School Improvements

Main Menu

Ethical Volunteering

Previous Experiences

Adventure Expeditions

Project Placements

UK Fundraising Events

Charity Challenges

Project Expeditions

Making an Application

Volunteer Homepage

My trip to Ghana

14 May 2009
Danny Hughes talks of his recent experience in Ghana: My experience with SABRE has been one that I’ll never forget, even for the 9 months before I went! The only way I could finance this trip was to raise money, and a lot of it! Originally I was stumped for ideas; I’d never raised money before and didn’t have a clue where to begin! By Christmas I had raised around 70% of my target. I found that local companies were very interested in assisting with fundraising – it was always a mutually beneficial arrangement. For example, I organised a paintballing day where for every person that attended, the company would donate 20% of the ticket price. I also attempted the National Three Peaks, managed to get an article in a local newspaper and I also partnered up with a local school, which resultantly raised money on my behalf. All this, on top of people’s extreme generosity, helped me to reach my target of £2,000 and sail past. Arriving into Ghana was exciting, even from 35,000 feet in the air! As the plane began its decent the hustle and bustle of Accra came into view. From the air I could make out just one tarmac road with hundreds of dusty roads branching off, meandering into the distance. Just then I realised that this would be a trip I’d never forget. My placement was based in a small village called Egyei Krom. As I stepped out of the 4x4 I was welcomed by sea of smiling faces. Handshakes were being offered from every direction, the younger children all ran up, pushing to the front of the crowd whilst the elder children stood back trying to hide their excitement. Shortly after arriving, the official welcoming to the community took place. I was sharing my experiences with 3 other volunteers; Alice, Chloe and Joe. We eagerly walked to the Chief’s palace as previously instructed by Monica, the head of the village. As we approached the Chief’s palace the drumming grew louder and the atmosphere more electric! Taking our seats behind a table covered with flowers we watched as the procession began. The majority of what was said I’ll never know; despite my best efforts I’m still not that fluent in Fante! However, the infrequent bursts of English gave the general gist. During the ceremony we were given a very heart felt welcoming to the community from everyone within the community. We also introduced ourselves as best as we could in Fante (upon reflection I wish I had taken the time to learn the basics of their language. Although speaking it is not vital, the locals love it if you’re actually trying.) The elders then granted us access to the community and offered the community’s assistance on anything should we need it. We then left the Chief’s palace and returned to our accommodation. All the way back we had an entourage of people drumming, laughing and wanting to shake hands. I couldn’t believe how friendly they all were! The people of Egyei Krom really understood why we were there and they were extremely thankful for it. This made me even more determined to do as much as i physically could! Egyei Krom’s kindergarten is currently in a house ‘on loan’. The house is only a raw shell; there are no floor, ceiling or wall finishes nor is there electricity or water. My days were spent constructing (rather poorly to begin with) chairs and tables for the children to use. Even something so basic can provide so much relief; imagine going to work and having no chairs or tables! Throughout this we were under the watchful eye of Steven, a local carpenter, and two people from the community who just wanted to help! Between the seven of us we were managing a rate of one classroom for every two days of work. Most days, there was a constant flutter of people walking by, all wanting to catch a glimpse of what the ‘bruni’s’ were doing. Many of the children wanted to help, whilst the elder members of the community cast their eyes upon our workmanship; if we passed their standards they would allow us a satisfactory nod. Throughout the whole experience the community supported us; the children would help to unload fresh materials whilst others would loan us tools if we needed. Following a hard day’s work in the sun we would often call Osmanu, a local taxi driver, and head to Brenu beach for a much needed drink and swim. A return taxi to the beach was the equivalent to £3.50 and a beer came in at around 70 pence. Sabre has a teaching programme running in Brenu so we would often meet with other volunteers and share stories of our time in Ghana. The last few days of my time in Africa were spent touring around Ghana, on the Ghanaian Experience. This is an excursion offered by SABRE and is definitely one I would recommend going on. Throughout the excursion we slept in nothing more than a mosquito net with a frame, although this was not ‘luxury’ accommodation, the locations were amazing!! During the excursion we visited The Mole National Park where we had the option to enjoy a foot safari. Our guide led us on a tour through the safari plains, frequently stopping to explain what animal we were looking at. Someanimals were small, but there were some that were rather large! The final night was spent camping on the shores of Lake Volta – the largest man made lake in the world. The picturesque scenery, beautifully warm water and stunning weather all amounted to the most tranquil environment I’ve ever experienced. From planning my trip to actually doing it took a lot of work, I was faced with the battle of raising a few thousand pounds in donations! Now that I’m home I’m extremely glad I did. Not only did I contribute to something that really is making a difference to hundreds, and ultimately thousands of lives, but also from a personal perspective. I have returned to England with so many fantastic experiences that one really can’t put a price on. Davis Langdon’s involvement with SABRE is so much more that just a corporate partnership. DL is supporting SABRE with the rollout of a pilot school design in a community called Dwabor; the new school will replace the current facility which is little more than a lean-to shed! The new Kindergarten will show how local materials can be utilised in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable fashion. Potentially the new building could set the precedent for future school designs across Ghana, so it’s a very exciting time indeed!! I’m extremely envious of the people who are heading out to Ghana with Davis Langdon; you’re going to have an amazing time! So envious in fact, I’m currently booking a return trip for a month!

Previous

© 2003-2010 Sabre Charitable Trust. All Rights Reserved. Registered Charity No. 1105489

Contact us | Site Map | Privacy Statement