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.