Greetings!!!

Adanu Review of 2020

The year began with high hopes of great success in executing volunteer group trips and projects, but Covid-19 set in and altered our activities. However, we managed to sail through the year with much success supporting our communities.

Two New Schools

We commissioned two school projects from last year: a three-classroom unit with an office and store for the Saviefe-Gbedome community, and a three-classroom unit with office, store, and staff common room for the Takla community. The respective projects brought beaming smiles to the teachers and students and the community at large. These schools solve critical infrastructure challenges in each community!

Donor Cultural Exploration Trip

After the commissioning of the above-mentioned projects, we played host to Lavone, a 2018 Mosaic volunteer, and her daughter and a daughter-in-law. In addition to visiting the community where Lavone volunteered, we visited other Adanu communities and projects to help her daughter and daughter-in-law acquaint themselves with Adanu and the way we work. Then, we visited our usual Ghana tourist sites: The Wli waterfalls (the highest waterfall in Ghana and the tallest in West Africa), the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary and Cultural Village, and the slave castle in Cape Coast!

Salesforce Volunteer Trip

Then came volunteers from Salesforce for a 2-week stay. They visited Adanu libraries and schools where previous Salesforce teams had helped install computer labs. They wanted to ascertain how useful and beneficial these facilities have been to the students and teachers. They helped paint, stock books, and install computers at the Kpogadzi e-library, which was an Adanu 15^th anniversary birthday gift to the Salvation Army Basic school.

Salesforces’ stay got interrupted with reported Covid-19 cases around the word and major city lockdowns. The volunteers travelled back home in good time so they wouldn’t get locked out their home countries. Our activities locally also slowed due to Ghana’s partial lockdowns and strict adherence to the Covid-19 protocols. The Adanu office was closed, with staff having to work from home and adhere strictly to the safety protocols.

Collaborative University Online Study Abroad Program

During the summer, Richard and Mypa continued to work on developing the Global Community-Engaged Learning (GCEL) curriculum with Clint Morse and Julia Anderson from Mosaic, Nicole Webster from Penn State University, and Jean-Paul Sewavi from Michigan State University. This is a new flagship online study abroad program aligned with Adanu’s mission. During this time of the pandemic, this course introduces a brand new concept to study abroad by bringing Ghana to our students.

Since 2002, Adanu has been facilitating a more engaged form of study abroad that emphasizes community-engaged service and 21st century collaboration to create knowledge and solve pressing challenges. Our unique community-engaged service model provides a framework for leaders to execute a more efficient and effective program. This course consists of live Zoom meetings with Ghanaian experts, intercultural interactions, self-assessments, and group debriefs. Each week offers readings and assignments which students are expected to complete. In addition, there are three interactive Ghanaian experiences to engage the students more fully in Ghanaian culture.

Sisterhood Batik Center

We constructed a new batik working shed with an office and store for the Sisterhood Batik Center at Adaklu-Hehekpoe with funding from Sandy Watts.

Global Hope Alliance

In partnership with Global Hope Alliance we have been helping the women of Mafi-Gborkofe identify an income generating venture. They chose batik making, too. Through our help and guidance, they have been able to elect an interim executive board and locate a site to put up their center.

Helping Open Schools Safely

Adanu also hosted a stake-holders' engagement meeting (The Ghana COVID-19 School Reopening/Monitoring) under the auspices of EDU Watch and ActionAid Ghana.

Tongor-Agordeke School

In November, we upgraded a six-unit classroom block at the Tongor-Agordeke Local Authority School, including expanding its office, fixing the roof, installing electricity, and painting the whole building.

Adanu Radio

Adanu Radio 107.7 FM (a community radio) was granted permission to test transmit, which we’ve been doing for the past two months. We’re delighted because there have been many delays in receiving authorization to broadcast. We still await full authorization from the National Communication Authority of Ghana.

We are most grateful to all our donors and friends who have kept faith and trust during this difficult time. Thank you SO much for your support in our success.

We send you our warmest compliments of the season!

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