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PRAISE NEWS
Edition 49 - October 2023
We did it!
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A month ago, we said we would be publishing a newsletter monthly, and here we are!
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Here’s and overview of the events that have taken place to date.
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Road Safety Class
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On the evening of Friday, 15th September, we held a Road Safety class outside the Learning Centre on the quiet road in Kitase. The vehicles were driven out to aid in teaching. We have an excellent flip chart that was donated years ago; this has been extremely useful in covering all topics for this discussion
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World Cleanup Day, 16th September
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As an organisation, we participated in World Cleanup Day and collected trash on the busy Aburi Road in the Eastern Region (which is why we carried out a Road Safety class the day before), as well as in two villages in the North East Region, which included picking up trash along the White Volta River. In total, 10 adults and nearly 200 children took part, and after the event, we provided a meal for all participants. Plastics collected in Kitase will be sent for recycling.
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Sisterhood Program
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On the 26th September, we held a ‘Sisterhood Program’ at the Learning Centre focusing on the topic: ‘What is a house help?’ Patience Akunduo, our teacher, was the speaker. Sadly, many children in Ghana, particularly among the girls, are sent to work as housekeepers, often ending up with heaving household chores. We only hope that sessions like this will empower the girls to say, “I don’t want to go!” Thanks to Aubrey Walsh, from One Seed, the older girls were given hygiene packs after the event.
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Recycling Competition, Anti-bullying Skits, Dance & Art
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Our 'Annual Recycling Competition' held at the Centre was a great success. This year, it included Anti-Bullying Skits, dances, and a short song based on Ephesians 4 verse 32 (‘Be Kind’). The entries this year were phenomenal, ranging from wall hangings, baskets, toy motorbikes, a speaker made from a plastic bottle, and more. Our three judges, Louisa Zangina from Ghanacentric, Aubrey Walsh from One Seed, and Adam Yakubu from Institute for Energy Security had a tough time selecting the winners. The winners received prize money and school supplies, and all participants took home a pack of goodies. We were also graced with visitors on the day, one of them being Maganui a dancer from New Zealand.
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Classes continue at our branch in Northern Ghana
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The branch of CotL continues to thrive. We are currently working with six groups of children including a group of Fulani children, and they are loving our classes. The Fulani children, who had never had the opportunity to attend school until they started our classes, are doing exceptionally well. When we began with them, holding a pencil was a challenge. Now, the majority can write their name and the older children are doing double addition and starting to learn multiplication. All groups are excited about the lessons, and the weekly attendance for all children has now reached close to 170. Another highlight of these lessons is that our teacher, Silas Azong, is teaching their native dialect alongside English. The words below are in Mampruli and say, ‘A miracle is something that only God can do!
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On the land at the centre
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We continue to work on the land at the centre, and sometimes the children assist, particularly with mowing the football field and netball court. The farm has definitely yielded a good harvest this past month and is contributing to the large amounts of food served here.
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Look what's ahead!
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Weekly and Saturday classes continue with the children at our Learning Centre in Kitase, and Dibisi and Bulbia in the North East Region.
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On Friday, 20th October, we will be holding a ‘Teens Program’ at the centre. Our Board Member, Paulett Opoku, will be the speaker. Then, on Saturday, 21st October, the children will partake in a ‘Career Day’. They will have a chance to dress up in different attire representing a profession and then tell us a little about who they are and what they do. The following Saturday, the same event will take place at our branch in Northern Ghana. Exciting days ahead.
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On the 30th October, CotL marks its 2nd Anniversary at our branch in Northern Ghana. A small celebration will be held.
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Message from Jeanette
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There have been several memorable moments at the centre this past month, and not all of them get documented. I must say, though, that the land work takes up a lot of our time. Patience and I go outside with the intention of pulling a few weeds, but we end up working on the land for hours. The trees are growing so fast around us, and the birds, butterflies, and at times the little squirrels we see are just so beautiful.
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We are also grateful for the rain. At the end of March 2023, we invested in a 10,000 litre polytank for rainwater collection. Since then, we have added an additional 3,000 litres. All plumbing is now connected with the water storage we initially had, and with recent additions, we can now store up to 20,000 litres of water. We hope this will see us through the dry season. Our borehole is now primarily used for outside purposes since the removal of minerals proved to be too expensive. The good news is that we finally have running water at the centre. This is a huge blessing, as I’ve lived in Ghana for years without running water.
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Road access to the centre has also significantly improved due to the construction of the bridge near our property and the efforts of local residents who have completed substantial portions of the road. Nevertheless, we still face challenges on one side, particularly in areas where erosion is damaging the road.
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Progress at the centre is gradually coming together. This month, I’m planning to head to our branch in the North. It’s always an enjoyable but interesting trip, and I trust in God for His provision and protection.
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Once again, thank you so much for your ongoing support. Words really cannot express my gratitude to you. May Our LORD Jesus bless and keep you all. Jeanette
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Acknowledgements
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Woforo; The Hazel Dick Trust, Hosanna Trust Foundation, Top Choco, Geodrill, Beads for a Reason, Admintelecom Ghana, Ltd., Asantewas Creations, PFC Auditing Services; One Seed, Ground-up-Ghana,Happy.fun.learningdone, Ghanacentric , and all the individual CotL supporters. Thank you so much!
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Together we are making a difference!
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Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
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