From Sheffield to Ghana

Ghana has just over one million orphans, 170,000 of which lost parents to AIDS. There are many charities helping out in Ghana but the situation is still far from satisfactory. So our countdown begins! Within the next few hours, I along with a team from FirVale School, Sheffield are off to make a little difference to some children who are most vulnerable.

Just under a year ago, 15 students secured positions for Project Ghana 2014. Within the year, we have raised a whopping £35k which will go towards the Eugemot Orphanage in Ghana – that we will help build!

Project Ghana members of Fir Vale School, Sheffield.

Bags packed, vaccinated, briefings complete… I guess there’s nothing more to do but control my nerves as we head to Ghana’s Volta Region. Chris Power (Mr Power as we call him), a teacher at Fir Vale School, has been to Ghana several times before. Every time he visited he would stop at an orphanage to give stuff to the kids but on his last visit he was told that he could not go back because they didn't have enough money to keep the orphanage open. So a dream was born. Mr Power decided that something needed to be done because he didn't want the children to have no one to look after them but he couldn't do it all alone. He met with a man called Tom Tuckwood who owns a company called Venture Force. Venture Force takes groups out on expeditions around the world. Together they decided to take a group of 15 students to help build the an orphanage and keep it sustainable.

For the past year the people in Ghana have been building the Orphanage. They have managed to complete 1 building so far and when we go out there we aim to finish the second. On the bucket list of activities, not only will we get our hands dirty but also spend time with the orphans; hearing their stories and playing with them – letting them know there are good people who care!

Toys and stationary equipment packed (donated by local families), we get ready to say goodbye to our families tonight and leave at the break of dawn. Though we must rest up well tonight in our own beds, I think my anxieties have a different plan… lets see what the next 10 days have in store!

This is my first blog post from Sheffield, and the next will be in Ghana! (If the electricity and time allows!)

Goodbye Sheffield, see you on the other side!