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.

Jackie Stanton Update

When David asked me to write something for the EDP blog I was not sure what might be relevant to the sponsors. We first discussed Awutu Winton School and the EDP project at a dinner party two Christmases ago. We knew of each other, as I had headed a village project several years before, of which he had been a keen supporter but we had never really talked to each other, as we mix in different circles.

Part of the reason for talking in depth with David now was my son. Christopher had left University 9 months ago with a good degree in Computer Graphic Design and Multimedia but was unable to find work. With Christopher’s strengths in computers David offered an opportunity for him to visit the school in Ghana. While there he would teach the students and teachers how to use computers. It would also hopefully look good on his CV when he returned to help secure employment.

Within a matter of weeks Christopher was out in Awutu, he stayed for 4 months. He enjoyed his time at the school, it was very challenging with the climate and basic accommodation but as a first trip away from home we were very proud of his achievements.

David and Inez have a deep passion to make the Awutu Winton School a success. It is not just about the building but a secure future for the students present and future.

Christopher told me how keen all the students are to learn, they are desperate to get to school each day.
I decided to sponsor a student for 3 years. We have a lovely young man who would eventually like to be a journalist. We correspond during the year and have copies of his school report.

But when there are so many young people that need our help, it is difficult to know what to do for the best. I can’t afford to sponsor more than one student but can give in other ways, as many of you do: by giving ‘time’! I have been told by many people that my strengths lay in ‘organising’ and so that is what I have done for the past 2 years. I have assisted with organising fundraising events for EDP.

Last year we had the very successful ‘Auction of Promises’ which raised approximately £7,500. It was great fun and we had good support from donors and bidders.

This year we are hopeful of raising £4000 for 2 part time teachers and our only event was The Portsmouth, BUPA Great South Run, taking place on Sunday 28th October. We met at 8am on what was a cold and damp morning, to set off to Portsmouth in our mini bus. Thank goodness for the extra hour in bed!

Thankfully we managed to park up a short distance from the main hub of activity with the start and finish lines only a 5 minute walk away from our bus. Our 8 EDP runners were buzzing with anticipation, having each set themselves targets for the 10 mile run. The mass of 25000 runners waiting at the starting line had to be seen to have been believed. Quite spectacular!

Our group of spectators managed to encourage our runners on at the 5 mile point, at which they all looked cool and collected. Everyone was delighted with their own performances, the atmosphere helped with the crowd and the cheering, so did the thought of coming back to a warm cosy mini bus. All our runners did so well with the fastest time at 1hr 17minutes. 3 of the runners had never run as much as 10 miles before.

We ended our day at David and Inez’s where we enjoyed some homemade cooking and a celebration drink along with an interesting film show of what has been achieved in Awutu. It was amazing to see what improvements we had managed to afford over the past year and to know that every penny given goes directly into the school. Peter Donkor gave a wonderful speech to thank everyone for their support. He can hardly believe what has been achieved at the Awutu Winton School which began as an idea.

He mentioned that as a child in Ghana and from a family of 14 he was the lucky one and had an education. Not all of his brothers and sisters did because the family could not afford it. We were all very touched by what Peter had to say and think that he is a great ambassador for the school.

In the economic climate it is always hard to fundraise. There are so many charities that are asking for our help. EDP is a small charity with a big heart! It’s not national, it doesn’t get lottery funding, it depends of the generousity of everyday people. In return we get to see all of the results of our fundraising. That’s why I enjoy supporting it.

The sponsorship from the Great South Run currently stands at £2900, making the total short of our target, but all this could change if you haven’t already made a donation. Please visit http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/Edp if you haven't already.

Thank you for reading this Blog.

Best wishes,

Jackie

P.S. We are hoping to raise a larger team, and amount, at next year's event- new runners are welcome to sign up at https://entry.enteronline.org/.

Newcastle Undergrads (Sophie and Sinead) Volunteer Update

It seems a long time since David first invited us to come out to the Awutu-Winton school, and in that time we have had some unforgettable experiences, many hair raising Tro-Tro rides and a number of marriage proposals along the way. From start to finish, our experience with EDP has been incredible, from fundraising in Newcastle to meeting Harriet , James and Rachel and the staff and students at the school, without whom our trip would not have been so memorable.

Before jetting off to the (supposedly) sunny climes of Ghana, we were first tasked with trying to squeeze money out of notoriously hard-up students. This required some creativity, and a resilient (read: ignorant) attitude to the word ‘no’. We decided to organise our first fundraiser in February, and so was born the idea for anti-valentines speed dating. The concept was simple, involving 20 ladies and gents, some interesting chat-up lines and a copious amount of booze. Despite the reluctance of many, we managed to raise almost £200 from the first event, and everyone had a good time, so much so that we were asked to host another. In the meantime, we attempted to gather funds through sponsorship. Wanting to be original (and being too lazy to attempt any form of sponsored exercise) we opted for a sponsored abstinence from alcohol. This had mixed responses from our friends at Uni, although, disbelieving of the notion we could refrain from Newcastle’s notoriously cheap drinks, everyone decided to bet against our willpower, and we raised almost £500 between us (and undoubtedly improved our liver function). The second speed dating was another success, and at least one beautiful relationship was born from our matchmaking skills.

With fundraising completed, our arms bruised from immunisations and the arrival of our visas, we were ready to begin the trip. First impressions of Ghana? A sign in the arrivals hall reminding us that Ghana welcomes visitors of good intent, but any visitor with the intention of crime of paedophilia would be turned away. We were both relieved. A lengthy wait at the baggage carousel provided no luggage and an even lengthier wait at customer services revealed we would have to return to Accra (multiple times) in order to retrieve our belongings. It was a welcome relief when we eventually found Harriet in the arrivals hall and began the journey to Awutu, albeit sans clean underwear.

The following day was a day of many firsts; Our first trip to the school, our first ride in a tro-tro (hairy), our first taste of (what was to be one of many) meals of Indomie (tasty), and our first proper meeting with James and Famous (lovely). It was also the beginning of our work. Seeing the school and the rooms which we were to paint, for the first time, set our creativity in motion, and after a trip to Kasoa to buy paints, we were equipped to begin the mammoth task of painting the library. 3 days later and it was newly yellow, a controversial move perhaps, as we received mixed feedback on our colour choice. It was definitely much brighter. Over the course of the next four weeks we painted the Headmaster’s office, three classrooms and the staffroom, discovering along the way that blue was always preferable to yellow and turpentine DOES NOT remove paint from clothes/skin/hair. With the coaching of various teachers and other members of staff at Awutu-Winton, we were able to improve our paintings skills along the way. When we weren’t busy with paint rollers, we had some time to explore Ghana with Harriet, James and Rachel acting as guides-cum-drinking buddies. The weekends brought trips along the coast to Cape Coast and Kokrobite which gave us a chance to relax and see more of Ghanaian culture. We also discovered more about Ghana’s colonial history and its place in the transatlantic slave trade.

Less poignant, but a significant feature of our time in Ghana, was our introduction to the HBO series Game of Thrones. We would like to thank James Jacob for educating us in the world below the wall, for that we are eternally grateful. Aside from that highlight, one of the most enjoyable parts of our time at the school was painting murals in the three classrooms. We wanted to incorporate the global aspect of the school, in particular the links between Andover and Awutu. Our personal favourite depicted the school houses, Avon, Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire, the idea being that the students could see what their house names actually referred to. The students got really involved with the murals, and we had lots of help so it was particularly nice to receive such good feedback. We were both really pleased with the end product.

Overall, the 6 weeks we spent in Ghana were fantastic. Our time spent at the school was made special, not only because we were made to feel so welcome by everyone we encountered but because we were both so impressed by the work of the EDP for students who are so enthusiastic and grateful for the opportunity of an education. We both felt lucky to be part of something so worthwhile, and would like to continue supporting the work of the EDP trust. Whether or not we can coerce our friends into another round of speed dating is debatable, but we would love to continue our fundraising efforts and move onto bigger and better things (sponsored streaking, anyone?). Finally, our trip would not have been the same without the lovely people we encountered along the way, including the staff and students at the school, in particular Famous who gave us constant encouragement and help! We are particularly grateful to Harriet, James and Rachel who put up with us occupying their living room floor, and guided us along the way. We’d like to say a big thank you to David and Inez for the opportunity to visit Ghana and the school– it has been amazing!

Sophie and Sinead