WHO WE ARE!
This is our story:
In the summer of 2019, our family (Lien, Rik, Lene and Lisse) went to Ghana for voluntary work. That kind of travel with your familie, asks a lot of preparations. We've dealt with a whole range of questions before, during and after our adventures in Ghana.
We want to clarify them so that you can follow the thread in our story...
Question 1: Why volunteer work?
Making a journey to learn to know another culture, outrunning your own western culture and changing it for another one. We disconnect ourselves and the kids from the western materialism, trying to help people in a meaningful way.... These were the thoughts that arose in our minds in preparing our journey.
We wondered in what way we could reach our goal in the best way... we realised quite quickly that we would like to make a familiarization trip and certainly not sightseeing a special region as a tourist. We thought that we could familiarize in the best way by staying for a while in a family and cooperate in a local school. In this way, our children could also make contacts with other kids rapidly.
Question 4: What have we learnt?
Ghana is a beautiful country with lots of opportunities in tourism. We have learnt that Ghanaian can and will work hard. There is a lot of potential that is often unused. Any parent wants his child to study, but if you have the choice between school for the child or food for the family.... we cannot speak of having a choice!!
Any project that we have visited, has only got basic means. If they need something more, if maintenance has to be done... they count on gifts from wester volunteers. No volunteers, no income... When we want them to become independent on income, then we have to find them a fixed income source. Then they can learn to plan, to organise and to maintain...
OUR TEAM
Meet the true heroes
"SAMMY" BEKOE KOJO
GORDON ESSEKU
Headmaster of the Shammaj Jehovah School
Maybe your name will be here soon?
What now?
Support our mission!
Question 2: Why Ghana?
We hadn't made a far journey with our family yet, we didn't know which continent we would go, let alone in what country we would like "to familiarize". We did a survey among friends, colleagues and relatives with lots of airmiles on the counter to learn which region would be best. Everybody was unanimous. Africa is the most haunting, western influences are least penetrated and lots of regions are very safe. Upon inquiry Ghana seemed to be one of the safest countries, with a pleasant, enthusiastic, helpful and hospitable population. Well, the choice has been easy after that, because with kids you want to play it safe...
Question 3: How have we found to this project?
We joined travelactive.nl, a Dutch travel agency that organises travels and works all over the world. It felt good to be member of this travel agency. They proposed two school projects in Ghana and we could make a choice. We chose the Jehovah Shammah School in Senya Beraku. We thought that maybe this was a school for members of the Jehovah religion. Upon inquiry 'Jehovah' meant 'God'. Jehovah Shammah means 'God is present here'. We stayed in a host family close to the school.
