September 7, 2010

Hello all,

Just a short update to let you know the building at St. Anne's Boarding House is now complete inside and out. The covered verandah in the centre of the building adds a nice shady area where girls are congregating. The verandah fronts the dining hall. On the left is the study hall, and on the right is the kitchen. Many thanks to the students from the University of Manitoba for their help on this project, and thanks also to the Diocese of Damongo and contractor Claudius Bangfo. I will post more pictures shortly.

As well, we have worked with Noble Donkor in shipping medical supplies to Bekwai Hospital and school supplies to three Ghanaian primary schools, two in the the Kumasi region as well as Damongo Presby Primary. Our thanks to David Thompson Regional Health for medical supplies, Nova Chemicals at Joffree for paper and Red Deer Public Schools for books. As well, many thanks to Della and Brent Ruston, David Weisenbach, Ernie McEachern and several generous neighbours for their contributions to this shipment.

Noble will be shipping another container in about three months. Any working computers/laptops/monitors or medical supplies that could be donated for the next shipment would be greatly appreciated. thanks again for all your support.

You can view the photo album here.

Marilyn

July 1, 2010

Dear Friends,

As an example of what TFS-A Fdn is doing in Northern Ghana, I would like to tell you the story of two girls, one who just started school and one who has finished secondary school. First I want to tell you the story of a five or six year old girl named Ophelia.

We often walk from the guest house down a dirt path to the Boarding House. The path winds through fields of yams, maize and cassava with random mud hut compounds scattered here and there. In 2008 I was walking down this path when a family of four children, three boys and a girl, came out to greet me. The oldest boy with a crutch spoke English so we all had a small visit. They allowed me to take their pictures. The smallest, a girl, had a sparkle in her eye and a curiosity that was to be remembered. She told me her name was Ophelia.

This year Jean and I were walking down the same path when a small female bundle of energy began yelling, waving and running toward us through head high grass. Kids yelling and waving is a common occurrence so we usually stop and talk to the kids, which we did again. As we were visiting, Grandmother and two brothers appeared. The family spoke English quite well, so I asked the small girl her name. She said it was Ophelia. I immediately remembered her, and in fact had put a picture of her in my journal, which I had with me. I opened the journal and showed her a picture of herself two years ago. Her face lit up like the morning sun. I ripped the picture from the journal and gave it to her, then asked to take a picture of her holding the older photo of herself. She was so pleased.

I then asked Grandmother if Ophelia was attending school. She said there was no money for a uniform. In my journal was a ten cedi note, so I pulled it out and handed it to her, explaining that I would be pleased to buy Ophelia a uniform. She bowed and curtsied, saying "Thank you Ophelia friend". A couple days later when we were once again on the path she stopped us to show us the uniform. She explained that it had cost 5 cedis so she had purchased two pair of flip flops for 1 cedi each, and the family had used the rest for food. I was so pleased to see Grandmother, the uniform and Ophelia's excitement about having it. I asked her to hold her uniform so we could take yet another picture, but grandmother stripped off her zippered and dusty brown jacket (her only piece of clothing) and on the spot pulled the uniform over her head, and helped her put on her shoes. We took her picture again, this time in her new uniform. She was bubbling and was so excited to be going to school she was jumping as if she was on springs while her brothers were trying to shush her and have her appear properly serious. A half hour later as we headed back to the Guest House we met the children on the road again, this time with Ophelia heading off to her first day of school. Her contagious smile and the twinkle in her eyes were pure joy. I was almost as excited as she was! And all for seven Canadian dollars.

Now, on to the story of Sophia.

We first met Sophia in Damongo in June of 2010 when she was brought to us by her former headmistress, Gabriella. Sophia graduated from high school two years ago with excellent marks but was unable to go on to post secondary education due to lack of money. She comes from a rather remote mud hut village named Sorri 3 which we have visited several times in the past as it is on Safari Road. Gabriella spoke very highly of this girl, so we agreed to meet her, and we were very impressed with her composure, her grace and her absolute determination to continue her education. Following are excerpts of a letter she wrote to us:

"I am a girl of 20 years of age names Daudu Sophia. I am from a Muslim community, and am the fifth born of seven children. The family consists of four girls and three boys. Among the seven of us, four are educated and three are not. My oldest brother has completed Polytechnic and is presently doing National Service. His name is Salifu. I am the next one who has gotten an education and I have completed senior high school. The others who are getting an education are Rabinatu and Adam who are still in primary school. (Note: TFS-A paid for some of their school costs at Damongo Presby Primary as well.)

I actually found it very difficult when I was in school. My parents are peasant farmers. After harvesting, they get just a little for family consumption. Then a little of that would be sold for my fees which was not enough sometimes. I had to beg other people to help me pay my fees. There were times the school even collected food stuffs from my parents because they could not pay. As for my personal needs, I could not tell them because they could not get money for me so I just managed. I used not to eat anything besides school food because I did not have the money. But I took my studies seriously. I studied and took first position in almost all the subjects even at the final exams. I became the senior prefect in my final year.

When I was in school my dream was to become a business administrator. But after I completed high school, my dream was dead because I could not get money to go forward after secondary education. My father is now weak and tired. He cannot go to farm as he used to. My brother is in National Service so he has no permanent job that pays money to help support me. You have brought me back to life. You are making my dream come true. I promise that I will study very hard and come out with first class from the university. I will work hard and help my community in the near future......"

Education is the key to girls having some choices in their lives, and that is why we continue to support as many girls as we can. Sophia's story is just one of many, but she wrote it so well that I wanted to share it with you. We have other girls that will be looking for post secondary education in the 2011-2012 school year, and likely we will not have enough money to support them all. If you or your family have any interest in 'adopting' a girl for the purpose of supporting her through two to four years of post secondary education, you to can change lives. The cost ranges from US $2,000 to $3,000 a year. What a wonderful Christmas present from one extended family to another.....

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June 8, 2010

On Tuesday June 1st were checked out generators with Noble in Kumasi. We found one that was said to be 2003 but if it was any newer than 1985 I'll eat it. Anyway, it was decided to go to Caterpillar and borrow a mechanic for the afternoon, which they did. He found another couple generators for them and in the end a beautiful, almost new generator was taken to the Dominase Hospital. Well done Noble!! I hope you took lots of pictures.

We left Kumasi around noon, heading north. Of course we bought LOTS of fruit on the way, about 70 cedis worth. We went by way of Buipe and then up Safari road, through a rainstorm. Good thing the sail is very sandy as we did not get bogged down. We arrived at Damongo just at dusk, and headed for the guest house, which has changed very little since last year. The University of Manitoba students were there to greet us and help carry in the fruit. What a wonderful group of young people they are.

On Wednesday June 2 the kids left for the worksite piled into the back of a half ton truck but I wanted to walk to the Boarding House to see the new building from the cut across road. That was a great plan except the cut across road was so overgrown that we took the scenic route and entered the compound from behind. When we saw the new building we were most impressed. It is roof high but without a roof so far, but the construction looks good. They are presently plastering both inside and out, and the roof trusses are secured. The plumbing and most of the electricity are in and we look forward to seeing a roof in the near future. Travelling with Kelly and the U of M crew are two men, Leland Hill and Michael Hersrud. Leland is writing a book about Kelley's projects and Michael is doing a film. When Michael asked me what it was like to see the building for the first time, I had to choke back a few tears. Jean felt the same. We continue to push, trying to get as much finished as possible although there have only been about 8 or 9 workmen on the site since Kelley left, so work has definitely slowed.

Thursday we spent most of the day taking Michael around to do filming with some local people as he is also interested in girl's education. We took him to SAGISS to visit some of the girls at the high school, and several of them got up and spoke of their earlier education. One girl said that her sister had come, and when she came home for the first time she reported that there was room for all the students inside the classroom, and that no one had to sit outside, so she decided immediately that this was the school for her. We went to Presby after lunch where Veronica took us on a tour of the school. Michael spoke with many of the students and teachers, and did a short interview with Veronica herself about her struggles for an education. I had asked Sule about the seed from the Dowa doa tree, and he pointed out a tree at the back of the school compound. We walked back to see it, and Veronica asked one of the boys to get some seeds for us. Jean and I were amazed at the speed with which this young man was up that tree and out to the tip of very high and very long branches. Michael got some great footage there! We stopped by Rabi's place as she was dying fabric, and she wanted us to see her new bakery. She has a contract to supply bread to some of the schools, so bread is constantly being produced. We bought some for supper and it was terrific.

We organized a farewell dinner for the U of M people for Thursday night. To give them a chance to interact with some of the wise women of the community, we invited the scholarship committee to join us. It was a great spaghetti dinner with a huge fresh fruit salad and Rabi's fresh buns. Se slaved for hours over the dessert - jean's chocolate bars chopped into pieces (very well received indeed as several were going into chocolate withdrawal) and some chopped up red licorice, a travelling staple of mine. It was a great evening. The scholarship committee met after the meal, and students purchased several of Amoah's fine paintings.

Friday was the final workday for the students, so we made them a special lunch of tuna sandwiches and fruit salad. We organized a farewell party for the students and the workmen on the site. They were down on the ground arm wrestling before the event was over, and the students gave away their work boots to the rest of the crew. After supper the Boarding House girls had organized a music/drama evening for them outside under the dark African night sky. We added to that as we had made arrangements for the Gonja dancers to attend, and both boarding house girls and U of M students were thrilled. So were we. What an amazing group they are. Minerals all around, and the evening was over, but will not be forgotten by any who attended.

The students were to leave at 5 am on a bus, but the bus did not arrive until the evening. Food had not been ordered so we had some hungry kids and no food. More tuna sandwiches - both lunch and supper!! Good thing canned tuna can be purchased in Damongo. They finally were able to leave a day late on Sunday at 5 am. The van was loaded to the hilt and the suspension, as Sule would say, was ‘suffering’. It had about 6 inches clearance, a bad thing on African roads. Hope they arrived at the coast safely.

Sunday we made contact with Mahama when we came to Damongo, then we returned to Mole Game Reserve where he joined us again. It was great to have a visit. The day had to be the hottest yet - I would guess between 38 and 40, or maybe hotter. All I know is it was the hottest day I remember since I lived there as a kid. The elephants did not cooperate, so mostly the day was visiting. Monday of course we were back at the Boarding House and then we went to Philemon's farm, which is next to Benedit’s farm. I hadn't seen the settlement houses since I was a kid. They are still using the same tractor but it is ‘not looking fine’ as is the African expression.

Today we are in Tamale to get some cash and run some errands. We are heading back after lunch and have interviews with girls scheduled for the rest of this week and next. Might get a chance to send another blog, or not.....

All for now - hope all are well....

M & J

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June 23, 2010

Dear friends,

Once again we are home, for the most part in good health although Jean got a minor infection of some kind. We are both working our way through the jet lag although my body still wants to wake up at 4:30 each morning. It makes for a long day! It was once again a joy to visit our Damongo friends, and to catch up on their lives. Of course, we went for two main reasons: to monitor the construction of the boarding house facility, and to meet with the girls on scholarship. We are very pleased with the results of both.

Blogs were not frequent this trip as internet in Damongo has deteriorated since last year. I sent a blog from Tamale on June 8, so will quickly recap the happenings after that.

Starting on the 9th, we began meeting with the girls who have been on scholarship for the 2009-2010 school year. We wanted to see how they were doing personally, how it was with their families, and of course their academic accomplishments. It was very nice to see them all again, a year older and more confident. All scholarships have been renewed for another year. Students receiving scholarships are attending and/or staying at DASS (Damongo Senior Secondary), Ndewura Jakpa Tech High School, SAGISS (St. Anne's Girls Senior Secondary School) and St. Anne's Boarding House. We are pleased to continue support for the girls listed below:

• DASS: Shafow Baba, grade 11 who wants to be a doctor; Mercy Konlitey from Bole; Asia Iddrisu from Buipe
• Ndewura Jakpa: Abagail Afibah, from Takoradi finishing second year; Safura Issah, an orphan from near Tuna, Nafkatu Yahaya whose father has passed and wants to be a nurse; Salima Abdulai a Wala from Damongo
• SAGISS: Ernestina Sunwiale from Tuna; Rashida Alhassan who wants to be an accountant; Gladys Atafo whose mother has passed
• Boarding House: Nashira Sumani, from Bole, family of 13 children; Cynthia Akurugu, Frafra, mother has passed, Bole; Rebecca Bawkoro from Nandom

On June 9th it was great to have some visitors from California stay for the night at the Guest House on their way to Upper West. They were about 20 girls from a Catholic girls school in California who were visiting their sister school at Jirapa. We enjoyed their company and enthusiasm. On the 10th and 11th we continued to interview girls, this time with new girls looking for possible support for the 2010-2011 school year. Some of their stories were very inspirational. We had finished interviewing at Jakpa when Mary said, "It is not possible, is it, to consider one more girl?" We asked who she had in mind, and we met Janet, a third year student. Janet is from Upper East. Her father died when she was in JSS. Her mother is supporting five children as a trader. Whenever she is not in class she is working in a drinking bar serving and washing up in order to make money to stay in school. She wants to be a teacher, and her marks are all excellent. We agreed to support her for her fourth and last year at Jakpa so she is able to concentrate on her studies.

Saturday we went to the local market, always a fun experience. Having Sule along was very helpful because although I do have a reasonable background in local produce, there are always things new to me, and Sule was well able to explain what they were and how they are used. Sunday we headed back to Mole. Mahama said he had called the elephants to attend us, and they did! We went on a walking safari, watching the elephants feed as they left the water hole. Then we went on a driving safari, the first time we have been able to do so, thanks to the government of the Netherlands which has paid for road construction through the park. We stopped at a salt lick and got a small sample we hope to have analyzed as all the animals go there, and the rangers want to know what other minerals the animals might be seeking besides salt.

Monday the 14th is a day we will always remember because by then FIFA Fever had gripped the whole town, and on Monday night we got to be a part of it. Football is certainly the game of choice for just about every kid in the country, and the Ghanaian team was doing well. Every TV in the country was tuned into the World Cup games in South Africa. When Jean and I walked over for supper, Father David and Father Sylvester were running extension cords to hook up a 14 inch TV outside. We joined them to watch the game. Father Augustine had arrived, so the five of us sat under the twinkling stars in the black African night watching football, cheering, drinking beer, eating goat kabobs and just visiting. It was a great time that will be long remembered. On Tuesday we continued to interview girls and also dispersed the remaining supplies from the 2008 teachers conferences to various schools. In the evening we had a lovely meal for the scholarship committee who had done such a fine job in selecting girls for us to interview for possible scholarships. We wish to extend a very heartfelt thanks to Adrianna Bille, Jonas Bore, Mary Teni Azotikemah, Gabriella Wumnaya and Veronica Nornia for their fine work. Laz was unable to attend. We presented all with small gifts.

We finished interviewing new candidates for scholarships, and the recipients of the 2010-2011 junior high and high school scholarships will be:

• SAGISS: Mahama Sahada Jemima, Damongo; Kipo Samata, Damongo; Dery Roselyn, Wa
• Ndewura Jakpa: Antobam, Janet, Wiaga; Bafaana Janet, Sawla; Bugri Salamatu, Bole; Abibu Salamatu, Boachiepe; Azotikemah Augustina, Navrongo; and Yussif Fatima, Yapei
• DASS: Penneh, Augustina, Dakpaalakura; Laer Charity, Longtong no2; Konodis Ayishetu, Bole; Kontodia Anita, Buipe
• St. Anne's Boarding House: Danielle Damonkye, Saru-Kalba; Gladys Wusah, Daboya-Lingbinsi; Mary Zinye, Lawra; Augustine Samba, Nandoli
• Damongo Presby JSS: Fusheim Nimah; Kadin Ayisha; Dauda, Rabinatu; Ewura Ayisha; Mbigamsi Nafisah; Soale Elizabeth; Adam Sahadutu

We are also considering three possible post secondary scholarships for the coming year. A sister who is working with physically handicapped children has approached us for help as well, but we don't know yet just how far our money will go.

Keeping the Ghanaian NGO operating efficiently are Francisca Amoaka and Lydia Ajono. We thank them so much for all their work. Francisca in particular was able to help us any time and for any reason, and she always could solve the problem. Also thanks to Lydia for her contact in Kumasi with Ahmed, the bead man. He again has provided us with some awesome necklaces we will soon have for sale. Also thanks to Laz,, William, Kelley, the U of M students, Leland, Michael, Claudius, the Scholarship committee, Amoah, Sule, Mahama,and the many others who made this trip so enjoyable. Thanks all. And the best for last - thank you Jean for your wonderful companionship and the many good times!

We will post some pictures of the construction of the building from the start, but the students from the U of M who were there for that phase have not yet forwarded them to me. The pictures you see here are the building as it was during the last week we were there. It was such a pleasure to see the roof going on. Kelley says it is the best quality construction she has seen in the third world projects she has been involved with. The girls at the facility are thrilled.

All for now and thank you to all who have helped make this building, and these scholarships, a reality.

Marilyn

May 22, 2011

My Journey to Damongo - by Cindy

I can hardly believe a week has passed since Marilyn and I returned from Ghana. We had internet issues while in Africa, so were unable to send a blog. I will try to capture the highlights for you now.

Twelve thousand kilometers and 15 hours by plane really made me feel like I was far from home and going somewhere completely new. Our first few days were spent in Accra (population about 4 million), the capital city of Ghana. We arrived in Accra after dark. I remember hot air, bumpy roads, and traffic. We stayed at the Good Shepherd Guest House, a regular stop for Marilyn and company en route to Damongo. The area around the guest house appears to be in transition with a mix of shanty town interspersed with single family dwellings. While we had the luxury of electricity and plumbing at the guest house, not everyone enjoyed these Canadian basics! While in Accra we tended to some banking, and re-activated our cell phone. As we traveled by car and on foot, I experienced being a visible minority like never before. We were the only white people around. The little kids see you and yell out "abruni! abruni!" (white person, white person) so then everyone takes a look. We were also able to meet up with Francisca, our TFSA treasurer in Accra, and have dinner with her.

After two nights in Accra we departed early for the airport to catch our flight north to Tamale (population 350,000), the capital of the Northern Region. The sun rose as we flew over the Volta River. From the plane the landscape was green and spotted with small villages and towering kapok trees. We arrived in Tamale to find Sule (our trusty driver) was there to greet us. After a few short stops in Tamale we passed miles of little road side stands as we headed west toward Damongo. Many women had head pans full of goods to sell - everything from nuts & bananas to water pouches. From Tamale to the Yapei Junction the road was even paved, and we passed many small villages along the way. From the junction to Damongo is the "Damongo Road". There should be a song about this road if there isn't one already. It is about 70 km of nothing but washboard. We often drove in the ditch because the ditch was much smoother and sometimes on the wrong side of the road. That part of the road reminded me of roads we used to drive on the farm to get from one pasture to another, through gullies and creeks; this is highway- Ghanaian style. Marilyn said I had an authentic African experience when our first pit stop was behind a termite hill for a comfort break.

When we arrived in Damongo we checked in to the guest house in the village because we weren't sure about daily transportation. Sule drove us to meet with his headmasters to arrange transportation for the duration of our stay. We picked up a few supplies - t-roll, tuna, fruit & water. The 'Home Touch" guest house met our basic needs although we had laughs about the sugar ants dancing/invading Marilyn's room and the plumbing flooding the floor in mine. Marilyn made a few phone calls to set up a bit of a schedule for us to meet with everyone. Sule toured us around Damongo, we met his family, and I got to try pounding fufu, that is mashing yams in a big mortar and pestle.

The first full day in Damongo seemed to be a free day so we quickly made plans to go to Mole National Park. We arrived relatively early and dropped in unexpectedly on Mohammed. After a brief visit with him and watched the baboons try to invade the living quarters of the people who live in Mole, we were off to see if we could find some elephants. We saw kobs and many other "dlt's" (deer like things). We parked the truck and our guide, Ossu, walked us over to the edge of the waterhole. There we were, on the edge of the waterhole watching 7 bull elephants enjoy a morning soak. They weren't bothered by us and kept on bathing. Around the waterhole we saw turtles, egrets, kingfishers, a herd of kobs and crocodiles, and it felt like a scene from "Wild Kingdom". I was pretty sure the crocodile was going to get one of the kobs at the water's edge, but they were leery and avoided becoming lunch. As we watched for a while, one by one the elephants left the water and went over to dust themselves with a dirt bath. We followed them along for a bit and then went to a raised viewing deck where we saw a number of birds and enjoyed a close up look at a big mahogany tree and other plants. It was HOT! Our visit to Mole ended with lunch on the deck of the Mole Restaurant overlooking the African savannah. Ahhhh!

On Saturday, May 7th we were without a driver until later in the day, so we walked a bit and later went to the Saturday Damongo market which was busy, hot and pungent. That evening, the school administrator from Presby, Veronica, came over for a visit. Our conversations gave me a pretty good understanding of life in Damongo. We talked about marriage, women's rights, education, politics, polygamy, and kids. What a different world.
After a few days in Ghana I was feeling overwhelmed with the reality of life in Damongo, the scope of the issues, the complexities of it all. How can we even begin to help promote change? I wondered if we were crazy thinking we could make a difference. The idea of "giving up" crossed my mind.

On Mother's Day we had a special day. We were invited to Sofia's village to meet her family. Sofia is one of the post- secondary TFS-A students at the Catholic University of Sunyani. She is studying business administration. We drove south of Damongo for about 40 minutes and arrived at a small, remote village called Sorri 3 . There we were greeted by Sofia's family as well as many villagers and village elders. Sofia's father was dressed in white because he believed our visit was as significant as his father returning. We sat in plastic chairs and on benches under a shady mango tree. Sofia's uncle providing translation as we exchanged greetings and messages. They are very thankful for the opportunity Sofia now has for a university education. The family is hopeful she will be able to help provide for the them, and help educate her siblings in the future. Food was prepared in our honour. We were presented with traditional hand woven smocks from the Northern region as well as a live guinea fowl and a big bowl of guinea fowl eggs. It was a happy day, especially for Sofia who was beaming with pride and confidence. In the true African way, the half ton was full of people on the way back to Damongo.

After we felt we had secured fairly reliable transportation, we moved 5 kms. out of the village to the Catholic Guest House. It has a restaurant so we had a few more options on the food front. Canned tuna, fruit, bread and jam had kept us going, but we didn’t want it for another whole week!

Over the next five or six days we met with the scholarship selection committee and most of the scholarship students at their schools. I am impressed by the girls who have scholarships through TFS-A. They are all working hard, sometimes in very difficult circumstances, to make their education a priority. I was moved to tears several times when the girls spoke about their lives. When you see how hard they work, the reality of life around them, the lack of financial resources, and then think of what their lives will be if they don't continue in school, you realize how much difference a scholarship makes in their lives. I was also impressed by the school administrators we work with. They work so hard to make the resources they have stretch to help our students. They know the importance of an education and they understand too well what life without an education means for a girl in northern Ghana. While TFS-A provides scholarships for girls, I believe we also provide a ray of hope for those administrators. Our support helps them continue to do good work everyday. As well as Gabriella, Adrianna, Mary, Jonas and Veronica, we enjoyed meeting the new headmaster at Ndewura Jakpa Technical High School, Mr. Doot. It was through his generosity that we had transportation.

Of course we wanted to inspect the St. Anne's boarding house addition, our 2010 project. Although the building is structurally very good, there were definitely some corners cut after we left. Cupboard doors were not closing properly, locks were sometimes not functioning - that sort of thing. One morning we met with the carpenter to address some of these problems. Hopefully they will be rectified before our next visit. We also think that more water could be harvested from a better drainage system on the roof.

After one last school visit to Presby and a few more stops, we left Damongo. On our way out of town, I saw a first - three other white skinned "abrunis"! On the Damongo Road we lost the clutch but thankfully arrived in Tamale where four mechanics fixed it in an hour, at a total cost of $7.50! That evening we went to dinner with Lydia and two of the post secondary students. Aloysita is studying to be a doctor and Alfreda is in electrical engineering in Sunyani Polytechnic. Once again, I was impressed by the commitments of the students and their desire to go further. They both understand the need to help other girls the northern region in the future. For Alfreda, our dinner meeting was a bit stressful as it was the first time she had ever spoken to white people. She was quiet at first, but told us about her studies and her grades. By the end of our time together she was quite relaxed and initiating discussions with us. With these final two interviews, our work with the scholarship girls was done.

On Friday we flew from Tamale to Accra, and on Saturday, May 15th we hired a driver to take us west along the coast to the Cape Coast slave fort. There is nothing like seeing and smelling a place to bring history to life! This is a tragic part of history and one which impacts the lives of so many to this day. As we left the fort we got a taste of the rainy season - and I mean RAIN! Sunday was our last day in Accra so we spent some time at the Cultural Centre and enjoyed lunch at La Palme Restaurant, a TFS-A tradition. Then it was off to the airport to begin our journey home.

I am so fortunate to have had an opportunity to travel to Ghana and get a glimpse of what life is like in Damongo. It is an experience I will always treasure. I have a new appreciation of the importance of our work and I truly believe the only way to make change in Ghana is to educate women. I think TFS-A has it right: scholarships for girls is the best approach. I also have a better understanding and appreciation of TFS-A as an organization. When I left Canada I understood the Canadian side of TFS-A, but I now understand the African side a little better. While we have a growing network of people here in Canada to work with, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean there is an equally important network of people who enable our work to happen. Marilyn Pottage, with a little help from others, has built an impressive network that allows TFS-A to efficiently and effectively direct our resources. Maintaining that network and keeping close tabs on our investments in Ghana is critical to the ongoing success of the organization.

I would like to thank everyone who made donations to Tools for Schools Africa or purchased soccer balls as my trip approached. It was wonderful enjoying the smiles on faces as we gave the laptops and soccer balls out around Damongo. I am excited that we have managed to raise some more funds to help support our scholarships for girls. I can tell you that your contributions make a difference - I saw it first hand. My sincere thanks.

Cindy