Sheen's character says in the film, the best I've ever seen.
We've gotten support from the local government, who said they will give us whatever support we need. This means we'll be able to give the village a water well and the school electricity. We've also made it a goal to devote one of the new classrooms to a computer lab, which the villagers are more enthusiastic about than anything else. We live in the age of information technology, and they want access as much as anyone.
We've organized a committee with two men and one women. The two men are in charge of procuring lumber and organizing labor, respectively, and the woman is in charge of keeping us informed on the women's issues in the project. We've also been getting local media involved, and I'm sure we'll have some reports coming out in newspapers or on radio soon. Indeed, the eagerness of Ghanains to support local development has been one of the most pleasant surprises. As of now the foundation is complete. Next week we build the walls and start on the roof, before moving to the floor. So far, so good.
I'll conclude this post by reminding the reader that we still need all the help we can get, because the support of the local government can only go so far. Anyone willing to give a tax-exempt donation should email peace.of.mind.projects@gmail.com, or send a check made out to Peace of Mind Projects to
P.O. Box 1484
New York, NY
10027
The men and women of the village provide communal labor for the construction process. The women carry blocks and water to the school site on their heads in the morning, and the men mix and cement, sand, and water and carry it to the foundation. We are paying locals to make blocks and to cut the lumber. As they work most of the day, we feed the men lunch as compensation.
This project, even though it involves no actual education, has reminded me just how many social problems are involved in education, not just in Naama but everywhere. I can't name all of them off the top of my head, among them are hunger, cynicism, and alcoholism (ranging from moderate to extreme) among the workers, widespread illiteracy, poverty, tension between the contract workers and the villagers, injuries, and in a few cases undiagnosed mental disorders. I am left with the uncanny feeling, not for the first time in Ghana, that I am closer to my hometown than the thousands of miles suggest.
I also have come to understand the malnutrition among workers and children in the village much better this time around. These farmers work with the simplest of tools, with ground that is very hard, for very little money. The work is so difficult, they must eat a greater portion of food than their children (though their wives get a raw deal, since they work the farms too) just to have the energy to work. They need to eat more bread to win more bread. I have done my share of manual and menial labor, but my body remains unable to do their labor for longer than short bursts. It is very difficult to accept (especially for the well-fed Western mind), but the children can't eat as much as they should for legitimate reasons.
When I watch the communal laborers working and playing, I am reminded of a scene in my favorite war movie, Platoon. The main character describes his fellow soldiers as "grunts,"
hailing from small towns you've never heard of, doing the work the rich refuse to do. That's how these workers are. Some have fathered and mothered more children than they have the means to provide for, some are raging alcoholics, but almost all are hard workers just trying to provide their children with a better opportunity than they had. They are, as Charlie Sheen's character says in the film, the best I've ever seen.
We've gotten support from the local government, who said they will give us whatever support we need. This means we'll be able to give the village a water well and the school electricity. We've also made it a goal to devote one of the new classrooms to a computer lab, which the villagers are more enthusiastic about than anything else. We live in the age of information technology, and they want access as much as anyone.
We've organized a committee with two men and one women. The two men are in charge of procuring lumber and organizing labor, respectively, and the woman is in charge of keeping us informed on the women's issues in the project. We've also been getting local media involved, and I'm sure we'll have some reports coming out in newspapers or on radio soon. Indeed, the eagerness of Ghanains to support local development has been one of the most pleasant surprises. As of now the foundation is complete. Next week we build the walls and start on the roof, before moving to the floor. So far, so good.
I'll conclude this post by reminding the reader that we still need all the help we can get, because the support of the local government can only go so far. Anyone willing to give a tax-exempt donation should email peace.of.mind.projects@gmail.com, or send a check made out to Peace of Mind Projects to
P.O. Box 1484
New York, NY
10027
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