Sam Royle's Update, August 2014

It has been a hectic couple of months in many ways since I arrived back from Europe after spending a couple of much-needed weeks attending a friend’s wedding. I remember my return journey back to Ghana - as soon as I arrived at the departure gate at Lisbon airport to board the flight, it felt like I was back in Ghana already. Gone were the plain-coloured European clothes, the hushed voices of passengers elsewhere in the airport. Here, the bright colours and energetic noise of the Ghanaian passengers immediately transported me straight back to Awutu. As we boarded the plane, the mayhem as people tried to push their enormous suitcases into the small overhead lockers reminded me that we were definitely on the way back to the craziness of Ghana!

The biggest event since I arrived back (and probably the whole 6 months I’ve been here) was a 2-week visit from students and teachers from Canford school in Dorset. It was a trial run, and the first full trip they had organised to Awutu Winton SHS. This meant that the pressure was high – if it went badly, we would potentially put off future annual visits from the Canford School to AWSHS. Their mission while here was not only to scope out the potential of annual trips to Awutu in their summer holidays, but to participate in school activities, get involved with school life and generally get a feel for how it would be as a high school student in Ghana.

Canford girls have a drink with Awutu student

With only five students and two teachers present on this year’s trip, it was a little easier than with a full group of 12 (the number that will potentially come on next year’s trip). However, it was still a fairly fulltime commitment for Marcus and I. We tried to get them involved in as many activities as possible at the school, and the students attended lessons with AWSHS students (and the UK teachers taught lessons) and joined in with various after school activities including drama club, carpentry club and various sports.

On the Friday of the first week that Canford were here, we took them down to spend a day at SEP School in Saltpond. This was a great opportunity to experience a different school, and because it’s a primary school it meant that the Canford students could participate in the teaching of lessons, not just being taught (as they were at Awutu). We arrived by tro tro, and Ashley, currently a volunteer at SEP, met us and introduced us to the teachers and students. In the afternoon we were invited to help them with sports day practice, which was terrific fun. There was sack race and egg and spoon, and it almost felt like I was back in the UK!

Since Canford have departed, everything is now focused on the graduation ceremony, which will take place this coming Friday in the Valerie Dix hall. The school is alive with activity, and although students have now finished lessons for the term, they are painting, weeding, cleaning and generally prepping the school ready for the big day. It’s all coming together, and although Marcus seems to be greying a little more each day that we close in on the event (not really, but he does seem a little stressed!), I’m certain it will come off without a hitch.

Sam tries to tackle the ball off Science teacher/ football fanatic Daniel

My time is now drawing to a close here in Ghana, with just 2 weeks left. However, it has been great to welcome the new volunteers to Awutu Winton. Letty, who is David and Inez’s daughter and her partner Max arrived last week and have been getting stuck in to all sorts of activities around the school. We made a trip to Kasoa market on their first day, which must have been an assault on their senses to say the least. Market days are not a dull affair, and we spent an hour walking through the maze of different fruit and veg sellers, who were all calling out to us wanting to know our names. They dealt with it very well, and looked very comfortable negotiating prices for the various produce we wanted to buy.

We spent their first Saturday night at the local beach town of Kokrobite, where we indulged in scrumptious pizza from the best Italian food joint in West Africa (or that is my opinion anyway!), and enjoyed the evening dancing to reggae and sipping rum punch cocktails. I think it was a decent introduction to the social side of Ghana, although my head didn’t feel too great the next morning!

It will be sad to leave Ghana – I’ve met so many amazing people, and truly learnt a lot just being here. I’ve been in situations I never would have been in otherwise, and I feel I’m a stronger person than when I first arrived. It’s hard to leave some of the projects unfinished though. Securing internet at the school was one of my main goals whilst here, but it has still not happened. Although much is down to high costs and government inefficiency, it’s always hard to leave something unfinished. However, Max and Letty will be able to bring provide a renewed and fresh approach, and I’m certain it will be set up very soon.

Lastly, I hope I will be able to visit Awutu Winton again in the not-to-distant future to see how much it will have changed!

With best wishes,

Sam

Marcus Hagberg's Update, May 2014

Hi all,

Returning to Ghana after nearly four weeks in the UK I was full of mixed emotions. On the one hand, I would certainly miss the ordinary reliability of particular services such as (drinkable) water from the tap, consistent electricity, and seemingly hyper-drive Wi-Fi internet, not to mention manageable mild weather, diverse and nutritious foods, and cask ales/ IPAs. 

On the other hand, I needn’t have thought any of this. As soon as I landed a big smile was stamped across my face, my eyes beaming with excitable anticipation, and perspiration beginning to gather across my forehead. I was back in Ghana and I couldn’t be happier. 

Returning to Ghana refreshed and re-energised, I was able to carry on the good work our volunteer, Sam, pursued whilst I was away. Since returning to Ghana 10 days ago good progress has been made on various fronts:

• With the generous help of the 49th Engineer Regiment, the sports field now has some 30 loads of black topsoil atop it (see first pic above).
  

• Belgorod Company, Ltd. has been working non-stop and the foundation for the female toilet block has been completed (see second pic above).

• The local community chiefs and proprietor of private land adjacent to Awutu-Winton have agreed to sell the school additional plots of land; and 

• Eric Nyame, the star graduate from Awutu-Winton’s class of 2013, had a final interview for admission to Ashesi University College (http://www.ashesi.edu.gh/).

With nearly 10 weeks until the inaugural graduation ceremony for Awutu-Winton Senior High School there is still much to be accomplished. This will certainly require much time and energy from many people, and perhaps a bit of (strategic) luck too. But I am thankful to be back in this wonderful country continuing to work for this exciting project with such a committed team.

Best wishes and I’ll be in touch soon,

Marcus

David Lunan's Update (Including on the Valerie Dix Hall), August 2013

Valerie Dix Hall

Dear Supporter,

Having returned late last month from Awutu on a brief mid-summer visit I thought it was a good moment to update you all on current developments.

The two most important infrastructure projects are the Valerie Dix Assembly Hall and the F.A. Hughes Sports Field.

First the "Auntie Valerie" Hall:

Well it's coming together well. Although we still have some issues to sort out, the roof is now on and we are still hoping for completion in time for the new academic year which begins on the 24th September. We are planning an official opening on Friday 8th November, when the Hall will be officially named after Valerie Dix, dear godmother shared by me and Nick Robertson (whom many of you may know is Chief Executive of Asos plc.). Nick has given a very generous donation to help to finance the building of the Hall, and its completion will be a tremendous boost as it will give the school accreditation as an exam centre. It will also double as an Assembly Hall and will be a versatile space which can be used for drama, dance and aerobics as well as for public functions and as a canteen area.

Many people have given their time and effort to make this project come together and we are very grateful for all the support. In particular I would like to mention our hard working Project Manager, Marcus, and his pal Drew who funded a trip over from the States to help in the supervision of its construction, as well as Martin who, along with John, has given us so much support on the architectural drawings, and most especially Baffour, without whose expertise the project would never have progressed. A big thank you to all!

Secondly the Sports Field:

Again, thanks to an anonymous benefactor, we have secured the land and have cleared and almost levelled it. Now we need to finish off the drainage, add top soil and seed it, to turn it into a precious green space for a variety of sporting activities. One of the aims of our Great South Run team - which sees a record twenty-five EDP supporters all running together on October 27th - is to raise enough money to finish it off. Our target is £10,000!

On other fronts also there has been much activity at the school this year. Deputy Head Seth and his team of hard working teachers and staff have put in a big effort to help the third year (our first batch of our students to graduate) complete their syllabus. They will be sitting their final exams next month: we wish them well and will let you know how they get on. At least a dozen of the eighty-five are expected to go on to university, but those who do not will still stand a much better chance of finding work just by virtue of having completed their senior secondary education, which is financially accessible to less than 50% of the population.

Thank you to everyone who has given support to EDP in the pursuit of its goal – improving access to education for disadvantaged youngsters in Ghana.

With best wishes,

David

30 August 2013

David Lunan
Director, EDP Trust
UK Charity number : 1129398
david@edp-trust.com
www.edp-trust.com

P.S. For those interested in contributing to the charity or sponsoring the runners on Oct 27th, the website is now up and running at Virgin Money Giving: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/goforGhana2 . We also have an active Pay Pal connection on the website : www.edp-trust.org

We are still looking for more student sponsorships as this income helps to provide much needed support and equipment for the pupils – sponsorship costs only £300/$500 a year. More information on the website or via Inez on : inez@edp-trust.org

Marcus Hagberg (Project Manager) Update: March 2013

Our current Project Manager, Marcus Hagberg

Dear EDP supporters,

Hope all is well and that your New Year is off to a good start. My name is Marcus Hagberg and I am the newest Project Manager at Educational Development Projects (EDP) Trust. Since arriving in Ghana in December 2012, I have been kept quite busy acclimatising to a new work environment, culture, and weather pattern. Thankfully, this adaptation has been quite easy, due primarily to the fact that Ghanaians are so keen to ensure your personal well-being, a genuine smile all along the way. Although I’ve been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to live, work, and study abroad over the past few years, I was immediately entranced by Ghanaians and their casualness and coolness.

The practical goals and overall vision EDP Trust is committed to and working towards are what keep me going when subtle and significant stresses begin to accumulate. I am honoured to have the opportunity to work alongside such wonderful and enthusiastic people, from Seth Adjadotse (headmaster of Awutu-Winton) to David and Inez Lunan (Directors of EDP Trust), Peter Donkor (founder of Awutu-Winton) to the EDP Trust team/ volunteers here in Ghana, and committed teaching and non-teaching staff at Awutu-Winton to motivated students—overall, these people make up a supportive community to ensure that EDP Trust’s goals and visions are accomplished.

2013 is a year of (hopefully) tremendous growth for EDP Trust and, thereby, Awutu-Winton. Because James Riggs and Rachel Schmieder (former Project Managers) have accomplished the important task of establishing a firm foundation, I feel it my duty to begin construction (both metaphoric and literal) on said foundation. Below are the main tasks/ projects EDP Trust is committed to achieving over this next year:

EDP Trust is excited to announce that we’ll begin building the latest planned phase of our school this month: the Valerie Dix building. This new building will encompass an assembly hall and canteen for the student population, along with eventual, additional toilet facilities for students and staff. This will enable us to be certified as a West African Examinations Council (WAEC)-recognised educational institution and thereby allow our students to sit for their final exams at the end of the summer term and in a familiar environment, before they continue to the next phase of their lives.

We are also in the midst of developing our sports field. Famous, Ghanaian Assistant to the Project Manager, has been given the task of overseeing the transformation of this sloping, rocky area into a viable sports field capable of holding (and hosting) football and touch rugby matches. I know I speak for all the students at Awutu-Winton when I say that we are eager for this project to get under way so that before long it can be fully functioning.

Beyond physical developments we hope to broaden EDP Trust’s professional network and build partnerships with government, non-profit/charitable, and private business entities alike. Although our team of committed Directors, staff, and volunteers is small, the impact we can have on the lives of these students, and the surrounding community is profound. We look forward to developing and nurturing these partnerships in the near and distant future.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my personal reflections on EDP Trust and Ghana, as well as my hopes for this exciting year ahead—I look forward to sharing more on these and other matters with caring supporters like you in the future.

Best wishes,

Marcus

Helen's Update: February 2013

Awutu-Winton Senior High School in all its glory!

I have been here for two weeks and yet it seems like two months. Marcus, the Project Manager has only been here for two months, and again, one would have the impression he's been doing the job for years. Must be something to do with the degree of accessibility that one has to everything here and hence the sense of an immediacy of contact and advance.

In a mere two weeks, this has been the case for the Abrofresh project. Francis ( the local manager recruited late last year by Harriet , our predecessor at EDP ) has ably taken over the reins managing Abrofresh and I have slipped in alongside to assist him. As a team we have hit the ground running and things seem to be advancing rapidly, both of us motivated by the clear potential that Abrofresh has.

Currently Abrofresh generates only a little profit to be fed back into the charity. However, we have been following the Business Development Report compiled by Alan and Di, ( both experts in their field who visited Awutu last November) and development on the juice project has been kick started. This has also been helped by a chance encounter with the Managing Director of Jei River, our local pineapple supplier, which led to a now free supply of pineapples. A courtesy sample of our juices has produced a small but very enthusiastic new fan base, made up of Jei River clients and the MD’s mother, a significant consumer!

The MD is very keen to support Abrofresh, and the school, and has already been to visit our facilities and meet the students, and has enquired into the possibility of our teachers giving English literacy classes to his own workers. So we hope that this will develop into a solid and mutually ‘fruitful’ partnership!

Abrofresh is also looking into partnerships with local secondary schools and we have had a positive first meeting with the Head Master from a large local school - Village of Hope - who is eager to buy juice from us, enthusiastic about the potential of our project and keen to publicize our product.

A great degree more of knocking on doors would seem to be required however The marketing process appears to take much longer and seems to entail more ritual in Ghana than in UK. However, a slow development does assure a certain stability of relationship.

I am already struck by two hard facts:

1. Here, every minute of the day you spend out on the street, you are starkly reminded of the need for Awutu-Winton Senior High School as everywhere I see poverty , and education is the only way to break out of the cycle.

2. Here, also you spend so much of the day hot and thirsty that the prospect of a chilled to the touch bottle of pure, fresh, tangy pineapple juice or even better a deliciously green Pineapple and Moringa juice, is like a dream!!

In short, potential Abrofresh consumers do not require too much convincing. The immediate challenge that Abrofresh faces is coordinating sales developments with production capacity, as well as consolidating the interest that has been shown in our product and targeting that section of the local market can afford our admittedly modestly priced beverages ( deliberately set at a price below Coke and Fanta !)

A great first two weeks -. Francis and I might perhaps need to temper our enthusiasm for risk of burn-out! But with the Abrofresh advertising signboard up for just 4 days before the first new customer came to knock at our door, we were chuffed and relieved in equal measure!

Helen

Lauren's Update: February 2013

Students play football on the beach

I have now been at the school for a month now, so I am starting to settle in and recognise the people constantly popping in and out of the office; however I am definitely not used to the heat yet.

When I first arrived I was very happy to hear EDP has a few traditions for its volunteers, so I landed at about 5:30 am and spent my first day on the beach. Also the AFCON ( Africa Cup of Nations ) started not long after I arrived so I have been to one of the volunteers’ watering holes to watch all the Ghana games, the atmosphere has been excellent and I am really hoping Ghana goes far. This week our House got running water which was the best moment since arriving, when we realised the taps now worked I made a lot of shrieking sounds and we all celebrated. It is amazing how much I now appreciate the moment when water flows through the shower, it was very eye opening on what I have taken for granted in life.

At work I have attempted to make EDP ‘down with the kids’, and set up a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/EDPTrust) and Twitter (@EDP_Trust). I am working closely with one of the teachers, Daniel, on the welfare of our most needy students, ( who currently number over 30) trying to help those out with the Hardship Fund and have started doing home visits. I have also been given the task of creating careers guidance for the students, however this will be a very big task as it needs to be started from scratch and we need to work out a way or a partnership that will help get our students into Tertiary education if that is where they want to go.

It’s great to see how driven the children at the school are as they are often here till late working in the library or classrooms. Also tonight our student football team are playing against another local school and I’ll be going to cheer them on—go Awutu-Winton!!

Lauren

David Lunan's End Of Year Review: December 2012

Season’s Greetings!

As 2012 draws rapidly to an end it’s a good moment to give all our supporters a short update on the charity, and the status of the Awutu-Winton Senior High School, as our 7th term also ends today Dec 21st (hopefully NOT with the ‘End of the World’ as there is still much to do!).

There has been a lot happening at Awutu, and with EDP this year as the blogs and pictures on the website testify.

Our Volunteer team on the ground, Project Manager Rachel Schmieder, and Enterprise Manager Harriet Fisher, ably assisted during the year by James Jacob ( who held the fort on his own over the summer period ), and before that by Kiran Sahib, have done a tremendous job in taking EDP’s involvement with Ghana forward. Rachel and Seth Rockson Adjadotse, our diligent and enthusiastic Deputy Head, have worked very closely together as a great team to enhance the status and develop the infrastructure of AWSHS.

During the summer break we had a month long visit from Newcastle University undergraduates, Sophie Keith and Sinead Molloy, who between them, using sponsorship funds they had raised together in UK, creatively redecorated the whole of block A at the school (there are pictures showing their work on the Gallery section).

We now have a thriving school with over 230 students (who, without the vision of the school’s Founder, Peter Donkor, would not otherwise be benefiting from a secondary education at all!) , and nearly 20 staff in one role or another. The curriculum is being closely followed and the extra-curricular activities are starting to grow apace. (We now have a sports club, bee club and carpentry classes, as well as offering additional IT and Library facilities, and the aim is to expand the range of activities further in the New Year).

Rachel recruited Famous earlier in the year and he is proving to be a very able assistant - in fact he is doing “famously”! Famous is a very good example of how a completed secondary education can lead to decent job offers and he is proving to be very good value to the school and the charity in his wide ranging support role. Well done Famous!

Thanks also to two very generous donations during the year we have completed the purchase and layout of the Sports Field (and plan to finish the surfacing and drainage of the field by the first half of 2013), and, excitingly, have now received the wherewithal to proceed with the construction of a much needed Assembly / Exam Hall and Canteen. Martin Moore, a long term supporter and his Architect pal John Burrell, as well as our professional engineer on the ground and good friend to the school in Ghana, Baffour Osei, continue to give their professional services for free and the design is now agreed and we hope to commence building work shortly. Another good friend of the school, Awutu businessman Eddie Quarshie will be supervising the build, as he did in the last classroom phase. I plan to update you further on the Assembly Hall project later in the New Year.

Thanks to this wonderful donation, and the hard work of Rachel and Seth, we hope we will be able to get official recognition as an established school with its own Examination status granted sometime next year by the GES (Ghana Education Service) and WAEC (West African Examination Council). As an approved Exam centre the school’s status and standing in the community will be assured.

Alongside the daily routine of the school we have been working to develop the juice business – ‘Abrofresh’ . Kiran and Harriet have put in a lot of hard work following on from the original set up. We now have Francis on board, a local National Service student who has been helping Harriet to develop the market opportunity. We are very grateful to Alan Chubb and Di Francis for coming to Ghana at their own expense to advise on the business plan for the next stage of development.

During the year Inez made an appeal on behalf of one of our students, Vida Anthony, who, thanks to the alertness of our friend Dr Robin Collier who came out to Awutu with his wife Sally back in February, was diagnosed with a hole in the heart. Thanks also to the generous response of so many EDP supporters we were able to arrange for Vida to have the operation in September and she returned to school a smiling, happier person last month, apparently determined to follow her dream of becoming a nurse.

Rachel has just returned to the UK, following on from Harriet earlier this week, and James in November. Now Marcus Hagberg (another from that rich stable of graduates at SOAS!) has taken over as Project Manager, soon to be supported in early January by Lauren Wilcock (anxious to point out her graduate connection with the Centre for West African studies at Birmingham University!) and our intern a week later, Helen Owusu, who will be helping at AWSHS whilst finishing off her Masters in Development and Management at Montpellier University.

We wish them all well, and every success in taking the school further forward.

Finally on behalf of Inez and myself, we would like to say a big “thank you” to all our other friends who have been so supportive of EDP. This year (thankfully you’ll say!) we haven’t bombarded you with too many fund raising schemes, although we did have a successful Great South Run, which raised enough to pay for two part-time teachers next year - and our thanks go in particular to Jackie and Paul Stanton for their help in organising it, and to all the runners for their efforts (next year we are hoping to organise another auction following on from the success of last year!) .

We now also have 24 children sponsored, we do need more sponsors to help pay for the overhead of the school , so please spread the word....

Once again, to all our supporters: A big Thank You, and a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

Best wishes,

David and Inez

EDP Trust Ltd
UK Charity No: 1129398
www.edp-trust.org

For and on behalf of The Awutu-Winton Senior High School, Ghana.