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
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
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