June Newsletter
Welcome to our June Newsletter
“Team Roof” have arrived in Ghana!
Firstly, thank you. We are incredibly grateful for your support and generosity, which has made this project possible.
After a long journey, our team has arrived safely in Teterem, Ghana. Our volunteers travelled from across New Zealand and Australia, with Sean joining us from Adelaide, Storme and Quinn from Gisborne, Kerry from Nelson and Jaimee, Marli, and Kelsie from Picton.
Each volunteer has personally funded their own travel and supplies, contributing between NZD $4,000 and $6,000 each to be here. Their commitment to this project and the children of Tetrem is truly inspiring, and everyone has arrived ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work.
After approximately 26 hours of flying, we all met in Accra before travelling by bus for six hours to Kumasi and then by van to Tetrem, arriving at around 1am.
Our first day was spent catching up on some much-needed rest, adjusting to the heat, settling into our volunteer accommodation, and assessing the work ahead. Despite the long journey, everyone was eager to get started immediately.
The local community has welcomed us with open arms, and we are already building wonderful friendships with the people of Tetrem. We have also been joined by six incredible local volunteers who are generously donating their time and skills to help with the project. Raymond and Benedict have travelled from the Greater Accra Region, Agala has joined us from Soko, while Junior, Amass and Latif are all from Tetrem. Their support has been invaluable, and it has been fantastic to see the project bringing together people from different communities, all working towards the same goal of creating better learning spaces for local children.
Before our arrival, 500 pieces of timber were delivered to the village by tuk tuk, requiring five separate trips from the nearest township, Offinso. While the timber available locally is often bent, knotty and weathered, it is what is available, and our team has done an incredible job adapting and working with the materials on hand.
A trip to Offinso on Sunday took most of the day as we sourced additional tools and building supplies. Construction resources are limited here, with our primary tools consisting of hammers, nails and hand saws. While some of the team travelled for supplies, others remained onsite building ladders and sawhorses to prepare for construction.
By day three, Kerry had already become well known around the village for taking on a range of side projects and repairs. What started as helping with a few small maintenance jobs quickly earned him the unofficial title of local maintenance man and school caretaker, with a steady stream of requests appearing wherever he went.
Monday marked our first official workday, although heavy rain forced us to adjust our plans. Rather than beginning roof construction, we used the day for detailed planning and preparation.
One of the biggest challenges we have encountered so far is sourcing suitable building materials. The project requires flexibility, with construction methods often being adapted to suit the materials available. The local economy is also fluctuating significantly, meaning we must carefully consider the timing of material purchases to ensure we make the most of every dollar donated.
To put this into perspective, the first 500 pieces of timber purchased just before arrival cost 18,000 Ghanaian Cedis, equivalent to approximately NZD $2,673 at the time of purchase. This week, we will be paying $2761 for the exact same amount of wood.
We still need to purchase roofing iron, wire and an additional 500 pieces of timber before the project can be completed.
Life in Tetrem has also been an adjustment for the team. We are staying in the volunteer house, sleeping on mattresses and making the space as comfortable and homely as possible. Water for showers is collected daily from the school well and bucket showers have quickly become part of our routine. Everyone is adapting remarkably well and embracing the experience.
Looking ahead, we have already completed scaffolding in three classrooms and are now ready to begin constructing the roof trusses. Our goal for this trip is to complete as much work as possible on three new classrooms and safely decommission three of the old classrooms.
If successful, approximately 80 children will be able to move into safe, weatherproof learning spaces. With time and funding both precious resources, achieving this outcome would be a fantastic result and a significant step forward for the school and wider community.
Thank you again for your support. Every nail, every piece of timber and every hour of work being completed here is only possible because of your generosity. We look forward to sharing more updates as the project progresses.
Ngā mihi,
The Choose Love Ghana Team
Recent Updates
The team from New Zealand have settled in at the village and work has begun
The local volunteers and children from GFS have been assisting the team in many ways
Kelsie met with Madam Theresa to organise the Days for Girls lessons
The penpal letters from Linkwater School have been distributed
Coming up
This week: purchasing the rest of the iron and wood needed for the three classrooms
June: The Ghana - NZ team roofing three classrooms at Good Foundation School in Tetrem
July: Everyone returns home
Ongoing: Fundraising and coordination of the local team to see the completion of Good Foundation School
What can you do?
Tell your friends and family about us
Follow us @chooseloveghana
Donate to help keep this project moving along
June Feature
The story of Good Foundation School
With a vision to institute and provide a strong foundation for better education, Mr. Martin Asiedu (alias Mr. Job) began this mission on September 5th, 2000, together with his colleagues and board members: Madam Rose Akoaku (aka Maame Rose) and Mr. Opoku Agyemang (aka Alawa). Permission was granted to the school by the then-chief, Nana Owusu Korkor I, and his elders of the land.
The school was initially established on rented premises, with Madam Akua Nyarko being the landowner.
At the very beginning, the school consisted of only three classrooms, offering Nursery and Class One education to a total of eight children and four teachers. Through hard work, prayers, and community support, there has since been a tremendous increase in the student population.
A friend from Offinso, currently living in Canada, helped the school by constructing some rooms on the school's compound so my family could stay on site. He also supported the institution with ICT tools, including desktop computers.
From 2014 onwards, the school has welcomed several volunteers. These individuals included Alexis Zhang, Eric Xianwei, Gakuto Mimaki, Jaimee “Akua” Perrett, and Julian Granna, with more volunteers joining them later.
Alexis had a specific interest in the school's building projects, so she provided substantial help by molding one thousand blocks. Later, Jaimee, who has visited Ghana approximately three times, had the vision to build Good Foundation School for a much brighter future, encompassing thirteen classrooms, alongside offices and a library.
The combined dedication of these individuals and the community has laid a strong and inspiring foundation for the institution's continued success.
By Raymond Asiedu
