Day 13

I’m sitting here in a day hotel room they have booked for us to use as we come and go on our own schedules this afternoon .  It’s our last day in Ghana.  We leave for the airport and then England later tonight.  As a bonus, we will be attending a reception at the Canadian High Commission before ducking out to the airport.  Cutting it a bit close, but how can we pass up that opportunity?!

We all noted how it’s hard to believe that two weeks have passed.  For most, the days were long. The conditions rough (but not so rough as those who live here, especially in the villages and remote areas).   Coaches were up and going by 8 am, and often working on their reports and recommendations til later in the evening.  A bit of food and refreshment and then off to bed to start it all again.  My own schedule didn’t involve coaching, but I was averaging 3-4 visits a day (one day five), which was challenging all on its own. Still … looking back, the time just flew by. 

So much we have learned.  So much we realize that we didn’t see or experience.  Plus … we all realized the privileged existence we have had here in this country.  We had dedicated drivers, essentially cultural liaisons, to get us around and help us navigate a very foreign culture – and to help us avoid the bigger mistakes we could have made.  (Let’s not talk about all the tiny ones we probably made along the way!!)  CUA - the Ghana credit union central - and CCA worked hard to pre-plan as much as they could and work out the biggest kinks.  (Not always successfully, but they tried!)  If we’d tried to come in to as individuals, our level of access, mobility and general comfort would not have been nearly so successful.  And our results would have probably reflected that, too.

This morning was spent at CUA, briefing the management team there on the experiences of the coaching teams and the key recommendations they made to each of the local credit unions.  I also was granted a few moments to reflect on my learnings, and didn’t realize til then what I had, in fact, experienced.  It will take me a few more days, possibly weeks, to process it all.  I took copious notes of the coaches’ stories, so this should help to round out some of my own reports and possible articles.  We will have our own team debriefing in London when we hook up again with the teams from Uganda and Malawi. That is when I will help the teams focus the key elements of the stories they’ll be presenting to various audiences once they are home.

Also in the morning meeting: we sang the credit union song (a truncated version of It’s a Small World – seriously!!), had an opening and closing prayer and a few of the CUA staff made some presentations.   CUA also presented us with thank you gifts, lovely ceremonial scarves.   Then, off to lunch at a local restaurant.

Once we’d eaten (90% of us had chicken and rice, our fall-back meal), we dispersed to savour our last moments in Accra.  I joined the Irish contingent and went to a market to see what trinkets I could purchase. Notice to my nieces – you SCORED!)  Others went swimming, while still others found food and drink to pass the time.

I am sitting here in the common hotel room just getting ready to head to the Canadian High Commission.  I have packed and repacked, and managed to get my two suitcases into one weighing marginally less than the maximum allowed. It will be so much easier to navigate the tube in London as we make our way to the hotel from Heathrow using only public transit.  I am in my travelling clothes – long pants and long shirt.  The air conditioning is keeping me comfortable; how soon will I regret my clothing choices when I venture into the city again, I wonder.

So sad it is over.  I will miss this place. The  things I have seen and done here have made some preconceptions of mine soften, and given me a new part of the world to explore, if only through Google and the Internet.

Talk to you soon,

Mark

Providing a hand up, rather than a hand-out

Even in Ghana, it’s the real thing!

It normally takes a bit of effort to get me motivated on a Monday morning. Not today!

After battling the local traffic jams, we ended up at Mount Zion Co-operative Credit Union in Bechem.  The credit union, formerly called Bechem School for the Deaf CCU,  was also being visited by Anthony and Fintan, two CCA coaches who were about to begin two days of coaching and mentoring the manager and board.  I had a few moments to observe them in action as they initially met with Ernest, the manager. Their style was easy going and laid back.  It will be interesting to see what suggestions and tips their final report to the manager and board will contain.

From Bechem, we drove to Dormaa, to spend some time at Dormaa Teacher’s CCU, a thriving, five-branch operation.  I met with Patricia, the acting CEO, and learned of their success with the Youth Savings Program, a way to encourage savings in Ghana’s young people, while also grooming new members for the credit union.

Me and Youth Savings Club members at Dormaa SHS.

One of their managers took me to Dormaa Senior High School, which has more than 500 students enrolled in the YSP.  I spent some time with some of the students, and like my earlier visit to Sege, I found the students polite and interested, but offered little information about their involvement in the Youth Savings Program unless I pointedly asked one person a specific question.

Again, like in Sege, once I got the students outside, their personalities exploded.  I got them to pose for a number of photographs; my favourite is the one with their hands in the air in what we have called our ‘bonsai’ pose.  [a long story, suffice to say that it began with the coaches at CCA in Ottawa having fun during their own photo session].  I also got the Headmistress of the school to bonsai.  [And some other school children who were waiting for their bus outside my hotel earlier in the morning!!] Fun all around.

Headmistress of Dormaa Senior High School Margaret Otchere Pomaah
Teacher and Youth Savings Program Co-ordinator Emmanuel Obeng Asare,
and CUA staff member, Clara Nyarkoah.

CCA coaches Fintan & Anthony  and staff at Mount Zion Co-operative Credit Union.

The original bonsai pose.

I ended up staying at the same hotel as Anthony and Fintan, so we all met for dinner.  I had the most Ghanaian of dishes:  Pineapple chicken, essentially Chinese food.  But it was sooooo good!

Things are starting to wind down for this coaching mission and there are so many other stories to tell – and many more to experience.  What doesn’t get blogged will get reported by CCA, myself, the coaches and others.  This is a country rich with heritage, pride and determination.  I feel so blessed to be a part of this mission and to be able to provide a hand up to these wonderful people, rather than a hand-out.

Thanks for being part of this!

Mark

Checking in on the coaches

In addition to the CCA coaches in Ghana, teams are also mentoring SACCOs (savings

and credit co-ops) in Uganda and Malawi.

Here are excerpts from some of those coaches. To read the full posts, click on the link shown, and to link to other coaches’ blogs, use the links at right.

A beautiful beach in Karonga.

MALAWI

Heidi Hyokki, Interior Savings, BC

goin2africa.blogspot.com

Well we had another long journey today as we travelled 4 hours north to the city of Karonga. I had no idea how beautiful a drive it was going to be!  You come down a winding road from high in the mountains and as far as the eye can see is this beautiful lake with a white sandy beach bordering its shore.

We stopped in at the Karonga Teacher's SACCO late this afternoon to meet their President and Manageress....they were so warm and welcoming! We are all set now to start work first thing in the morning and they are so excited to be chosen as one of the SACCOS to have Canadian Coaches.....they referred to us as International Specialist...hahaha...no pressure or anything.....I know we will work really hard the next 2 days to help them in as many ways possible.

Bev and David visit a savings and credit co-op in Malawi.

Bev Maxim, retired, SK, and David Domes, Sanford Credit Union, MB

gointomalawi.blogspot.com

The day spent with the MUDI Savings and Credit Co-operative (SACCO) on Wednesday was like old home week for us Prairie folk. 

This SACCO has grown from their original location operating out of a 40 foot shipping container into a facility that Dave says is about the size of his credit union office in Manitoba.  The Board, staff and 2,700 members are understandably very proud of this accomplishment and they have had many visitors from near and far.   Mercy, the general manager, invited us to sign the guest book that she keeps (she was surprised and pleased to learn that Bev also keeps a guest book at home).   Looking through the pages of previous visitors it became apparent that the world of co-operatives is indeed small.  We see that many people that have Canadian Prairie roots have walked through the door before us. 

GHANA

Karen McBride, Concentra Financial, SK

mrsdixoninghana.blogspot.com

Today Craig, Quay Que (our driver) and I went on the Dodi Princess boat cruise up Lake Volta to Dodi Island and back.  When we got to Dodi Island they gave us 20 minutes to walk on the island. It turned out to be very disturbing because the people from the nearby village come to this part of the island when a boat is coming and all the tiny children follow you along the path, begging for money. They were all in need, but it was not possible to give because there are so many of them and they swarm anyone who takes their wallet out.

What they need is a cooperative that sets up one donation bucket at the dock and then share it among the villagers. They had dancers and singers at the dock so all they needed was to organize themselves so people had a way to give.

When we got to the dock, a fellow we had asked to make us woven bracelets for our family and friends had managed to complete all but about 8 of the 43 we asked him to do. Basically he had to weave the names into the bracelets so I am sure his fingers were ready to fall off! He brought the rest to the hotel tonight...a very nice young man. Tomorrow we are off to Somanya for two days and then back to Accra.  We are looking forward to learning about Somanya Community Credit Union and hoping we can offer them something of value.

Employees at Kebisoni are working hard to improve the lives of members.

UGANDA

Deb Edwards, Coastal Community Credit Union, BC

debgandersuganda.blogspot.com

On Thursday we met with the Kebisoni SACCO to provide our report. The board, management and some staff were in attendance. It was a national holiday however the SACCO was open for the morning and quite busy as we began our report. The board and management were very receptive and appreciated our recommendations. They were pleased to hear we thought they had good leadership and practices.

The real fun began after the meeting concluded. They invited us to drink some pop with them and explained when you are invited to share you are being invited to share in love. It was like being welcomed into their family.

It was a very special day, I feel truly blessed to have shared this experience with warm, caring, individuals. They are in fact a lot like our credit union board and employees. They want to help the members to improve their living.  They want to do it in a caring and thoughtful way, bringing value to the relationship. They want to improve the economic condition of their communities and through their credit union and cooperative lift their families and communities out of poverty and into prosperity.