Meet Our Partners: Walter Zuh

Growing up as a child in Adaklu Sikama Walter Zuh, like many children in the community, enjoyed school and the opportunity to learn.  As a 29-year-old adult, he is still eager to absorb more and take advantage of the opportunities that education creates. While volunteering his time at the Sikama Primary School, Walter fell in love with teaching. Now working under the National Education Program as a non-professional teacher, Walter loves his job and strives to not only teach the curriculum; but to inspire his students in Sikama.

As a beneficiary of this two-year program, non-professional teachers earn much less than the average stipend.  Typically teachers struggle to afford communal housing, basic necessities and teaching supplies; however in Walter’s case his level of income forces him to remain dependent on his family. Looking to save for college, marriage and family Walter understands the importance of financial security and saves about 50% of his income to further his education and ultimately contribute to his family’s survival.

After losing his father at seven years old, Walter’s mother became the sole provider for the family, contributing what little she could to his education.  Seeing the promise that Walter processed and desire to learn his maternal grandmother worked to sponsor his education from primary school through senior secondary school, which he completed in 2005. Now much older and unable to work she can barely afford to survive let alone continue to further his education. Taking this challenge on himself, Walter initially raised funds through farming; however his physical abilities are limited due to a limp left from an almost life threatening illness as a child. Always looking to the future, Walter understands his limitations; but choosing to concentrate on the positive he jumped at the opportunity to expand his role at the primary school once it became available.

For many young adults in rural communities, education is not a fluid process. Starting and stopping with the changing financial situation of each family as well as the availability of instruction, many individuals complete their education after a significant pause, or more commonly are unable to continue at all.

For Walter Zuh, life in Sikama has a positive side. Family, friends and the opportunity to help his community develop by teaching encourages and motivates him to focus on the future.  Understanding what it takes to be successful not only in education but in life, Walter hopes for the improvement of basic services for Sikama. Advocating for increased educational resources, affordable housing to encourage teachers to stay in the community and improved sanitation to promote good health Walter is an active individual in his community and a valued partner to GACD. Learn more about other partners and how you can get involved.

Partner Profile: Alice Kotto

Private rooms, personal doctors and an eager family waiting for their first glimpse at the newest member is the vision many women have about giving birth.  Unfortunately, this comfortable environment is far from the reality of millions.  Alice Kotto is one of two midwives servicing nine communities in the Adaklu Anyigbey District and she knows from personal experience that giving birth in this remote corner of the world is full of challenges.  A mother of six, she is responsible for not only raising her children but for financially supporting the family as well. After losing her father early in life Alice was unable to continue with her education past middle school; and fully understands the value and opportunity afforded by it.

Originally a honey trader and subsistence farmer, Alice jumped at the opportunity to aid her community and formalize skills originally learned from her mother, by participating in a three month long midwife program.  Walking to work each morning Alice is a positive influence and leader in Sikama and for the last three years she has maintained a full schedule at the TBA midwifery.   Staying on call 24 hours-a-day and maintaining the facilities these two amazing women work to make sure that all women in their communities know they have a place to go and people to count on.

Alice’s commitment to her district, community and neighbors often means sleepless nights spent in a midwifery filled over capacity.  As there are no designated quarters for the midwives themselves, these women give up whatever space available for the waiting mothers.  Accommodations at the midwifery are not Alice’s main concerns as a leader in the Sikama community.  A vast majority of families in Sikama live in thatch houses, which leak and break down during the rainy season.  Not only does this environment pose health concerns for young children; but pregnant women are also prone to disease, infection and complications related to stress from a lack of sleep.  Even more vital to the development to the midwifery and community at large is a sustainable, potable water supply.  “The only water in the community could be treated and distributed to other parts of the community if there is money, which the community does not have to do so,” says Alice.

Alice continues to work to the benefit of people in Sikama.  She is an advocate for prenatal education, malaria awareness and resource advancement.  She loves helping women bring new lives into the world and looks forward to providing more services given the opportunity.  Alice understands the level of commitment necessary for this job and looks forward to training the next generation of midwives. Get involved today! 

Stories of Tradition and Need

by: Foster Ametepe

Group of young men in a drum circle

Dancing, drumming, celebration and story telling are abound during the traditional festival of Glidzi. People of the Adaklu traditional areas come together, recount and celebrate how they settled in the Volta Region.  The celebration is also used to push social issues to the forefront of government officials and stakeholders minds. This celebration, typically held in December has not been undertaken for ten years because of continued economic hardship. However, recognizing the overwhelming needs facing the population as a whole these sixty villages pulled together to address the pervasive underdevelopment at this year’s Glidzi.

Traditional Warlord in full dress

On the forefront of development issues is that of water. Despite Adaklu’s close proximity to the Provincial Capital of Ho, the Adaklu region does not have access to potable water. The majority of communities get their water from streams that often run dry; while the lucky ones are able to access boreholes.  In both instances the quality of the water is extremely poor, exposing the entire population to water-born illnesses and resulting in high death rates especially among children under five. Improving water infrastructure and filtration systems will drastically mitigate the harmful effects of poor water quality on the most vulnerable sections of the population. 

One of the regional Queen
Mothers

Education was another key issue of underdevelopment addressed during the 2011 Glidzi. With only two Senior High Schools, servicing sixty villages, the prospect of receiving a high school education is all but a dream for most children in the communities. Supplies, quality facilities and a curriculum that allows for competition on the global stage are all but non-existent. In an environment continually growing closer through technology, students in Adaklu are left behind. While there is a national requirement for students to learn information technology, there are no computers, internet access or teachers to instruct students on IT. And while the students at all levels work hard with what they have, they struggle to learn English, math and science in a way that will ensure future success.

As children grow into young adulthood they quickly realize employment opportunities are scarce or non-existant, that health care facilities are as poorly equipped as their schools, that subsistence farming continues to be the only way to survive. During Glidzi, the community voice is one, and Global Alliance for Community Development’s action builds upon that voice. Help the Adaklu community by raising your own voice. 

Partner Profile: Joshua Akpah

Joshua Akpah lives in Adaklu Sikama. Joshua is an elder in the community and is retired.  During Joshua’s life he experienced many hardships.  When he was three years old he lost his father and only two years later he became an orphan when his mother passed away.  As an orphan he was not afforded the opportunity to attend school in any real capacity. During his youth Joshua only completed kindergarten and as a result his future was essentially decided from a very young age. 

Growing up in this poor community Joshua opportunities were extremely limited. Never being able to learn a trade or attend school, Joshua has spent his life being farmer, husband and father. Joshua has been married four times through out his life bearing children with every wife. He has a total of 22 children of which their lives have been scarcely better than his own.

Due to his own poverty four of his children, the lucky ones, were able to complete Junior High School while the others have only been able to finish primary school.  While Joshua is an elderly man he still has three school-aged children, which he struggles daily to support and provide an education.

Now retired from farming Joshua helps the community by selling water at the local borehole. The money collected is used to maintain the wells integrity.  While this does not earn him an income he is proud of his contribution to the community.  As we spoke with Joshua, we understood how much he has seen during his lifetime and as he spoke about the needs of his community and family many of his words rang in a familiar tune. Joshua, wants his “family to be transformed by education” in order to avert the poverty that controls all of their lives. He also knows that his community needs the opportunity to achieve an education he was never able to attain; as well as access to potable water that does not exist in Sikama.

Through conversation with Joshua, and many others in Sikama the issues that plague each person continue to be the same; poor education, non-existent health care, clean water and better sanitation. We respond to the direct needs of entire communities as defined by communities.  Our partnerships create long term solutions to poverty and step-by-step Joshua, Sikama and GACD will be able the end the control that poverty has over these families. Support us today.

A Tale of Two Countries

New skyscraper under construction in
Accra, the capital of Ghana.

This is no Dickens' novel, but if you were to travel to parts of Ghana you might think that you were in the 18th century. This one nation has two faces and appears to be two countries depending on where you are looking from.  One country has a bright future, with wealth and stability. The other is one of stagnation, filled with poverty.

Ghana, now a middle income country, is at a cross-roads. This is a country seen by the international community, and many observers, as the way forward for governance and prosperity in Africa. Traveling though Accra the wealth is obvious - high-rise building nearing completion, shopping malls, large estates boarding the central city, brand new BMW's, Mercedes', Land Rover's fill the crowed street of Accra - any amenity you would be able to dream of at your finger tips so long as you can pay. This is the country that is talked about, written about and invested in. 

Typical home in rural Ghana, made of mud, bamboo, and thatch.

The other country is the one that 95% of Ghanaians live in. When talking about Ghana's middle income status with people in the rural communities we work in, they laughed. They laughed almost as much as when we asked them what their annual income was, as they do not have an annual income.  In rural Ghana, like in too many parts of the world, if you took away the cell phones, the cars, and the electricity you could easily be in the 19th, 18th or 17th century. This Ghana - the one of crushing poverty, subsistence farming and no real opportunity - continues to be the reality.  Even in Accra, the disparity in wealth is astounding. On the roads you see luxury cars, but in the rivers you see heaps of garbage and people using the same water for drinking as they use for the toilet.

Recently completed stores and offices
located in Ho, the provincial capital of
the Volta Region.

This Ghana, the one that most live in, is what government, journalists and international organizations need to be talking and writing about. NGO's like Global Alliance for Community Development cannot be the only voice for the millions of forgotten citizens. Ghana is poised to make huge gains as they have all the right tools in place, but what must be focused on is creating a Ghana that provides for all citizens. Access to education, health, infrastructure, and opportunity for each person is the only way for this tale to end happily - with the whole country benefiting from the work that generations of Ghanaians put into this great country.   

From the Beginning, Part IV

One of the greatest challenges our young organization faces is figuring out how to make our mission a reality. Ghana is thousands of miles from our headquarters in New York City, but sometimes it seems as if they are a world away. Starting from the basic need of communicating with our Country Director, we tried it all. We tried Skype,  but the connection was too slow to say hello, let alone have meaningful conversations about program implementation. How about the phone? Nope, we were greeted with poor reception and high costs. Ok how about email and chat? They’re not perfect, but email it is! 

Email after email, we laid the ground work for our future.  The greatest lesson that came from this part of our development was: communication, communication, communication. Ensuring that everyone, whether in the US or Ghana, knew what our goals were for each program was critical for our early success and the only way to do so was to ask questions and continue to clarify as we dealt with the communication gaps that come with email as a primary form of communication.

The next major challenge was that of process. The processes that we were familiar to did not apply.  Efficiency went out the window and we had to learn and understand the way business gets done in rural Ghana. The necessity of informing everyone involved in what we were doing was a new challenge that we were unaccustomed to.  We needed to inform the community of what we were planning. We needed to inform the chiefs and elders of each community to ensure they understood the how and why of our work. We needed to inform the members of parliament that are responsible for our communities out of respect for their position and authority in their jurisdiction. Once everyone was informed we would now be able to start planning our first major event...registering each community for National Health Insurance.

Working thousands of miles from our programs comes with unique challenges, but once we addressed the issues of communication and we understood the process, we found that all parties not only allowed us to operate but bent over backwards to ensure that were are able to find success in these forgotten pockets of the world.  The next step in our development was finally here...program implementation!