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!!

Christmas Music Concerts Tour in Ghana 2009!!

YAA & AFIA, Ghanaian local names of SHOKOLA & AYU who is a JOCV in youth activity, we love music. We like to sing, listen and play the instruments. Afia is very good at playing the Saxophone and Ukurere, which is small Hawaiian guitar. Shokola likes to play the piano and Sansin, which is Japanese traditional guitar.

Last December, our wishes were realized by lots of helps of other volunteers and stuff who supported our dream, to share joy and happiness with children in Ghana through MUSIC.

The following article appeared in our news letter,which was written by Afia, then translated English by Shokola:

My recipient agency is Junior High Schools (JHS) in Akim Swedru. I go my rounds four JHS all and have music classes. This time we held Christmas concerts at the end of the term in December. This year has been a second time since former volunteer had started. Not only recipient JHS, neighbour Primary Schools and Kinder Gardens also joined, each of schools were reading the Bibles, singing Christmas songs, and performing the instruments of glasses in two hours program. For taking place the concerts, because of inadequacy of class time once in a week, other teachers gave me classes and thought together about program, then finally preparation was being made with much cooperation. Among the teachers who experienced the last concert, some took the initiative to arrange the program. On that day though some schools cancelled suddenly and schedule delayed vastly, THIS IS GHANA, you know. Performance before the audience was perfect! Even an teacher who did not expect to be a MC evoked a burst of laughter. volunteers coordinator and other volunteers running for my help, we performed a Japanese folk song ‘FURUSATO’, and played with Saxophone and SANSIN which is Japanese traditional guitar as a guest performance. It was quite hard schedule that we played in two churches, I mean, schools, one in the morning and another in the evening on that day. But the next day, teachers and students were greatly delighted and eager to succeed next year. I feel wonderful that concerts which had been started since former volunteer take root like this★

“WANNA SEE A LOT OF SMILES!” our wishes fulfilled Christmas Concerts Tour 2009. We peacefully ended seven concerts including recipient JHS in Akim Swedru. During the vacation period, we celebrated singing Christmas songs with children in Primary School, JHS and orphanage in Sunyani where Yaa Shoko  works, and two hospitals in Nsawan where Abena Mai works. With interested volunteers who brought with piano, Sansin, saxophone, tambourine and castanets, we played the medley of Christmas songs, Christmas song in Twi and Furusato. Besides, we made them surprised by magic and enjoyed dancing with Ghanaian people. Above all, we were very glad to see a number of smiles and became one unit through music. Now my aim is to go around whole Ghana to see more smiles during the rest of one year. At last I appreciate for much cooperation of volunteer coordinators and other volunteers. Thank you very much♪

BORGA

I like to introduce you to my favorite artist in Ghana.

SARKODIE

the greatest & shining Rapper of HipLife in Ghana.

In his song BORGA, it means travellers in Twi language,

he asks us SO WAHT?

Here in Ghana,

people see BORGA as the symble of success or the rich,

then many emigrate illegally.

But ONE TIME FOR YOUR MIND.

Do you think that to be BORGA makes you really happy??

Employing low cost, Alcoholism, Intoxication...

we can find more traggedies and miseries
in unhappy and unconscious BORGA.

How many BORGA are there who contribute to your homeland

and take good care of your children and parents?

I can tell you another that you are not necessarily be happy in Japan,

though all Ghanaian guys ask me to marry me & take him to Japan!!

He does not merely whisper loving words, 

actually his sweet tune BABE lead me addictive,

but critisizes our world with much sense & reality.  

Lastly

That is all what I report in mid-term, many thanks for your reading.

I like to send one proverb in Twi language.

'Kakura, Kakura, Akoko Benom Nsuo'

-small small, like a chicken will drink water-

It means that if you make an effort diligently,

as if chicken drinks water, you will achieve something.

Our 2 years are too short to tackle everything reflected in our eyes,

but we can work on one by one in front of us.

And lastly,

I wanna say thank you my sister & brothers,

Sunyani members & 20-4 colleages and other JOCVs,

my precious Ghanaian friends and community members,

my family forestry stuff,

then express deep appreciation for JICA stuff

who always support our activity,

including emergency case such as motor accident!

Medaase paa!!! Nyame sirawo!

Challenges & Way Forward

  One thing I tackle now is how I should connect community inside resource with outside opportunity for the maximum benefits of the community without any much stress or pressure. For example, the soap made in community and outside market, interested individual persons in community and resource farmer, NGO especially concerning about mushroom and small animal rearing.

   Another problem is how I can assist forestry office and forest fringe communities collaborate with each other. Some senior officers are understanding and I always reported bushfire information to them because they operated their field officers effectively. Then they will hopefully monitor IGA and inspect community from now on.


   The last is my way forward. As for IGA, I will focus on development and expansion of soap making group activity. I will also promote individual IGA with help of outside resource persons, such as training teacher of honey and mushroom, and agric officer specialized in small animal rearing.
   About GB, I continue to monitor GB members and activity then will contribute toward cooperation among forestry office and community members to prevent annual bushfire in TAIN1 FR for the sake of sustainable forest management.

   I also continue my school activity. My aim is to have classes of environmental studies and fire education with all of JHS students and Senior Primary students in forest fringe community. Then I definitely interact with more children to offer more possibility and opportunity in their lives.

   Now I plan some projects; one is Sports Balls Project, which is to provide some volley balls and footballs to forest fringe schools with cooperation of my Japanese family:

   Another is the School Bus Project form Germany students and one Ghanaian man living in German, who came from Chiraa in Sunyani, where I live now. One Germany teacher let me know this wonderful and heart-warming story through this SHOKOLA blog then it is now in progress!