Reports -> Newsletters -> Newsletter June 2010
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2010-06-15 Newsletter June 2010 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent: 2010-06-15 From: www.cidghana.org in cooperation with IM Storm
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CID-GHANA NEWS LETTER - JUNE, 2010
Dear distinguished friends, associates and members of CID-Ghana fraternity,
In this issue of the news letter we keep you abreast with a journalistic
account of events at the CID-Ghana headquarters in Tamale, Ghana.
VOLUNTEER PROJECT: EXPLORING THE DYNAMISM IN CID-GHANA'S VOLUNTEERISM
In line with the new strategy for CID-Ghana, the much awaited Senior
Volunteer or the 'Baby Boomer' Programme kick-started in April, 2010 with
Ronnie Allebrandi as the first ever to honor the call. The Senior
Volunteer Programme seeks to engage retired but experience minds from
Europe and elsewhere to provide expert advice, coach and work with
Ghanaian organizations that lack the requisite capacity or being
challenged by other constraints in recruiting competent staff.
CID-Ghana has had its share of benefits from the Senior Volunteer
Programme with the engagement of Ronnie Allebrandi. Her role was
strategically resourceful in ensuring quality programme management through
simple format development. Ronnie Allebrandi is a 60 year old retired
project manager and senior consultant from Holland with over 32 years of
work experience. Ronnie has opened the doors for interested retired
experts with relevance to developing organizational capacity to join in
the Senior Volunteer programme. This programme offers you the opportunity
to experience the unique culturally diversified life in Ghana while
sharing experience and building capacities.
Picture 1: Ronnie Allebrandi busy in her position as Senior Volunteer with
CID Ghana Office, Tamale
2010 DONATIONS: HOMAGE TO THE KIND HEARTED
CID Ghana is overwhelmed by the generous and invaluable heartily donations
received from the following organizations:
The Alan and Nesta Ferguson Foundation, UK; the Dutch foundations KIWANIS
Nijmegen; CINOP; and Stichting Gympie.
We are equally indebted to the Van Der Houwen Family for their unceasing
support to CID-Ghana's Computer School. We are also privileged to welcome
and thank all the new 2010 Student Sponsors / God Parents for extending
helping hands to educational support of the disadvantaged children in
Northern Region of Ghana.
CID-Ghana Netherlands is also closely collaborating with Rotary- Schagen
as part of efforts to secure partnership support.
Together we can put more smiles onto the faces of the underprivileged. We
are at lost of words to thank you all for the invaluable support.
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN FOCUS
At long last, the CID-Ghana sponsored Primary School project for the
people of Kukuo-Yapalsi and Tempe-Kukuo in rural Tamale has commenced in
earnest. Guus Klaren, Peter Anaadumba, local CID-Staff, the traditional
authourities and representatives of the communities graced the occasion in
a sod-cutting ceremony held in May, 2010 for work to begin. The school,
when completed, shall consist of a six classroom block, a library, store
room, and an office. Site preparation has begun and building materials
are being conveyed to site. Members of the two communities were spotted
busily working tirelessly to clear the site of trees, bushes and shrubs
for foundation works to begin.
Picture 2: Community members anxiously felling trees as part of site
preparation for the school building
The engagement of the communities in aspect of the work is aimed at
cutting down cost of labour and at the same time instilling into them
sense of ownership of the project.
Fundraising for the school has been a delight and a pride of CID-Ghana
UK/Ireland under the enthusiastic leadership of the Country Director, Ryan
Thomson. For more information, please contact Ryan on ryan@cidghana.org
GOSSIPS AND SECRETS: 'BECOMING A GHANAIAN IN A DAY'
Volunteers learn every bit of the Ghanaian life styles; regular greetings,
new eating habits, extended load of family relations, shopping styles,
bathing with the bucket, preference of the right hand, living with
frequent black outs, and myriads of others. This is evidenced in a mastery
over the shopping strategy by Lio Rutten, a Belgian Volunteer
[February-April, 2010]. Lio's secret to the magic trick in bargaining for
the cheapest price possible came after series of encounter with sellers
who always set higher prices, almost double the actual price. In her
revelation remark, she advice continuing and prospective volunteers to
always bargain on the low side. In a concluding statement she pointed out
that most often products sold to you at a quoted price can be bought half
of the price if you persist with the trick. In this case always bargain
50% off the price but it should be borne in mind that prices set at
super-markets do not follow this rule. So any time you are making a
purchase on the way side or on the open market in Ghana just be sure to
apply the magic bargain trick- 50% off.
MARKET POSSIBILITIES FOR THE UNMARKETABLE: BATIK TIE & DYE -WOMEN'S
LIVELIHOOD AT THREAT
With the influx of cheap Chinese textiles into the Ghanaian market, very
little is said of local textile prints especially the popular batik tie &
dye prints. The fate of the CID-Ghana 'Tungteya Women's Group' hung in the
balance as the group battled in vain to keep themselves in business that
is meant to support their children and families. This issue has been sole
touching to many but the warmest heart so touched to the bone has been
that of Maddy Shreurs, Dutch Volunteer Coordinator. With a well thought
out plan, Maddy has developed a strategy in consultation with a colleague
that brings to light new uses of batik tie and dye for the Dutch homes. In
attempt to find market for these women, a pilot of the strategy was
succinctly carried out by Maddy in collaboration with the women at their
center in Kukuo-Yaplasi. It took several days of painstaking training and
trials to reach the desired product specification. The pilot is a test
case that is expected to consolidate future market for the women base on
the outcome of events with Maddy's hard earned work with the Dutch
Colleague [Mrs. Marga Sloot].
Picture 3: Maddy Shreurs, Dutch volunteer coordinator, discussing batik design with the women of the Kukuo Yapalsi centre
AN ENCOUNTER WITH YAKUBU ABDULAI IN ALMOST ONE YEAR DIRECTING AT CID-GHANA
Issah: Question 1
After almost a year directing affairs in CID-Ghana, what have you found
different from your previous professional experience?
Abdulai : Response
"My previous professional engagements was not in a management position, I
was more of a field staff with less management responsibilities. Here in
CID-Ghana I am the head of management which offers me unique
opportunities to unearth my inner potentials to manage and lead people."
"I also cherished the value of openness, which is utilized through
dialogue in reaching consensus. This value was what I missed in my
previous professional engagements. I enjoy every bit of the
responsibilities assign me and the freedom devoid of strict bureaucratic
chains of authoritative rules that are must- follow elsewhere".
Issah: Question 2
What have you seen as the prospects and strengths of CID-Ghana?
Abdulai : Response
"CID-Ghana has quite experienced and dedicated staffs that are experience
in their respective fields. Also CID-Ghana's projects are in high demand
and very popular among the communities. More so, there is high level of
commitments and competence from staffs of CID-Ghana European Foundations
in their respective roles. The existence of these mix and blind of
personality and team spirit when explored to the fullest is our strength
and prospective growth path".
Issah: Question 3
What would be your single most important advice if CID-Ghana is to grow
beyond its current level?
Abdulai : Response
One of the major problems of CID-Ghana lies in the paucity of funding. If
CID-Ghana wants to attract more donors funding, then there is a need to
target a single donor at a time by strategizing and adapting to donor
criteria or requirements.
FROM THE CID-GHANA EUROPEAN DESK
CID-Ghana Holland and Belgium are official resellers of the Dutch Book
'Ervaar Ghana'. Buying this book through CID-Ghana does not only allows
you to have the value for your money back through the experience of vivid
mind pictures about Ghana but also contributes indirectly to Community
Developments as part of the money would be reserved for CID-Ghana project
support.
If you really want to experience the diversity of Ghana, possess the best
guide to Ghana and be able to visits places of interest with ease then
grab a copy of 'Ervaar Ghana' now. For supplies, please contact Ieteke on
ieteke@cidghana.org in Holland and Sofie on sofie@cidghana.org in Belgium.
Alternatively, CID-Ghana will be participating in the ROOTS Festival in
Amsterdam on the 20th of June, 2010. By this connection, CID-Ghana humbly
welcomes and request for volunteers to join us in sharing in the unique
experience of a lifetime.
For more information about the ROOTS Festival, kindly visit
www.amsterdamroots.nl
Thank you for reading.
With warm greetings and best wishes from CID-Ghana Office, Tamale
I remain, Issah Sayibu
Programme Coordinator
Issah@cidghana.org
+233[0]209388779
+233[0]372 [0]24261
