Repeat volunteer Danny on Dwabor...

Danny Hughes, fresh back from Ghana for the second time this year shares his view of the KG project and life in Dwabor...

"Following the success of my initial visit to Ghana with Sabre, it was somewhat a knee jerk reaction when, just days after returning, I had signed myself up for a return visit. Perhaps it was not the most sensible idea? Maybe I should have thought about it for longer? As I would not be seeking sponsorship this time around, could I afford it? In the back of my mind, I knew that return trips rarely live up to expectations! In the months that followed I frequently questioned my decision, often considering swallowing my deposit and cancelling.
I couldn’t believe I had signed up for a month’s worth of volunteering in a country that has no cheese; therefore no Pizza! But, what a fantastic month it was!

Immediately after stepping off the plane the month’s worth of trepidation vanished. I sought comfort from the familiar sounds, the smell of spices and the blanket of humidity. I was back in a country where only a few months ago I had one of the most rewarding times of my life; I was ready for round 2!

Trundling our way along the long and bumpy 15km dust track to Dwabor gave us a chance to absorb the scenery. Farmland abuts the road, stretching out either side as far as the eye can see. Palm Nut, Plantain and Yams are amongst the wide variety of produce farmed daily. This is then transported to the nearest village or the main Ayensudo Junction. I say transported, it would often be balanced, precariously, on peoples’ heads whilst they walked along the side of the track. For Dwabor, this is typical life. Nearly everybody has some farmland which they use as their source of income. Dwabor itself is characteristic of nearly all villages in Ghana; the main road meanders through the centre whilst well trodden paths branch off to provide access to tens of single roomed houses. The village is fairly small, housing roughly 1,000 people, the majority of whom are children. These children are the type that will steal your heart, particularly Noble, who spends the majority of his time in the volunteer’s courtyard. Noble is the son of Sarah, the volunteers cook and liaison, and he’s quite possibly the cutest and most advanced two year old I’ve ever seen!
The volunteer courtyard is owned by Auntie, her room opens into the courtyard so we get to integrate with her and her family quite a lot. The advantage with this type of arrangement is that you really feel like you’re experiencing genuine Ghanaian family living; the volunteers’ courtyard is the hub of activity for Auntie and her family.



Like my previous visit, we were ‘inducted’ into the community by the village elders. Early on Monday morning we interrupted the elders’ meeting and introduced ourselves, in Fante, as best we could. Despite this being the thirteenth week of volunteers, we were greeted with as warm a smile as if we were on the first week. The elders, as well as the whole community, are genuinely very pleased and touched that we have made the effort to support their village.

The short walk to the site takes us from one side of the village to the other. Despite the short distance, this can take some time. In the early morning the main road is lined with locals, either waiting to catch the only (and very infrequent) bus out of Dwabor, or they’re setting up their stalls for a days trade. Either way, they’re all pleased to see you. “Bruni, wapourmay?” gets shouted from most directions. The Fante reply of “Boco, wapourmay” usually results in a shriek of laughter rippling through crowd. Unfortunately, your Fante reply will often get interpreted for a fluency in Fante, to which a whole conversation will begin – I quite literally had no idea what was being said, I just smiled, nodded, laughed if they did and hurried off to site!



The site for the school is tucked away on a small hill behind a half built church. The work on site was pretty hard going, but there was always something that everyone, no matter what fitness, strength or skills could help with. Throughout the day the community would flutter by and offer their assistance. There was a paid labour gang, a community volunteer gang and sometimes the football team all chipping in together. The sense of community in Dwabor is fantastic, everybody gets involved in one way or another; children would replenish the polytanks whilst women provided lunch for the labour. The four community labour gangs would alternate the days they worked, ensuring that it was convenient for everyone. Nana, the chief of the village, would frequently wander by the site to see the progress. Everybody was so welcoming, helping whenever they could.
During my time on site I saw a lot of progress; the base layer was laid in KG2 and the formwork for the columns was erected. The formwork for KG1’s foundations was prepared and installed. Foundations were poured, drainage trenches were dug, rear walls were levelled and thousands of blocks were produced. Neither one of these jobs were particularly easy, but completing them was extremely satisfying as they all played an integral role for the overall progression of the program.
My trip to Ghana didn’t only teach me new methods of construction; I feel that I have really learnt some life skills too! I guess these newly acquired skills are what define the ‘life changing experience’ that most people talk about. These skills are with you forever, available to use at work or socially.

Culturally Ghana is very different to what we, as Westerners, are used to. This difference is even more evident in Dwabor, which remains a true, un-spoilt African village. At school the children still get caned, whilst out of school the parents use some forms of public humiliation to punish their children. Whilst this was uncomfortable to witness, it was important that we were sensitive to their culture. It is their way of life and we must understand that.
This cultural difference extends to working on site too; the locals have adapted their skills to suit their needs. It was important for me to adapt to their methods. Being adaptable and willing to learn new skills was definitely a quality which was frequently used.

Throughout the duration of my trip I was constantly working with new people, be it locals or volunteers. Within four weeks I had worked and lived with such a diverse group of people, whom shared different views, quirks and personalities. However, after knowing them for only a few hours, I felt like I had known them for years.

I cannot emphasise enough just how much volunteering to help SABRE in Dwabor is a 2-way life enhancing experience. It is something that people can only truly understand if they have had the chance to experience it for themselves. All I can hope is that my passion for, and love of, the place transmits itself over these words."

Thanks Danny.
Tom

Recent accounts of life in Dwabor...

Hi All,

Here is a recently written account by Jennifer Watters of her experience in Dwabor. Jennifer was in Dwabor between the 11th and 18th July...

"It wasn’t just me who had been drawn to Ghana as a destination, it obviously had some appeal for President Obama too, who was finishing his visit there as I was arriving. After an extended stop in Amsterdam due to the closure of Accra airport, I eventually arrived 4 hours late to Obama mayhem. Once we’d disembarked the plane we were held on the tarmac, and no more than 20 metres away stood Air Force 1 getting ready for take off. I was too scared to take a picture – just in case I was put on the next plane home before my trip had even begun! But once the President was safely on his way, we were shuttled to the terminal and I was welcomed by the Sabre staff and the other volunteers who would be my room mates for the week, Rachel and Ed, from Davis Langdon and Arup. We spent Saturday evening in a basic hostel in Accra and after breakfast on Sunday morning we all got on to the Sabre bus and off we went, driving through the hustle and bustle of the city, amazed by the colourful Sunday outfits and the ability of the locals to carry huge amounts of goods for sale piled high on their heads through the traffic. After a couple of stops to buy water and a cement mixer(!) we arrived at the Sabre office in Elmina where we were met by Arup engineer Tim for our visit to Elmina castle and our onward journey to Dwabor.

We were taken around Elmina castle by a local guide giving us a better insight into what had happened there. The castle was built by the Portuguese in 1482 and was the first trading post on the Gulf of Guinea. It was first established as a trade settlement but the castle later became one of the most important stops on the route of the Atlantic slave trade. Our guide explained the horrific way in which people had been treated and showed us where particular events had taken place. It was seized by the Dutch in 1637 and the slave trade continued there under their rule until 1871 when it became a possession of the British Empire. Britain, although far from innocent in their part in the slave trade had not traded slaves in Elmina, but had done so in nearby Cape Coast. Britain granted the Gold Coast (now Ghana) independence in 1957 and control of the castle has since belonged to Ghana. It was an interesting attraction with a deeply disturbing story, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

THE ROAD TO DWABOR

From Elmina we were taken to meet Georgie, the community coordinator for Dwabor at nearby Brenu Beach. After introductions, a beautiful view and a bite to eat, we set off for the community. Dwabor is situated 15km from the junction of the main road to Elmina, down a dirt road which is the victim of heavy rains. After an exhilarating journey in the Land Rover and
some expert driving from Tim we arrived in the community to a warm welcome from ‘Auntie’, Sarah and the children, at the house which we would call home for the week.

The first thing we needed to do was to be introduced to the Elders. The village of Dwabor is led by 6 Elders, one of which is the chief, Nana. They called us to meet them by sounding a gong at 7am (a sound I would grow used to), so after a quick lesson in the local language Fanti, we made our way to the meeting place and introduced ourselves with our name and where we came from – and just for the record: “Ye fre mi Jeni, mi fi Scotland” (mi fi Scotland wasn’t too hard for me, not too dissimilar to Fife lingo!).

WORKING ON SITE

After meeting with the elders we had time for a quick breakfast before heading for our first day on site. The site was at the other end of the road leading through the village, around a five minute walk from where we were living. With the sun already up and shining, we armed ourselves with bags of water and off we went, stopping along the way as we were greeted by various members of the community. On site we were grateful to have Danny from Davis Langdon’s Norwich office, who was in his third week of volunteering, to show us the ropes – or
should I say the soil sieve.

Our work on site over the week consisted of moving the block storage ent, sieving soil for the soil blocks, creosoting the formwork of Kindergarten 1 and 2, moving sand and gravel, clearing the site of litter, replenishing water for the block area, and moving the blocks to the store tent. The last was certainly the hardest job I found in the heat, and even though we were moving the blocks between 8 and 9am to avoid the warmest temperatures, it was a very hot and sweaty job – but this also made it the most satisfying. Ed from Arup kindly worked out that we had each moved 6 tonnes of blocks per person between 8 and 9am on Thursday and Friday, and by the time we left Anthony aka ‘James Bond’ had made 2000 blocks of his 2,500 needed for the kindergarten.

When we arrived we were informed that the build was running 7 weeks behind due to the rainy season which had been quite relentless over June and July. We had a couple of rain showers during my week, but I was fortunate enough to be able to go to site everyday. I had hoped the project would be further along when I arrived, but as it turned out it was far more interesting for me to see it at this stage and understand how the building is put together. Watching and assisting in the bricks being made one by one by the only person in the area with a block making machine really fascinated me, and creosoting the formwork was really quite therapeutic even though the heat was challenging.

Working on site was also a good way to see the local wildlife, and on the first day on site we were joined by a green mamba, a poisonous snake, during our water break. There were also a number of colourful lizards and some angry ants who understandably got annoyed when I lifted the bricks they were under, and proceeded to nibble at me on a couple of occasions. There were also the dreaded black flies which drew blood instantly and it didn’t take long for my extremely pale legs to resemble red and white polka dot trousers.

I was impressed by the community helpers on site (not just because one of them saved us from the mamba), there was a group of paid workers who all wore Davis Langdon high visibility vests, the rest were people from the community who were helping out. They sieved the soil (at an incredible speed in comparison to me, I realised the extent of this speed when I was called over to take the other side of the sieve and I lasted all of 10 minutes, of which I suffered for 8 minutes of) and also helped out with anything else which needed to be done. I’m not sure that there’s many people who give this kind of time and energy for free, just to benefit the wider community, and although I appreciate they are asked to do this by the chief, I was really taken aback by the community spirit time and time again during my one week in Dwabor.

THE COMMUNITY

Life is lived outside in the community of Dwabor, as it is in most of Ghana. The women are often cooking together outside and the children play freely and closely together. Walking through the village and past their houses everyone looks up to great you and often call out “Akwaaba” meaning welcome. They are respectful and generous, and whichever way you look there is always a smile to be seen. A village of 1000 they all know each other and take part in community
activities together.

We lived in a basic but comfortable room at Auntie’s, which had two sets of bunk beds covered with mosquito nets. We had a shower room which contained a bucket and cup for washing, and a toilet which was a long drop with a toilet seat. These facilities had been created especially for the volunteers, and Auntie had given up her goat pen to provide the space. The goats obviously missed home though, as they regularly visited us in the shared courtyard where we
ate and socialised.

One of my highlights there was when a DVD had been sent of a couple’s (Howard and Della, ed) stay there a few weeks before. The gong was hit around the village and everyone came out to the cinema, which consists of a courtyard and a small TV. Almost the entire village showed up, so the TV was put into the street and the community crowded around to watch. When they saw the road leading to Dwabor there was such a huge cheer that I found myself welling up, the cheers for the school, site, the volunteers and the residents of Dwabor that followed really touched me and made me realise it was the first time I had ever witnessed community spirit of that nature.

Other Highlights of the trip included watching the Methodist church choir which Georgie and Sarah had set up with women in the community, and having some Rose wine in a hammock on Brenu beach – so it wasn’t all work and no play!

Ghana is an extremely religious country and everywhere you go you see signs of it. The back of tro tro’s and taxi’s read “God Bless” and even the road side mechanics and spare part stores had religious slogans before their name. There are around 5, possibly more, different types of places for religious worship in Dwabor. One of the churches was right in front of our window, around 5am everyday you would hear the gong sound to call people to worship, and for around an hour afterwards you could hear their singing. Catholics, Protestants and Muslims live together in Dwabor in harmony, each given the respect they deserve to follow their own beliefs.

Sarah, Michael, and their adorable son Noble made us feel so welcome and at home, as did Auntie whose home has been completely taken over by the volunteers! The children around the
house - Ruth, Mavis and Ben, were great fun and incredibly smart kids and all of them, as well as the rest of the community, were so warm towards us all that I really didn’t want to leave.

THE SABRE CHARITABLE TRUST

The work that Sabre is doing in Ghana and in particular in Dwabor is excellent and the community will benefit greatly from this new kindergarten. Through Sabre’s Whole School Improvement Programme they are working with the local education authorities to make school a better place for Ghanaian children and encourage them to stay in education for longer. By building and improving schools, ensuring that sufficient teaching and learning materials are
available, and supporting fun extra curricular activities, they are helping to build a better future for school children in Ghana.

A GREAT EXPERIENCE

I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to assist in some way – although I feel the community gave me more than I could possibly ever give them.

I’d like to thank all of the people who attended my fundraiser and supported me through sponsorship, without that support the trip would not have been possible. I’d also like to thank the people I spent the week with, I was incredibly fortunate to get to spend my time with the
wonderful people in the community and the other volunteers out there, who made me laugh and enjoy the experience no matter how physical the work.

It was an adventure and an eye opening experience which I will never forget, and without a doubt I will be back visiting Africa again soon – and next time for longer!"

Thanks Jennifer, and if anyone else would like to write an account of their experience we would love to read it.
All the best,

Tom and the Sabre Team