MAY HAPPY HAPPY 2011 U ALL♥

HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 
HERE IN GHANA, WE HAVE MORE 4HRS TO 2011!! 
How was 2010? 
My life 2010 was whole in Ghana, 
it was really really SWEET & BITTER like SHOKOLATE! Im full of it, miss my motherland... 
BUUUUT! Im sure 2011 will be more and more LOVELY 4 ALL OF U♥ you wanna taste it? All my boys n girls here, are you ready? And I promise! my 2011 will be the supreme one more than ever had!! so same to you♥

MY TWITTER

Because of bad network in my house, Chiraa-Sunyani

I cant TWITTER though I registered and ready to follow my people!!!

you know what, most recent pages are toooo heavy to open for rural developer in Africa!

wanna twitter about my interests with my dear people...!

Then, I have started upload my daily impression in a form of diary in my English Blog.

(Japanese Blog becomes collection of essays these days. 

My stormy life is so complicated that I tell the story in my mother tongue.) 

Since my sister Afia Naomi introduced Mr.Hunatani, a Japanese successful investor, teaches how important and beneficial you send information with specific purpose to your target people in the world so that you will gain fruitful and profitable information from your people,

I have a feeling to try it one by one...though not sure how long I can continue, you know.

Now I am dreaming to establish my own HOMEPAGE with iWeb!

(Plz help me somebody! I got MacBookPro recently and have a struggle to make use it now... its not easy at all, rather any updating suffer me...but I love its powerful using and sophisticated handling♥)

And fancy to connect AFRICAN LUXURY, such as Amonkye soap Moringa leaves, Shea Butter and any other traditional Crafts (they're so cut!) to the world! for both of them, producers in Africa and consumers in foreigners. 

And picture, if it can be place to share my lovely MUSIC and people can enjoy them...!

I'm crazy about AFRICAN MUSIC now. I'm sure GH & NAIJA MUSIC will definitely hit everybody's spots!  Sarkodie, R2bees, Dr.Cryme, P-Square, Wande Coal... you guys must be introduced to the world more and more!

I'm wondering how I design...the contents of what? web site for who? market of which?

My service as a community developer will end in Mar 2011. Aka 3 month!!!

I wish I realize some idea above all, and benefit my people in my sight. 

School Building Project in Ahyiaem

    Since I have started to go the rounds Afrasu, I also visited New Wench Local Authority School in Ahyiem regularly because children in Afrasu go there and environmental education in forest fringe community is a part of my activity. Through regular visits to schools in Sunyani District, I found several distinctions among their environments; collapsed school buildings, massive students who don’t have shades of trees in the field, no school feeding program, inability of parents to let their children go to school, disadvantage of the location such that most inhabitants are settlers from the north and indigenous people are minority though the school is named as Local Authority, which is located on the boundary of the Wench District.

School head mistress and teachers were seriously concerning about suffered students and have already contributed to improve the school environment. And assembly man of this area is the one who was former community facilitator in Afrasu in PAFORM project, namely my precursor and he is knowledgeable about community development.

My mentor, Mr.Prince. We held a stakeholder meeting, with the School Management Committee which is organized for development of school environment and management based on community.

I have been consulted by them about school issues since March 2010 and introduced Japan’s Grand Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP scheme). They have organized the stakeholders meetings, which invited influential persons in Ahyiem such as elders, women group, some of chiefs who live in area, the chairman of School Management Committee and Parents and Teachers Association. I also attended as an observer, and witnessed noteworthy outputs. Parents knew the severe environment and reconstruct the collapsed structure the very next day of the meeting. This convinced me that the process of application will definitely improve to their capacity buildings, promote the relationship between teachers and stakeholders who live in community and generate more interest and commitment of parents in community, as well as that they will collaborate toward the school building project though we will have a lot of difficulties.

The next day of the meeting, parents came together and repaired the roof of structure for J.H.S 

   We submitted proposal summary in following purpose, though gradually, our project is in progress.

Objective:

   To offer students proper environment to study and grow up safely, they apply for GGHSP scheme to construct the school buildings of Primary for New Wench Local Authority School in Ahyiem to supplement with Kindergarten and J.H.S. In addition to that, we also consider about furniture, toilet facility, library, and so on.

Business Trip To HOHOE, Tourist Site in Volta region

I visited in Hohoe, Volta region, to cooperate with my colleague JOCV since Hohoe Municipal Assembly asked for visual data of tourist sites in order to improve public relations. I took the leave from in April 2010, and photographed Likpe Todome, Liati Wote, Monkey Sanctuary, Kente Village, and Wli waterfall. It was certainly enjoyable to visit these tourist sites, rather stimulating to look round colleague’s activity in rural community development as well.

You go up the steps and then reach TOGO over the mountains, the eastern neighbour of Ghana. EWE, the ethnicity and language in Volta region, are much effected those in Togo more than Ghana.

   Ms. Aki is a JOCV in rural community development who has been attached in Tourist Office under Hohoe Municipal Assembly since March 2009. We are same group in JOCV and this time her recipient agency requested me to take photographs of tourist sites in order that Ms. Okoma makes DVD-ROM as a collection of visual data and Assembly uses the data to make calendar for next year.

   We shot pictures of the beautiful landscape in Hohoe, portraits for executive officers in Hohoe Municipal Assembly, and daily scene in local market. We climbed the mountain and the grand caves, visited the secret waterfall and community in Likpe Todome. In Liati Wote, we were satisfied with the view of Mount Afad Jato, the highest mountain in Ghana, and the secluded Tagbo Waterfall. Interaction with Peace Corp. Volunteers there was also fulfilled one. Then Municipal Assembly provided us the official car to visit to Monkey Sanctuary and Kente Village. Finally we reached Likpe again and hiked Wli Waterfall.

   The most impressive experience was to inspect the community development activity which she promotes in Likpe Todome. She facilitated women group to produce the souvenir, which recycled the water sachets of Pure-Water, for visitors especially foreigners. The women group is ordered the products regularly on a small scale by the souvenir shop in Hohoe. Now they improve their skills to make the recycled purses. Her activity as community developer stimulated me a lot. Though we do not have specific tourist site here in Sunyani, I will definitely contribute to connect production of soap in forest fringe community of Sunyani with outside market opportunity for expansion of palm soap business. 

Site Training of Bee Keeping

In April 2010, we practiced site training of beekeeping in Adantia. The trainer, Mr. Sarkodie Alexandor who runs beekeeping and mushroom cultivating in Yawhema, lectured and demonstrated the process of harvesting. Unfortunately honey was not enough to harvest, but participants learned the skills and swept away their fear against bees. Then we gained some learnt lessons.

   In Adantia, we started the site training at five o’clock in the evening because bees are active during day time. Three IGA members including chairman and secretary of the beekeeping group took part in it and one joined demonstration. Bees have entered the hive in palm farm since last dry season in 2009 but they never knew how much the colonies were grown because they feared to open the hives. Before the site training, the trainer lifted the hive to measure whether the height was enough or not. Then he facilitated members to wear the suits, which has not been used for one year after exist of the PAFORM project. First they hesitated to wear it, but the trainer convinced them and one of them wore the suit and followed him. He advised how to wear and showed how to use the smoker, and closed to see the bars of colony. The one brought the torch, stood next to the trainer and the hive and assisted the trainer. Unfortunately colonies were not so matured that we could not harvest. But community members learned the skills to harvest and deepened their confidence.

After the site training, they discussed that one who joined demonstration is going to build the cropping house for mushroom. The trainer is also mushroom farmer, so the training linked their activities together.

    I gained some learnt lessons from this site training. The trainer who proposed to hold training for the community and demonstrate in the community sacrificed his effort from his volunteerism. Community members should have appreciate for what the trainer has done for them, but what they said after the training was that ‘it is simple, no more fear, so that we can do without any help’, though they did never experience harvesting. I learned my commitment might somehow have led compulsory workshop instead to generate their initiative and facilitate them.

Study Tour of Soap Making

Study tour of soap making was carried out in April 2010 in Afrasu, the isolated forest fringe community beside TAIN1 Forest Reserve in Sunyani Forest District. We welcomed four visitors from two communities and one observer of Assembly Man of New Wench Area. Though it was the first joint tour collaborated among communities since JOCV have been attached, all the participants learned one another successfully and practical site training seemed to give them certain confidence.

To arrange the meeting, prepare materials, exercise...everything takes their own flow. What we, outside strangers, can do is just to adapt their way, time and mind. Only these lead cooperation and ownership.  

The background was that Afrasu Soap-Making members has succeeded in regular production of soap with PALM OIL, the reasonable local product, since the PAFORM project has ended in March 2009 which had introduced them the soap making method with coconut oils as a part of Income Generation Activity for poverty reduction. This time, the soap making groups in Kofitumkrom and Amoakrom beside NSEMERE Forest Reserve as well as participated in the PAFORM project launched reorganization and readied to restart the activity. Innovative soap making way with palm oil was demonstrated by experienced Afrasu members to give the practical site training to Kofitumkrom and Amoakrom members.

   The purpose of this tour was that participants remind the process and make sure the effective use of palm oil in making soap. The interaction among the communities is expected to bring out chemistry to lead further self-effort and development of the groups.

Participants were from Kofitumkrom and Amoakrom, led by my colleague Afia Naomi who is JOCV in community development. These communities are located beside NSEMERE Forest Reserve and took part in PAFORM project as well. Two representative women attended from each community. And we welcomed one Assembly Man represented New Wench here, Mr. Prince, who engaged in PAFORM project as a community facilitator in Afrasu 1 & 2. Unfortunately he could not observe the demonstration but gave the compliment at last part of the workshop and discussed community internal issues such as broken borehole.

My precursor & Successor, Mr.Prince. His enthusiasm and facilitation encouraged and taught more than any other lecture or textbook about community development. 

Demonstration started with praying at 10am and closed with discussion at 12am on that day. Afrasu members showed the process to boil the oil, add chemicals, and pour the soda step by step. Visitors questioned each procedure and functions of ingredients because Afrasu members did not recognize the names of the chemicals which each shop sells different kinds of. Four visitors also practiced to stir the oil with soda instead of demonstrators, and helped last process to run it into the form. Then we discussed the way of producing palm oil by manufacture and its costs in comparison with purchase it, and so on. Demonstrators successfully performed with enough attention, and visitors showed much interest and participated in practice actively. The process of making soap is followings;

   PROCESS to make the soap of 1 box (about 60 pieces)

*Mix caustic soda (sodium hydrogen) with water and leave more than 3 days to steady

* Measure temperature less than 1275F with 1 gallon (1 loca bucket) of the mixed soda water and adjust it with water

*Boil 2 gallon of palm oil about 10 min until the colour has changed from turbid red to clear dark yellow

* Put each 200cc (2 tomato tin cup) of chemicals (foaming agent and builder, this time)

* Stir perfume (1 cap of plastic bottle) and colouring (proper amount) sufficiently

* Add the measured soda water (1 gallon) to the mixed oil carefully and stir completely

* Run the mixed ingredient into the wooden form with plastic

* Leave more than 1 day, cut the soap and stamp neatly (done in the next morning)

We gained some fruitful outcomes from this site training. One thing is that this site training proved the effective and economical way to use palm oil for making soap. Second is that all the participants deepened confidence with what they had done, that is to say demonstrators performed successfully and visitors learned the process through the practice. Third is that interaction among the communities surely accelerated and stimulated the activity one another. This chemistry will definitely push up each group activity of soap making into next stage forward further development.

Lastly, I state way forward and challenges of soap making activity in the community. We continue to produce soaps and practice calculations to make sure costs and profits. And I also introduced them  AMONKYE, which is the potential local soap made in traditional way without any artificial chemicals. We have several challenges such that members are not conscious of cost effectiveness and importance of appearance, and imbalance of each members’ contribution can somehow trigger another problem. To connect new market outside such as foreign consumers who prefer natural healthy product with interest in poverty reduction, we have to tackle these matters. 

2010 FIFA WORLD CUP @GHANA!!!

THX YA ALL!! tommorrow 23rd June 2010 will be a historical night, two Ghanaian brother who grew up in Germany will fight between Ghanaian team & German team.

And our SCHOOL BUS PROJECT FROM GERMANY TO CHIRAA/GHANA is still going on. Germany students awarded by the Germany President, their GHANA-PROJECTS are on progress, they will hold a Ghanaian Party tommorrow in school. Then we JOCV in Sunyani jointly collaborate to bridge among them, German & Ghana will be linked together through Skype on the internet here in Sunyani, beside CHIRAA!!

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, you know. Not all the development program successfully achieve the aim. But still, I cant help thank that these moment brighten the world and our ways. I appreciate my Germany sister BEATRIX who found me my blog SHOKOLA LIFE on the internet and Germany Borga ANSU, the one who is a promoter of all the stories and a messenger of my life.
 

BLACK STARRRRS!!!!!

PLAY AT HOME!! PLAY FOR AFRICA!!

MY MOTHER JAPAN

MY FRIEND GERMANY

MY LOVE GHANA

ALL THE BEST!!!!!

What I do every day is…Community Development!

Facilitation of soap-making, site training of beekeeping, promotion of mushroom cultivating & snail rearing, observation of fruit farming to protect forest, environmental education in schools…

Community Development is never easy way at all, rather one of the hardest ways in the field of development program. In other words, it is the most creative & worthwhile service! Of course I have had uncountable difficulties so far, still I appreciate to be here in forest fringe community of Sunyani and serve for development of Ghana.

KOBEDI is one of the forest fringe communities, which is located between capital city Sunyani in Brong Ahafo region, and Chiraa, a small town where I live. The children always shout out my local name "YAA SHOKO!!" when they find me. And they run up to me and hug me so tight. Some collect plastic rubbish for me because they know I recycle into purses. I am supremely happy to chat with them sitting the gutter beside the road and sing songs with them in Twi, English and Japanese language.

AFRASU is the most isolated forest fringe community I go around. The badly rough road way to Afrasu is like a path to heaven, I feel the approaches of blue sky and white clouds when I ride motor bicycle. I tackle broken Twi language because most are immigrants from the north and mother tongues are different from each other. Needless to say they can rarely speak English. I clap for myself to recover their trusts when I went through with last meeting in all Twi language!

KWATIRE is somehow big community and education level is slightly higher than other forest fringe communities. I always park my motor besides National Insurance Desk under the mango tree, which I register with a help of Uncle who manages this desk. Pascaline, 1-year-old girl who comes here everyday, never smiled at me when I met her first time 7 months ago. But suddenly she started to speak a word one by one. Now she smiles at me and shouts "YAA!" when she finds me.

ADANTIA is also somehow big community next to Kwatire. The group members are eager and serious to work with me for expansion of income generating opportunity. I appreciate for their generous cooperation and every effort they made. Now we research local soap "AMONTI" made by PALM/PALMNUTS OIL with ASH of COCOA PODS. We find strong potential in this perfect natural handmade soap!

YAWHIMA is my stronghold to interact with students and teachers. Teachers showed their understanding and interest in my activity, and I gained some classes of social studies for environmental education. Thanks to them, I enjoy completely creative teaching method in participatory approach with my favorite topic! I never forget students' serious eyes, trying to listen to and understand what I say, though they always make noise.

Above all, unconditional love of my family in CHIRAA and TEMA please and encourage me. Because of their supports, I can be strong. I thank God allow precious time in Ghana, then I comprehend over and over one's life is SWEET & BITTER wherever you are, whatever you do.

SOAP MAKING

Every Friday morning, I ride my motor 30min on and off road, it is actually a disaster especially after it rained! I have to cross big ponds and became muddy...

It is to go to one community, AFRASU, isolated forest fringe community, near AHYIEM which located 10min from CHIRAA. They are settlers from the north, such as Upper West & Upper East region, the hotter and poorer area in Ghana.

For one who involves in development assistance, TO BE SUSTAINABLE is eternal theme. It is never easy way you know. For WHO, Grassroots or accessble people or Gorvenment? And HOW, money or material or teschnology?? Question never end and we have to say to ourselves always.

AFRASU people continue SOAP MAKING which was introduced by the project for forest maangement. One brilliant thing is that they have IMPROVED the economical way  by themselved and kept producing since the project had ended, though these kinds of activities which were introduced by outsider rarelly survived.

Their achievement are two;
Use PALM OIL instead of Coconut oil which was introduced by the project
& they manufacture the handmade PALM OIL.

Palm oil is the most reasonable and familliar oil in Ghana. Ghanaian always use to prepare for food.
You can find Palm trees in every forest if you are in souther than here Brong Ahafo region. Nawadays the production in South East Asia is increasing to export to EU, China and India for industrial soap production and food consumprion, but the orgin place of PALM tree is here West Africa.

News Letter From Chiraa Vol.1 -Students marched on Independence Day in Chraa!!-

Nice to meet you, everyone!! My name is Shokola, who lives in Chiraa. Many thanks for your sweet letter, I am glad to communicate with you and appreciate the teacher who bridge between you and me. This is a monthly news letter from Chiraa to you, to introduce Ghanaian circumstance and help you interact with Ghanaian students.

First of all, let me introduce Chiraa shortly and the biggest event in Chiraa in this month!

Chiraa is an old town in rural area, with a population of 15,000 who are farmers and traders by occupation. It takes 30 minutes by car from the capital city Sunyani, in Brong Ahafo region in the midland of Ghana. Indigenous people are Akan tribe, who is major in Ghana and speaks Twi language. People in Chiraa are very friendly, so Chiraa is cool!

Ghanaian celebrated the 53rd Independence Day on 6th Mar 2010, which Ghana won from Britain in 1957. All the students in Chiraa assembled in the playground of Methodist School, more than 24 Primary Schools and JHS!, and representative students of schools marched in front of Chiraa people, including chiefs and politicians. S.D.A J.H.S and S.D.A Primary Schools A & B also participated in this ceremony. They practiced Ghanaian marching for that day then performed perfectly!! Every marching was unique and so cute! I wish you could see them.

Finally I like to say thank you again. I am very impressed that you had African week and support the school bus project. I am now very happy because I enjoy working in the community and my life in Chiraa, love Ghanaian music, and what is more, I could make friends with you.

The School Bus Project From Germany

One Germany BORGA, it means a traveller to abroad in Twi language, and individual Germany supporters realized the School Bus project for Chiraa in 2010. It is in progress now and JOCV networks help link between Germany and Ghanaian.

Mr. Ansu Yeboah, whose hometown is Chiraa in Sunyani, has lived in German for more than 25 years. Whenever he returned his hometown Chiraa for the holidays, he brought school items for children because it is his philosophy that education for children is the base for everything range from nation development to happiness in one’s life.

Last year he thought of a school bus for children in Chiraa to help their transportation and further convenient environment to study. The bus company which he works supported his idea, then it provided one big used bus, actually it is fine paaa! One eyeglass company also supported him and offered hundreds of medical and fashion glasses. Some teachers derived from what Ansu Yeboah was carrying out and organized the special week in the school to let students learn African environment, such as history, politics, culture, and so on. Then students gathered notebooks, balls for sports, many other school items and held a charity run event to collect money for fuel of the school bus. Their parents, grand parents, and neighbours supported their children and donated. This school bus project gradually became famous in German and their supports and contribution often appeared on the news paper.

One day, one of his supporter, a Germany teacher whose class had an African Project to support Ansu Yeboah, surfed the Net to know Chiraa, where the school bus is going to go. She could not hit anything about Chiraa, because it is too small town and information of Africa is often blocked. Except the diary of JOCV on the Web who live in Chiraa. She contacted JOCV and they came to know the project on going in German. On the other hand, Ansu Yeboah also let known about JOCV in Chiraa by Germany friend and his family in Chiraa.

On Thursday 25th March 2010, finally Ansu Yeboah and JOCV met. Mr.Kumih, a former Community Facilitator during JICA/FSD PAFORM Project, linked us together, who had lived in German for a long time ago and helped Ansu Yeboah when he arrived there.

This story has not finished yet and still in progress now. Ansu Yeboah is running to save the school bus from Tema port. Mr.Kumih organizes and coordinates the stakeholders in chiraa. We are going to have a welcome party of Ansu Yeboah at Chief Palace and hold the grand ceremony of the school bus with people in Chiraa.

Study Trip to Ghana with 5 Family Members

SHOKOLA's Japanese Family came all the way to Ghana last October. Mother, two young brothers, aunt and cousin!! It was quite tough to manage our schedule considering their requests and Ghanaian sightseeing circumustances. But that was sooooo precious and marvelous moment and I can not appreciate enough that they went out of their way to Africa!!

SHOKOLA's mother presented her study trip in a ceremony and her comment were inserted in our news letter. I also translated her article to introduce her survival adventure in Africa, led by her daughtor!!

After 22 hours of transited flights from Japan, we landed at the airport in Accra with much excitement. My daughter welcomed us with all sunburnt smiles and braiding hair, seemed to enjoy local fashion as well.


She brought perfect and colourful study trip plan for us! It might be a hard work to please us five family members including her two junior brothers, her aunt and cousin. The hotel in Cape Coast which we stayed two nights was aesthetic and satisfied us with the flaming sunset beyond the horizon and beautiful daybreak in the following morning. We could not help feel much grief at slavery history in Cape Coast Castle. After 6 hours of transportation to Sunyani, where my daughter lives and works, we greeted her host family in Chiraa. People were surprised to see sudden appearance of OBRUNI group and welcomed heartily. We will never forget chopping FUFU with BUSHMEAT by hand, which neighbours served up in a hurry.
It does not matter without water and electricity power. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I do not have enough words to describe how wonderful the starry sky expanded above us during the lights-off. The milky ways were flowing, the falling stars were pouring, so you could see the real planetarium there.The next day, we participated in the class of JHS, which my daughter have once a week, and went the recipient agency, Forest Service Division Sunyani District Office, to interview with some officers. My daughter negotiated and quarrelled toughly with a good command of English and Twi. We accepted Ghanaian time that we took for 2 hours to eat since we had ordered at the restaurant!

Half a year passed since her assignment, looking for what she can do now, she endeavours to implement environmental activity involved with stakeholders in the area. I believe that she will find something through living with local people.

I was deeply impressed with lively smiles and shining eyes of other JOCV we met in Ghana during this study-trip, and encouraged by their close relationships like Sisters and Brothers. I also heaved a sigh of relief and appreciated JICA stuff for their good care about our children as if they are family.

My daughter leads me a whole new world which I can not experience me alone. This study-trip was highly survival and touching, which motivate me to cooperate with her activity as much as possible, in the rest of her period, half and a year. Medaase paa!!