Providing School Supplies to 100 Children in Ghana

Hello, everyone! This is Kondo, the Ghana Project manager. A state of emergency has been declared and inconveniences continue, but I'm waiting for the return of our freedom! 

In Ghana, people are struggling to protect their livelihoods under the difficult circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even after the lockdown was put in place across Ghana in March last year and later lifted in April, activities such as open-air markets where large numbers of people gather were restricted, affecting many cocoa farmers. In addition, schools were closed for a total of 9 months, which resulted in 62 children returning to child labor in the project area. As soon as the schools reopened in January 2021, they stopped child labor and went back to school again, but many cocoa farmers are still struggling to make ends meet. 

Particularly serious is the lack of a stable source of income for cocoa farmers, which makes it difficult for them to support the education of their children on a stable basis. Originally, many cacao farmers did not have any other means of income. As a result, fluctuations in cacao yields and prices often led to a drastic decrease in income and instability in their lives. Diversifying cultivars to solve this problem will reduce that risk and make farmers' livelihoods more resilient. 

The project began farming edible snails in 2019. And from 2020, people in the project are starting to grow new rice crops in order to diversify their income sources. In fact, rice is considered to be a very good crop in Ghana, as it is highly profitable and consumed by the people themselves. It is heard that some cocoa farmers are quitting cocoa cultivation and shifting to rice production. 

Using Ghana's rural development scheme called Women in Additional Income Generating Activities (WAIGA), they started growing rice under the guidance of engineers from Ghana's Ministry of Agriculture. Twenty-five farmers will participate in the training and will be provided with seeds, fertilizers, etc. The cost of the training will be offset by the payment of a bag of rice after the harvest. This year, 25 farmers harvested a total of 184 bags, or 7.5 bags per acre, and the rice was sold out at the market. 

Poverty is not the only reason why child labor occurs, but it is still important to get out of poverty, improve income and stability in order to protect children's rights and educational environment. Especially in this Covid-19 pandemic, how families can ensure that their children are educated is an important issue. The project is now conducting monitoring and awareness-raising activities to eliminate child labor by themselves, including child protection committees and school management committees. If we can provide the infrastructure for children to learn and play in a safe environment, the project area can move closer to becoming a Child Labour Free Zone, which the Ghanaian government is promoting.  

Even in the difficult circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic, the people in the project communities continue to work to eliminate child labor, and in doing so, they also continue to make efforts to improve their own lives. We, ACE, will support and encourage such local people! 

Hello,

This is Yuki Akahori, Project Manager for our SMILE community projects in Ghana. For this quarterly update, I wanted to share the stories of two children and their families, who we interviewed remotely a few weeks ago as part of our ongoing check-ins with SMILE community members. Here is what they had to say about their current situation, the SMILE-Ghana project and how it has impacted their lives.

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Alice* and her family

Alice is part of a family of 8 who had migrated from the north-east of Ghana where they previously worked in rice farming. Their friends had told them that cacao-farming was more profitable, and so they decided to move down to the south west cacao-growing regions of Ghana. All of Alice's sisters and brothers are primary school-aged. 

The hardest aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic for her parents was their business collapsing. They used to sell goods in the local market - which was shut down due COVID restrictions. They had already invested all their capital into building that business so they no longer have the resources to start up all over again.

Alice is 13 and likes going to school because she has good teachers and she likes learning. Her favourite subject is maths. During the school closures, she spent her days helping with household chores. She couldn't study because no one at home was able to teach her. That was the hardest part of the COVID-19 pandemic for her. She was so happy when schools re-opened.

Alice and all her brothers and sisters were already attending school before SMILE began in their community. The project reinforced their belief in the importance of education, which is their third biggest living expense after food and medical expenses.

 SMILE-Ghana’s Impact

 For the parents

Alice's parents didn't really understand what child labour signified until the project started in their communities. That is not to say that they didn't send their children to school, however, the project raised their awareness of the different types of harmful labour for different age groups and ensured their children were not engaged in anything they shouldn't be. The CCPC monitors their village now too.

What do you expect from the children's education?

For them to be empowered and supported and secure a better job in their future (better than the labour intensive work of cacao-farming).

What was the most significant change in your life which has resulted from SMILE Ghana Project and why?

One of the children was provided SMILE school supplies and it motivated me to try and make sure the other children all had supplies too. We saw how happy the children were to have supplies - this was our main motivating factor. Other changes we saw in the community were teachers being more punctual, academic performance increased as attendance increased and learning was being taken more seriously (teachers were punctual for example).

These were key changes for us because we want our children to have bright futures, and we believe these changes contribute to that.

For the children

What is the most significant change in your life that has resulted from SMILE Ghana Project? Why is this significant to you?

The school feeding program. Before that there was no food in school. We enjoy the meals.

What is your dream for the future? Why?

I want to be a nurse when I am old. I remember when I had gone to hospital for a stomach ache and a nurse treated me so well.

Charles and his family

Charles is one of a family of nine - he has 6 brothers and sisters. His parents have no other income source other than from cacao farming since they could no longer sell cassava and coco yam at the market since the pandemic hit. Their children’s education accounts for 40% of their living expenses. They want their children to be able to learn in a safe learning environment at school and secure opportunities for a better future.

SMILE-Ghana’s Impact

 For the parents

Do you see any changes in your child’s behaviour or attitude in daily life (now & before the project)?

The children go to school much more and their academic performance has improved. Both us and the children have got better at making sure that we have everything ready for school.

From your point of view, what is the most significant change in your life that has resulted from the SMILE Ghana Project? Why is this significant to you?

We better understand the importance of children going to school and what children should and shouldn't be allowed to do. We have also come to feel that we have the ability to improve our children's opportunities.

From your point of view, what is the most significant change in the community that has resulted from the SMILE Ghana Project? Why is this significant to you?

We work better together as a team and the community is much more aware of the fact that children should be going to school not to work.

For the children

Do you like going to school? Why? What do you like the most in school?

Yes, I like learning, especially maths.

 What is the hardest thing you experienced during COVID-19 pandemic?

We didn't have electricity so I couldn't study at home.

How did you feel when the school resumed?

Very happy because I can study and eat lunch! 

What is the most significant change in your life that has resulted from SMILE Ghana Project? Why is this significant to you?

Learning about the basic rights of the child and going to the Child Dignity Club. Also, being provided the school supplies. 

What is your dream for the future? Why?

I want to be a teacher. I think it is so good when a teacher explains something and it is so easy to understand.

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 We hope these short excerpts give you some insight into the ways in which the SMILE project is impacting not only children's lives but their families, supporting their education as well as their all-round well-being and sense of empowerment to secure a better future for themselves. 

Your donations make these projects possible. Thank you again for all your support.