Braveaurora Places Trainees On Internship in Welding and Fabrication

BRAVEAURORA has placed five trainees on welding internship with FUSEINI WELDING ENTERPRISE at Walewale in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region. The trainees from Guabuliga and its surrounding communities (i.e. Guabuliga, Manga, Diani, Tinguri, Gbane, Tinkaya, Kasape, Nablogu and Dimia) are overjoyed about the chance given them to learn and they hope to redefine sector opportunity after completion. The training will propel them to newer and greater economic heights; lifting them and their families out of poverty. They are expected to undergo twelve months (one year) of intensive training. Below are some pictures from the training.

Monitoring of Reunified Children

As part of activities to wrap up on the Social History and Post-reunification Stories of Children Reunified by DSW in the Northern Region, the BA team joined the Department of Social Welfare to monitor reunified children in Damongo and and Sawla in the West Gonja and Sawla-Tuna-Kalba Districts respectively.

The team had earlier assessed and documented the lives of the young adults and their families. With most of them in school, visits were made to their various institutions to catch up on their attendance and performance. It was impressive to realise that they are coping well in society.

Visits were also made to the homes and business centres of the young adults. Their families shared their joy with the team for the constant followup and reiterated their commitment to make the home conducive for the reunified children.

Workshop for Kindergarten Teachers

BRAVEAURORA recently organised a workshop for the kindergarten teachers in Guabuliga. With a primary focus on effective teaching and learning methods, the workshop started with theoretical inputs on the way children learn and what they need to improve. This session reminded participants about the importance and value of games, songs and other interactive teaching methods.

In response, the teachers' knowledge of games, songs, rhymes and rhythms were refreshed and new (local as well as foreign) methods were learnt. All this was done in a classroom environment simulating a normal class session with the teachers role playing as the school children. The workshop centred on learning by doing, with lots of fun and movement in an open and receptive environment.

With the impressive feedback on the successful workshop and the request for another, we can look back satisfied with thoughts already on continuation. 😊

YAP Observes Open Day at Airforce Base

On Wednesday the 7^th, the Young Ambassadors team took yet another exciting trip to the Airforce base in Tamale as part of the Open Day Celebrations. March 7 is earmarked nationally as an open day across the various garrisons of the armed forces in Ghana. On this day, the military showcase their work to students and the general public. 

As a followup to a trip made to the Airborne Force in December 2017, the team this time took advantage of the open day to visit the Airforce base. In this very exciting trip, the ambassadors were educated on the Airforce operations. They boarded a now defunct Forker 27 to learn about its mode of operation.

The team also had the chance to board a helicopter and take a short ride through the airport area. This was particularly thrilling for some of the members as it was their first time on an aircraft. The team members were with smiles after the flight with never-ending stories on how it felt. A parent said amidst giggles that “this is the first time I am seeing the world from up here—I have never felt this scared, yet so excited in my life.”

The team was thankful to Braveaurora for sponsoring the once-in-a-lifetime trip and expressed profound gratitude to all the donors for making it possible. Team members also showed appreciation to the force for the wonderful support and experience.

Furniture Support to Guabuliga Schools

For decades, the Guabuliga schools have endured and compromised their right to a conducive classroom environment for effective teaching and learning. Teaching and learning has been adversely affected due to the lack of furniture and textbooks in the schools. The conditions of the various classrooms are unacceptable and do not meet standard requirements both nationally and internationally. Sadly, this trend of challenges has caused students’ performance to decline for the past years. Braveaurora has over the years sought medium to long term solution to this challenge in strong partnership with the Ghana Education Service. As a result, various supplies and support have been given to the schools aimed at taming the negative effects of this challenge on students output.   

To find a sustainable solution to this scourge, BA has successfully secured funding to supply 250 dual desks and over 500 textbooks to the Guabuliga schools. The BA team, community members and school authorities are elated of this “light at the end of the tunnel”. Production of the furniture has started in earnest with trained carpenters who graduated from the training centre (TC) contracted to deliver the task.   

The team is optimistic that this support conjoined with sustainable measures would end the painstaking challenge of furniture and textbooks in the schools. The project also has the potency to increase students’ performance, regularity and school enrolment which has consistently declined.               

Designing the Guabuliga Market

A group of six students of [a]FA led by Professor Baerbel Mueller have been in Guabuliga the past days to conduct research, plan and design a market for the community in collaboration with Braveaurora and the traditional leadership.

Design team with BA staff, Chief and elders after a presentation. Photo credit: Toms Kampars

Guabuliga in the past had a thriving market which brought together assorted goods and services from far and near. The market has for some years now been moribund and it is with a renewed spirit that all stakeholders work to revamp it. A site has been proposed to the community and an outline will be outdoored soon.

An aerial view of Guabuliga with focus on the proposed site. Photo credit: Jonathan Paljor

It's the hope of everyone involved to restore the market to it's former glory. The vision is to make it a hub for organically grown produce and it is also envisaged to serve as a one-stop-shop for all household needs-- catalysing growth and development in the area.

Brainstorming session. Photo credit: Baerbel Mueller

Termly Teachers Meeting

After reopening the 2nd term,  the Termly-Teachers meeting organised by BA was held. After a few introductory and motivating words, each school gave updates on current activities and positive changes as well as challenges and further plans. It was also a platform for BRAVEAURORA to give updates on projects and activities.

The socialworkers drew the teachers' attention to the SACS (Social Advisory and Counselling Service) of BRAVEAURORA and encouraged all; including the teachers, and students and the community members to come when they need psychosocial support.

When the issue of too less furniture in the schools was raised, BA was happy to be able to announce the very near solution to this problem.  Thankful for a big Donation, BA is able to support the school with 250 dual desks and textbooks for the Primary school and Junior High School!

Not being the end of the great news, BA awarded the best teacher of 2016/17  academic year – the qualifying teacher appeared joyful and surprised for his award.
All in all, the meeting was rich in suggestions and ideas on how to proceed in the schools. The teachers were equally appreciative of the marvellous piece of news given to them.