The Start of Project Grace

Michael and I have been going to Adaklu Helekpe for the past 18 months and within a few months of our first visit, we discussed the possibility of building classrooms for children with learning disabilities and a resource centre for adults with learning disabilities. It feels like we have been talking about it for such a long time that nobody believed that we would actually begin the work on the project. Well, it is actually happening now. For more information about Project Grace visit http://www.careducation.org and look in the projects folder and then to Ghana.

Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding:

Last week we went to meet the “Community” and I nearly cancelled the meeting as nobody from Helekpe would confirm it. However, Dr. Amable (Ricky) who is supporting us with the building work said we should go. The reason for no contact from either Vincent or David was that they had no electricity for 4 days and the mobile phones could not be charged! One forgets how much we depend on electricity. Well due to the time of the meeting (3.00 p.m.) only elders of the EP Church ( whose school land we will use for the new buildings) and members of Amenuewe group were present. However, they were the people we needed to be able to sign the MOU so we reconciled ourselves to the fact that we needed to make another trip to meet the “Community”. This project is going to be a community project where the labour is provided by the community. Careducation grant provides all the materials. The subject of “soap money” was raised and Ricky explained it as – when people provide free labour, their clothes get dirty and so they need soap money to enable them to wash their clothes. Michael and I had been discussing whether to pay the artisans or not for some time. A previous project in the same school was a community project as well and the Project Manager, Joe Archana, used to provide bags of corn flour, yams, plantains on a regular basis to the people who provided skilled labour. We had been planning to do the same, however, on discussion with the Careducation team in London concluded that the artisans needed to be paid a little sum of money.

Meeting the Community:

















The time of the meeting was 7.00 a.m. a shock to our system as we would have to make that horrible trip to Helekpe with a 6.00 a.m. start. Horrible, because the state of the road is appalling and our car (Kofi) has no suspension. The reason for the early start is that it is a farming community and this enables the farmers to attend the meeting and then go on to working on their farms.
Our early morning trip was very trying – the new horn - got shaken about so much it would not stop! – and in the end I pulled off the connecting electrical wire. I knew where it was because the previous week both Michael and I had taken turns in sitting with the mechanic to get the electrics sorted and of course they found a huge problem and so we ended up spending the whole day sitting around. The only advantage was that both of us found out where the hooter is located in the car.
Then the police decided to take a keen interest in where we were going and why etc all the time trying to find a fault with which to ask for money or else they would take us to court. Michael managed to sweet talk his way out this time but there were moments of panic as the policeman would not let go of my licence and then my VSO ID card.
We were only 10 minutes late in the end and surprisingly the meeting had also just started as a man was saying prayers as is customary for all meetings. There were more women at the meeting but only men sat at the top table (of course). Michael and I shared the task of informing the community about the project and a few questions were asked. With the success of Project Grace who knows what might follow next. With that we asked for permission to leave as this is the protocol and said our goodbyes with the children loudly shouting out their goodbyes to the two “Yevus”.

The Assembly representatives come to visit us at home:
We were expecting representatives from the Assembly and the Education department to attend the community meeting to show that we were all working in partnership. We did nt see them at the meeting so assumed that maybe they could not make the meeting. Around 11.30 a.m. I got a call from a man saying he was from Kpetoe Assembly and that they had arrived late for the meeting but had met with David. Now they were on their way to Ho and would like to visit us. I agreed they could come home and then waited until 1.30 p.m. before making a call asking where they were. They finally turned up and so we exchanged names and purpose of their visit, which was to inform us that they had wanted to attend the Community meeting but had some mechanical challenges so got there very late. Michael and I thought well at least they are showing they want to work in partnership.

A Moment In Time

So – at last the day has finally come – well almost – eleven hours to go - sitting here thousands of miles away – this election, the whirlwind campaigns, all seem very remote and very much not a ground breaking moment of history judging by the bits and pieces of news that have reached us in sleepy Ho.

The big thing – resisted so long – televised debates, US style – the initial excitement and suddenly it is a three horse race as Clegg (described to us by a visiting friend from the UK as a “nobody, a hopeless nonentity”), the underdog takes the nation by storm. Not difficult I suspect – the thought of Brown and Cameron slogging it out against each other – anybody with a half a brain must look better. By the end of the third debate, the overwhelming sense is one of boredom – please no more from these tired, clapped out half wits.

Some other gems – the case of Brown and the Bigot – as he is caught off guard slagging off a life long labour supporting pensioner – Cameron dithering over gay rights – what will play best and to who – tactical voting, that old chestnut – didn’t we always have to resort to that, best of two evils and all that – put forward by three senior labour mps and then played down. A creeping sense of desperation, scrabbling and scratching around in the dust as the spectre of a “hung” parliament looms – one is tempted – hang ‘em all I say.

So what happened to the big issues – the big questions – opportunities to reflect on our hell bent ride into Armageddon/eternity, come what may? A chance to really make a change, a ground breaking historical watershed – nah – no, more of the same, same old tired clichés, same old economic claptrap (prudence!!!?), same old wars, same old corruption, same old, same old. Perhaps it doesn’t really matter anyways – it all feels a bit like fiddling with the deckchairs on the Titanic.

Another image comes to mind, plucky brits stranded on holiday, being ferried back to blighty in a flotilla of small boats, dunquerke style – that’s one we like! So what of these big three leaders? Brown – clapped out and bankrupt in every sense of the word and not to forget the war. Cameron – smarmy, chameleon – you do not get what you see, beware the wolf – compassionate Tories? Bah! Clegg – who? So who would you trust – each one of them desperate not to say anything that might upset or challenge their constituencies – or then again willing to say or promise anything that might win a vote – all things to all people. Power to the people!

So there you go, sitting here – another afrikan night – down the road they are talking in tongues – will it mean anything –or just another roll of the dice? “I love big boobs” scrawled in big letters on the sea wall at Margate (thanks Teddave) – the state of the nation – depressing!