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.