Together for Adaklu - Container Project II

Working together for Adaklu - handing over school bags, computer rooms and medical equipment to the people in Adaklu

HITA, our German NGO involved in the health and education sectors in Ghana, the Chances Foundation, a Ghanaian NGO involved in health and education activities specifically in the Adaklu region, and the Dreams Alive Foundation, a dynamic team of development workers operating in the Adaklu District and awaiting registration as a foundation, have joined forces to Empower children and youth throughout the region. On Sunday, January 5, 2020, these three organizations had the honor of presenting a number of carefully selected donations to Togbe Lablulu in a ceremony in Adaklu-Waya, the capital of Adaklu District.

Initially, 80 school bags were distributed to selected children (girls) from Waya and four surrounding villages. All of the selected children come from vulnerable backgrounds and are at risk of inadequate access to schooling, as their families are unable to afford even the most basic equipment. The donation is based on a proposal from the DreamsAlive Foundation, whose work is based on the premise that empowering girls and women is one of the most effective ways to promote the development of disadvantaged communities. In fact, there is now a strong consensus among development experts that giving girls the same opportunities as boys to realize their potential is the path to more rapid and self-sustaining development.

55 bags (each filled with contents, including colored pencils, a name tag, and an exercise book) were presented to school-age girls, who were transported to the venue courtesy of Togbe Lablulu of Waya and surrounding villages; the remaining 25 school bags will be delivered to more remote villages by the DreamsAlive team in the coming days. This activity benefits from the DreamsAlive team's in-depth knowledge and experience of the needs of the most disadvantaged citizens of the Adaklu District.

Second, HITA has established two new computer labs at Adaklu Senior High School in Waya and the elementary school in Adaklu-Hasu. HITA has an extensive track record of establishing modern computer labs in educational institutions throughout Ghana, with a focus on training nurses and midwives. This experience is being used in Adaklu to enable more school children to benefit from IT-based learning methods, so that they can fully exploit the potential of computers and the Internet to improve learning outcomes and prepare students for the jobs of the future.

Third, the EPC clinic in Waya, which is currently in full operation, has been equipped with a range of medical equipment donated by healthcare institutions in Germany. The equipment will help improve health care for children and adults in Waya and throughout Adaklu. Particular emphasis is placed on ensuring that donated equipment is tailored to the needs and conditions of the target community, that it is fully functional, and that it will be maintained for many years. This is one of the ways in which HITA differs from many previous donor-led initiatives that were well-intentioned but failed to make a tangible contribution to development in the long run due to too little consideration of conservation and sustainability.

All donations come from private individuals, schools, healthcare institutions and companies in Germany. These donations were collected by HITA during the past year. The activities are part of a longer-term plan by HITA, Chances Foundation and DreamsAlive to work together to promote development in the Adaklu District. Speakers at the event included Togbe Lablulu, Adaklu district superintendent; Richard Atiemo, EP Church health coordinator, Adaklu; Samuel K. Taylor, principal, Adaklu Senior High School; Jacob Ahiave of DreamsAlive Foundation; Thomas Erkert and Karsten Gareis, HITA director and board member, respectively. As MC, Mr. Nananyaw Bediako led the program.

Special thanks were extended to Mr. Emmanuel Chance, owner and manager of the Chances Hotel and head of the Chances Foundation, who could not be present for health reasons. None of the donations would have been possible without the active support of Mr. Chance.