Critics in context

Every time I visit a school, they ask me to support them, ‘We thank God for your coming, and appreciate it so much you want to support us.' Or: ' We thank God and are so grateful if you support us’. Many teachers and chiefs repeatedly asked this. If they see me they think ‘Money has come again’.

When I came to Ghana I was very determined about this matter: stop all those donations, it will make the people dependent and they will never learn how to make their own money.

After the first month I decided to work on a fundraising project. My mind changed completely! I wanted to collect as much money as possible to donate to the schools. Because I noticed the need of materials is so high and it will definitely improve the quality of teaching. And the parents and teachers are not able to buy all books or materials themselves.

Last weeks I started to doubt on my decision. Not because I don’t want to support, but because it didn’t feel good that I was ‘another white volunteer who’s going to donate materials’.
After different conversations with community members and teachers I changed my mind again. It was because I heard some stories. For example: a school in a community had no water, because they couldn’t pay the water bill. The school asked the whole community to contribute a bit (what they could miss), after one day they had raised enough money to pay the bill. Another example is that I see and hear that parents do have money to buy fabrics for clothes for funerals or weddings, or money to buy some make up or sometimes cigarettes. They could also spend this money on school related things for their child. I started to see that it is not alone about ‘we don’t have money’, it is also about ‘we don’t spend the money on the school enrolment of the child’ and the priorities of spending money are focused on other things. This is also related to the fact that not all parents are aware of the importance of education.

I thought of the next idea: instead of I donating materials to the schools, I donate it to CPYWD.
Every parent who can buy something, CPYWD will double this. For example: if a parent can pay for 1 schoolbook, CPYWD add one. If a parent can pay for half a school book, CPYWD will pay the other half.

It is the principle of Jesus Christ: if you believe you can help your selves, I will help you. Don’t just give! but let people first contribute themselves and then become their partner!
The challenge is to create awareness among the parents and teachers and to support their input! Together we can make a change, and we realize that we can’t expect the parents and teachers to do it all alone, that’s why we want to support. But we find it important that the parents will contribute also and in this way we can make a change, together.

As I wrote before, it is not formal, it will be in an informal way: its adapted on how much money a parent can miss/effort. We cannot expect that all the parents paying the same amount.

To execute this idea we’re going to invite the teachers to the office. To talk with them about this subject and create awareness about the importance of parents contributing to the school enrolment of their children. We want to convince them to agree with our way of thinking and also show them the positive effect of it: more teaching learning materials, more involvement of the parents, taking better care for the materials (because you had to put effort in it, its again the theory of ownership) and the quality of education will improve (it is less difficult for the teacher to teach, because he now can make use of more materials)

We already have a list with materials who are most needed in the community, written down by the teachers. We’re going to use this list to ask: this is what you need, how do you want to get this? What can you do yourself? Etc.

Another example what relates this context: the ASP’s (after school programs, wrote about this in another blog) are less sustainable then the ECD (Early Childhood centres) centers. Why?
Because CPYWD gave the ASP box to the community, provides training to 1 or 2 people and provide materials. There is less ownership, les involvement of the community and less contribution.
The ECD centres on the other hand are more sustainable. The community has to arrange a structure and volunteer teachers. They have to put more effort in the case and therefore feel more ownership. Also the parents have to pay a small allowance for their child to attend the ECD centre. In this way the parents are more involved and feel more responsible for the structure and school enrolment.

The overall message is: work together, support and help each other instead of relying on each other which makes you independent. Take your responsibility and open your eyes for the things you can do and achieve yourself!
There is a need of school materials in the community, not with CPYWD. CPYWD is there to support the community, not to take over. If the community wants something they have to see that they are able to achieve their goal, if they work together.
If they do so, CPYWD is capable of contributing and supporting them.

And I’m willing to support CPYWD in this.

Now, my question for you: Do you want to support this project? Are you able to donate money so the children do get a better education but they will not be dependent on only donations.

If you are thinking of giving something: give half of this amount. Spend half of the amount for something nice for yourself and the other for the children in Ghana. But do it immediately, otherwise you’ll forget it!

Give a present to yourself, and to somebody in Africa.

My bank account number is: NL04 ASNB 0707 0961 70
J.M. Stoop
Please name it; Donation CPYWD from … (add your own name)

Think of €2 , €5 of €10. In this way you don’t have to think about it so long.

I ask you to pass this request on. For every amount you donate, I ask you to ask somebody else to do the same. In this way more people will be reached and if all this people donate a small amount, then together it will form an amount what can make many children, parents and teachers happy.

Pleas stimulate other people to do the same, I ask you to send this blog/request to other people. Spread this idea what means hope and improvement for people in Ghana.

I can use your support! The money you donate, I’ll donate this to CPYWD, I got informed of every expenditure CPYWD does and I’ll inform you.

Your donation can give you a smile on your face, because you do something for yourself and it gives a smile on the face of children, parents and teachers. Your small donation can cause 4 smiles!

If you have questions or comments, they are most welcome. My thoughts and experiences are there to share and I’m interested in yours.

This is the website of CPYWD. Unfortunately it is not up to date, but it does give an impression of what they do.

http://partnershipghana.com/

Thank you for your time!