Saturday, Feb. 3rd blog
I have never attended a business meeting where it began with a prayer and an admonishment to wear condoms. We were meeting with the management team for the Credit Union Association of Ghana (the Ghanaian central of credit unions) here in the capital - Accra. HIV /Aids is a tragic pan African epidemic that has destroyed a generation. I saw its affects in my last assignment in Malawi where the number of orphans being raised by grand parents is shocking. The credit union system here is doing its best to educate its members. I like the message that it is promoting in its posters. It is this - "Love Life - abstain or be faithful or use condoms". The message offers choice.
Our Canadian group was invited to the home of the CEO. It was a humble place at the end of a dusty and unpaved road. His name is Emmanuel Darko. He fled the war in Liberia with his five children in 1991 and arrived in Ghana with nothing. He joined the credit union system, built his house and embarked on a personal project eight years ago to build a school for grades 1 through 7. This is not a credit union project. This is his personal vision. The school is built and now serves 300 students. We toured the buildings and his plan is to continue to expand the school so that within three years it will be able to serve 1,000 students. The man is a tirelessworker and a visionary. I was so impressed. Ramona gave me a suitcase full of school supplies before I left. I will be giving them to Emmanual before I leave.
I have never attended a business meeting where it began with a prayer and an admonishment to wear condoms. We were meeting with the management team for the Credit Union Association of Ghana (the Ghanaian central of credit unions) here in the capital - Accra. HIV /Aids is a tragic pan African epidemic that has destroyed a generation. I saw its affects in my last assignment in Malawi where the number of orphans being raised by grand parents is shocking. The credit union system here is doing its best to educate its members. I like the message that it is promoting in its posters. It is this - "Love Life - abstain or be faithful or use condoms". The message offers choice.
Our Canadian group was invited to the home of the CEO. It was a humble place at the end of a dusty and unpaved road. His name is Emmanuel Darko. He fled the war in Liberia with his five children in 1991 and arrived in Ghana with nothing. He joined the credit union system, built his house and embarked on a personal project eight years ago to build a school for grades 1 through 7. This is not a credit union project. This is his personal vision. The school is built and now serves 300 students. We toured the buildings and his plan is to continue to expand the school so that within three years it will be able to serve 1,000 students. The man is a tirelessworker and a visionary. I was so impressed. Ramona gave me a suitcase full of school supplies before I left. I will be giving them to Emmanual before I leave.
No comments:
Post a Comment