Nanaimo Rotary 2009 Ghana Team Trip

On April 22, 2009, six Rotarians from Nanaimo, British Columbia embarked on two-week planning/service mission to Ghana. The purpose of the trip is to develop a multi-year program of sustainable projects that address sanitation, health and education needs of the Sunyani region, in the areas of literacy, drinking water, waste management, AIDS/HIV education, malaria prevention, micro credit and knowledge transfer.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Good morning from Sunyani, West Africa





Sunday and Monday - April 26-27, 2009
The Nanaimo Rotary Ghana Mission team and Vancouver Island University students and faculty have arrived in Sunyani and started to work on projects.

Just about to start my 3rd day in Sunyani. Had my first decent cup of coffee. Maggie the nurse brought Starbucks coffee and a coffee press -- YUM!

My dinner with my mentor at his home is Wednesday with his son and family. I gave him a shirt for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and he was very pleased. We all enjoyed a big dinner at the hotel last night and then spent an hour trying to find the guesthouse where I am staying (no st

Today we're off to visit the local hospital and then to the Sunyani Central Rotary Club's regular meeting at 6 p.m. Tomorrow we go to the swearing in of the new Sunyani Municipal Assembly Council and then visit the local landfill.

Here are more photos - some from Kumasi - the group photo is of the traditional Ghananian wedding we attended in Kumasi on Sunday. The photos of the guy with the huge tray of sunglasses on his head, the two guys pushing the big cart, the guys playing pool, and the family in the courtyard. The other photos are of the guesthouse in Sunyani, Sunyani street scenes, and some local flowers.

The people here are very friendly and warm. They all want me to take their photos and the students all want to be my penpal. The needs here are so basic, esp. at the poorer urban school -- 4 computers for a school with 400 students, blackboards that are so worn you can't see the chalk, desks and chairs that look like antiques from a Canadian prairie schoolhouse. The students all have a great attitude and are so appreciative of what we bring.

wo ne Nyame ntenaoo, me da wo are (ashanti for goodbye I am told and i hope)
Roy--
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4 comments:

  1. BarbandLukeApril 29, 2009 at 6:50 PM

    Hello from Fort McMurray!!

    We are watching your Blog with Great Interest. We like the pictures!!!!

    Barbara and Luke (Nelson & Donna's people)

    ReplyDelete
  2. BarbandLukeApril 29, 2009 at 6:53 PM

    More Pictures ----- More Pictures!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Evan AllenApril 29, 2009 at 8:12 PM

    Glad to see my family helping people

    ReplyDelete
  4. Donna AllenMay 3, 2009 at 5:46 AM

    Akwaabe,
    I have written two long blogs and they weren't posted so I will try again and make this short. Ghana is wonderful. Very, very hot. People are gracious and kind.
    Sunyani Municipal Assembly primary school --600 students. Pictures say morethan words.
    Sunyani school district -public education
    Kindergarten - 10,000 students
    Primary - 26,500
    Junior High - 10, 050
    High school - 7000 90% of these students grad. Roy said that 90% of all students grad. No. Great dropoff from primary grades 1-6 to high school.
    Tomorrow we will visit a public high school, a private primary school and a private high school.
    Medase pas.
    Donna

    ReplyDelete

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