Report by AGREDS
De partner vertelt... van 19 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. Members of the WS team 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
Schools in Ghana most especially deprived communities in northern Ghana face the challenge of less numbers of qualify teachers. Qualify teachers posted to rural schools end up not accepting the postings. The lack of conducive accommodation for teachers in rural communities are often cited as one of the main reasons why the feel reluctant to stay and teach in rural community schools. This unfortunate situation goes a long way to impede quality teaching and learning leading to poor performance of pupils. The future development of children of these schools is thereby hampered.
It is a response to improve the undesirable situation that the community, local government and district education office requested for 2 apartments of teacher houses to help attract, recruit and retain qualify teachers for the Nakpanduri AG JHS.
Key people or stakeholders involved in this project were: community, local government and district education office, World Servants (participants) and AGREDS. The project is viewed by the community as one project that makes the AG JHS more complete and positioned it to offer quality teaching and learning. Through WSN, the same school has benefited from standard classrooms, latrines and girls changing rooms and rain water harvesting tanks. These projects make the school a more child centered, child friendly and above all, girl-child friendly school.
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 project outputs within an agreed time frame.
The construction
Construction works were done in line with approved design by key stakeholders.
Materials of different kinds were positioned on site in good time. AGREDS technical team and the female technical leader of WS team worked together and succeeded in leading other members of the Dutch team and local community members to execute the project. By the time the Dutch team left the project community, had been roofed bring work done on the teacher house to about (70%). The project has 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. Participants were accommodated in a classroom built by WS team in 2014. Good meals were served participants during the entire project period. The childrens programme is rated as being very successful. Life skills programme was well organized. Cultural and touristic outings went on well.
Transportation
Transportation was well arranged. The team changed an original plan to fly back to Accra from Tamale to traveling by bus. This decision was taken by the team to reduce costs and to keep it within the existing project budget. AGREDS support this decision that was taken.
Safety / Field Security Plan
AGREDS before the project did security checks in and around the project areas through the local government. Safety
Cooperation with the WSN project staff
The cooperation with the WSN project staff during the project period was highly cordial and productive. The high level and good cooperation was the main reason why project specific outputs were realized e.g. children program, Life skills program, cultural and touristic outings and construction.
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. They were 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 labour.
4. Development of the project
Work on the 2 apartment teacher houses continued by AGREDS technical team and members of Nakpanduri community. The enthusiasm among members of the community 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
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.
