Challenge:

Building and Teaching

Destination:

*Ghana

Departure Dates From:

26/07/2008

Madventurer works throughout Ghana in partnership with International Organisations such as World Vision as well as local NGO's and village development commitees, to build much needed facilities in rural communities including schools, sanitation blocks and clinics.

Building

The core of each Madventurer project is the building work that we undertake in the village. This is the most tangible contribution that we make to the host community, and forms a focus for you and the group. We try to plan projects such that there are a range of activities for you to get involved in. Those less keen on heavy building work usually take up the lighter, but equally important, work such as painting or plastering.

The key to any Madventurer building project is the partnership between you, the team and the local community. As well as bringing essential funding to the project, the presence of a team of Venturers in the village community can be a great motivator to local people. On every project, it takes time for villagers to get used to the idea that Venturers - especially girls - actually want to help with manual labour, and initially you will find people trying to do all the work for you. Once you explain that you genuinely want them to teach you the basic skills (eg. how to mix cement or lay bricks) then the partnership really begins to develop, allowing everyone to get stuck in.

Teaching

Education in the villages can vary greatly depending on the facilities available, class sizes and available teachers. It usually follows quite old-fashioned methods involving lots of reciting and learning facts. There are three levels of schooling in Ghana: Primary (ages 5-9), Junior Secondary (ages 10-15) and Senior Secondary (ages 16-18). Most good-sized villages have a Primary and a JSS, with some larger ones also having an SSS (often this will be a technical school). Class sizes are generally large, and it is not uncommon to have more than 50 students sharing one class.

Classrooms may be quite basic, comprising brick walls, a tin roof and simple wooden desks, often shared between several students. Resources available to teachers and students are limited, with a blackboard and a few textbooks for the class to share being all many schools have. Some receive funds from churches or other donors, giving them access to more books and, if they are exceptionally lucky, a computer.

At what level, and to what extent, Madventurer teachers get involved in is up to each individual. During the first week of the project, the Madventurer Crew Leader will introduce venturers who want to teach to the Principal of the local school to discuss the venturers interests and skill areas, and how these fit in with the school's needs. Initially you can work with local teaching staff, or fellow venturers until you feel confident to take a class by yourself.

Although you can opt to spend more of their time on building or teaching, the whole project is a team effort and we encourage everyone to participate as much as possible.

Feedback

We love getting feedback from our venturers, here is Matthew Harpers comments on his project in Kanyita village in April 2007:

'I felt the whole project went really well with a good balance between building work, school work and spending time with the villagers and chilling. The feeling of being part of a African community throughout was very strong and the team really intergrated with the locals. I loved being part of the community and enjoyed the weekend trips away. Personally its been hugely beneficial to get away from the UK, returning now will make it so much easier to keep things in perspective. Loved it!!!'