'Antire' From Tolon...

 

By Natty Waldron

Drumming the Calabash at a Local Wedding                                                                  

It now feels like just yesterday that I arrived in Tolon alongside the team of UK and Ghanaian volunteers, yet at first time went very slowly indeed. This was not due to boredom, but derived from the fact that each day was filled with so many new, unexpected and interesting experiences – all of which one learns from. These varied, from getting used to the new rural accommodation and customs, to getting to grips with the local language, Dagbani. I can boast to have 'conversational' Dagbani, measured by the maximum of two minutes I can spend pleasantly exchanging greetings with the locals and my host-family!

Prior to arriving in Tolon, I felt confident that I knew what to expect as I had spent a lot of time thinking about what would await me there and researching what I could about Tolon online (very little is available!). Yet, it was very different from what I expected, the main divergence from my expectations was the vibrancy and diversity within Tolon, it is a bustling place full of enterprises and activity.

Outside Simli Radio Station after Cohort 2's first radio show

The team and I are working for the partnership between International Service and the Non Formal Education Division (NFED). Our contribution aims to help local communities on their way to becoming cooperatives, with the hope that these communities will acquire expedient skills to help them boost their income and their sustainability in a world characterized by ever-increasing competition. NFED have worked in Tolon District for many years now. Their work has been to facilitate and provide literacy classes for women who sadly did not pick up these skills in their youth. Most often these women were deprived a completed formal education due to poverty. The communities in which many of women are from face numerous problems, all of which manifest as significant obstacles for locals to be capable of grasping what opportunities are available to them. Poor infrastructure, a lack of health facilities, family- and labour-demands are just some of the prescient issues that stop many from completing school.

The cohort before us who conducted baseline research in these areas found that the groups we are working with, Income Generating Groups (IGGs) made up of former members of the NFED's literacy classes, are extremely willing to learn. Thus the burden is on us to help provide them with the skills they need to empower themselves through growth of independent and sustainable incomes. Preparing training sessions that can both get through to the groups and be replicated by the NFED staff at later dates has proven itself to be quite a challenge. The challenges within this general experience however, are what makes it rewarding and I am learning that the you get out of it what you are willing to put in. There are a plenitude of things to do both within the project and outside of it. An invaluable part of the placement is living in a host-home with a family who treat you as their own, this provides a really immersive three months in such a tight-knit and secure community. We have received an extremely warm and gracious welcome from the community, including a fascinating formal welcome from the Chief, I sense we would not get far without the Chieftancy's blessing!

My roommate and I presenting a talk to the local Senior High School on the importance of sanitation

The longer the stay here goes on the clearer an image of Northern Ghana becomes. It is a vibrant area with very industrious and sincere people, whose pride in their culture seems alien to many from the UK or elsewhere. The hospitality of all whom I have encountered is second to none and the sense of identity here is truly staggering. Despite this one comes to notice that are large obstacles to the otherwise bright future of Ghana, the lack of infrastructure and the instability of the economy most definitely do not do Ghana justice. Yet, whilst writing this I must qualify this perception with the resilience, generosity and solidarity of all whom I have met. Thus throughout our work here, I believe the most important aspect is to win the trust of the people and to stick tightly to the project's aim of enabling self-empowerment and sustainability.