Report by partner organisation AGREDS

De partner vertelt... van 7 september 2016


1. Summary

This was a good project from all indications. Community had a good feeling about the project which manifested in the level of community participation before, during and after the Dutch team left the project community. From a central point, the WS team was split into 3 groups of which 2 groups cycled from Namasim Community on a daily bases to the two other project communities specifically, Dindani and Sakogu. Before the project, the arrangement to cycle to project communities from the central point was considered to be stressful. But member of the WS team made it very interesting a thing to do.  Participants worked really hard and participated fully in all functional areas such as construction, children program, Life skills program, cultural and touristic outings and local church service on Sundays. There were perfect integration and interaction between local project community members and WS team. Both stakeholders had what can be best described as good project.


2. Introduction on the project

Some schools in the East Mamprusi district of northern Ghana lack toilets, water system and girls changing rooms. The lack of these facilities, have and continue to impact negatively on access and quality education in deprived community school and most especially the vulnerable girl-child. The Individual, family and community sanitation and hygiene practices leave much to be desired. The resultant effect being poor health leading to high household expenditure on health, low economic output, and worst of all, reduction in school attendance of children and poor learner performance in rural basic schools. It is in response to improve the undesirable situation that the community, local government and district education office requested for latrines, GCRs and water tanks for some selected schools as per the table below:


Project Schools Project     

  • Namasim Community JHS - Latrines and Girls Changing room & awareness creation on water, sanitation and hygiene
  • Dindani JHS - Rain water harvesting tank of 35,000 lit. & awareness creation on water, sanitation and hygiene
  • Sakogu JHS - Latrines and Girls Changing room & awareness creation on water, sanitation and hygiene    

Key people or stakeholders involved in these projects were: community, local government and district education office, World Servants (participants), AGREDS and Ghana health Services. Ghana health services staff (Staff Sakogu Health center) partnered WS team to raise awareness on water, sanitation and hygiene. This took place in Sakogu and Dindani communities respectively.

It is expected that the projects as named above, will serve as means through which school children and most especially the girl-child and indeed the larger community will progressively adopt live styles, values and practices that will promote good and healthy living.

3. Operational level
Planning, organizing, scheduling etc during the project was to a large extent well managed given the context of the local project community. The community had received adequate information about the project and prepared sufficiently for the project. The WS team exhibited high level of flexibility during the project period which paved way for easy integration. The outcome was sound team work that delivered the desire outputs within an agreed time frame.

The construction
Construction works were done in line with approved drawings by key stakeholders.

Materials of different kinds were positioned on site in good time. AGREDS technical and the technical leader worked together and succeeded in leading other members of the Dutch team and local community members realized the building objective. The Namasim project 80% complete, Dindani was 100% complete while Sakogu was 50% complete as off the time WS team left the project communities. Sakogu project encountered setbacks due to the fact that the site of the project was rocky which to large extent slowed down the speed of work. The 3 projects have since been completed.


Facilitation of the team
Facilitation of the team went on well. Accommodation was well arranged under the prevailing condition in the project community. Good meals were served participants during the entire project period. The childrens program is rated as being very successful. Life skills program was well organized. Cultural and touristic outings went on well.

Transportation
Transportation was well arranged. AGREDS however, observed that given the current increase in air fares, WS could reduce costs by sending participant to and from project site by bus. The bus is relatively cheaper.


Safety / Field Security Plan
AGREDS before the project did security checks in and around the project areas through the local government.  


Cooperation with the WSN project staff
The cooperation with the WSN project staff during the project period was highly cordial and productive.

Involvement of the stakeholders
 Applicant:  was encouraging. Gave all needed support i.e visiting during project and spent time in interacting with participants and community members.
Staff:  the cooks did a good job. Provided meals liked by participants. A few times meals were late. AGREDs will work on that. AGREDS provided a Jeep which served the team during the project. This made coordination of the project very successful since the vehicle was to carry participants and to collect other project items such as meat, bread, fruits etc. AGREDS technical team were very much prepared for the project and put in their best and managed to work with well with participants
Beneficiaries:  the direct beneficiaries of the project who are the teachers. Teachers of the school were on holidays but the few teachers who were in town participated in the construction works and assisted WS team in other project functional areas.
The local authorities:  the local authorities helped in mobilizing the local community for the project and were represented during the interim handing over.
Community:  provided land for the project, supplied water for construction and contributed both skilled and unskilled labor.

4. Development of the project
Work on the Namasim and Sakogu projects continued by AGREDS technical team and members of the two communities. The enthusiasm among members of the communities towards the provision of unskilled labour and other form of project support was sustained after the Dutch team left, signifying the sign of community gradual ownership and leading the development of own community development process. The very presence of the WS team in the project community contributed immensely to promoting the self-help spirit that was noticed in community members before, during and after the WS team left the project community.


5. Lessons learned
Lesson Assistance and support for rural underserved schools and communities must be based on locally identified needs, rather than an external determination of challenges. A key insight from AGREDS/WSN development work in rural and underserved communities is that, while rural communities and schools are resource-poor in comparison with other communities and schools, nevertheless can make significant impact on student learning by coordinating use of their local resources towards strategically identified challenges such as the teacher houses.

Implication Local people are needed to lead local efforts  growing leaders from within the school and community in order to maintain local buy-in and sustain long-term efforts for community schools.