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.

BA Team Clashes With Training Center Beneficiaries ;)

As the popular adage goes "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" Following this mantra, BA organised a football gala with the skills training beneficiaries in Guabuliga. The football game saw the BA team go head-to-head with the former skills training beneficiaries and the present beneficiaries.

As BA eschews paying lipservice to equity, it added some feminine touch to its team. Coming out in their numbers, the more muscular and masculine opposing teams showed up poised for action with threats to send the BA team to the gallows. Despite the threats, the BA team looked on with optimism and ever-ready to conquer the day. 

The very exciting and fiercely competed first round of play saw all teams bringing out their best resulting in goalless draws. After a 15 minute recess, Action started again.

The second round of play proved to be the ultimate tie-breaker. The BA team conveniently dealt the trainees with a 3 goal to nil win affirming it's football prowess. The match ended with cheers for the winning side and an outpour of congratulatory messages for the effort. The BA team thanked the entrepreneurs for their efforts and admonished them to keep their spirits high as they work everyday to put a dent on poverty.

Braveaurora Signs MoU With Ghana Education Service

With BA’s resolve to build sustainable and impactful partnerships with stakeholders in the education sector, the team on January 10, 2018 went to Walewale under the leadership of the Board Secretary (Sarah) to officially cement and formalize our partnership with the West Mamprusi District Directorate of Education. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Braveaurora and the District Directorate coincided with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the organization. 

 

The partnership is envisaged to facilitate a healthy exchange of professional experiences which have the potency to inform respective program interventions. Equally worth mentioning is the fact that it will strengthen our collective supervisory roles of the conduct of teachers. Not only would this strengthen Braveaurora's visibility and recognition in the district but also enhance our possibilities to further access donor support and build beneficial partnership with sector players. 

BA recieved admiration and praises for the interventions implemented in the Guabuliga community to facilitate quality education. Sarah remarked that BA would continue to invest in the education sector and that very soon the schools would be supplied with furniture and textbooks. On her part, Hajia Mase Sulemana appealed to BA to scale up the education programs to other communities to improve quality education in the District and the nation as whole.       

THIRD COHORT OF SKILLS TRAINING COMMENCES AT THE GUABULIGA VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE

The third cohort of the skills training has commenced at the Guabuliga Vocational Training Centre in Guabuliga with the induction of one hundred and twenty (120) trainees. They would learn skills ranging from beads and jewelry design, shoemaking, motor fitting, modern and sustainable methods of processing and packaging shea butter to organic gardening. This follows the successful graduation and the ushering in of 60 entrepreneurs from The Training Centre into the world of work. The entrepreneurs acquired skills in baking, textile hand weaving, carpentry and organic gardening. Below are some pictures from the new training programmes.

 

Cultural Experience in Guabuliga

Dear Braveaurora friends,

Since beginning of November I am working as a volunteer with BRAVEAURORA in Guabuliga. The cultural exchange you can get through such an opportunity is huge – in the first moment everything was extremely different and it took me some time, till I got used to my new life circumstances. However, it was and is still very interesting getting to know Ghana - especially Guabuliga - with its culture, nature and friendly people!

Coming from Vienna, the capital of Austria, one big differences for me is living that close in the nature with free running animals. It is fascinating to see, how fast you are getting used to the easier life circumstances, e.g. having a shower with one bucket, eating and cooking with a few bowls and cups and washing your clothes with your hands.

Also, the work takes part under different circumstances e.g. being on time is in Ghana not that closely than in Austria, and fallen out electricity or bad (okay, very bad) internet connection are challenges of daily work. Because of my profession as a kindergartenteacher, the observation of the kindergarten in Guabuliga was very interesting for me. The differences are huge too, like the room and teaching methods are more like school, learning reading and writing is very important, there are 50 and more children in one class and there is less/broken furniture and nearly no teaching or playing material.

However, I like going through Guabuliga and hearing stories about the past, and I can see, how things changed through the support of BRAVEAURORA and are going to change further. I am glad to support BRAVEAURORA in its work for the next months and being a small part of this huge phenomenon – BRAVEAURORA, with exemplary attitudes, great ideas, big aims and huge engagement! 😊

All the best,

Simone

volunteer from November2017 till May2018