Return to Ghana: Rotary District 5960

Showing posts with label Rotary District 5960. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Little Free Libraries get warm send-off...packed and ready to go...in 3 days

DG Gary Campbell sends the Little
Free Library off with a warm send-off

Todd Bol and his cheerleaders say
goodbye and bon voyage

Despite frigid temperatures 110 degrees colder than in Accra, Ghana dignitaries from around the District came out to say farewell to the Little Free Libraries and Deechas on their journey to Africa. District Governor Gary Campbell met with Cathy Smith and Kathy Stutzman to wish the team a successful trip and a warm send-off. And Little Free Library Executive Director, Todd Bol brought a pair of cheerleaders to send the libraries off.

A scarf warms the library in the
below zero temperatures

The temperature outside on my way to
pick up the Little Free Libaray

An initiative within the 3rd phase of the Street Girls Aid project, the volunteer team (click here to learn more about the volunteer team )will be working on a multi-dimensional project including:

literacy,
vocational training and,
library stewardship.

The literacy portion of the project includes purchasing/picking-up/bringing and delivering local culturally inclusive books in Accra from the Osu Children's Library Fund and the Ghana Book Trust in partnership with Books For Africa, Little Free Library ,our many donors and sponsors and using them to fill the libraries, providing access to books and literacy initiatives to the girls and their babies who live, work and sleep on the streets of Accra;

Teamwork in action

The vocational training opportunities include building, manufacturing, decorating, assembling and installing Little Free Libraries Little Free Libraries and strategizing about additional vocational opportunities for the girls related to the construction aspect of the project;

The library stewardship part of the project includes workshops and shared learning opportunities with the Street Girls Aid Staff and the team traveling to Ghana in coordination and partnership with a number of on the ground librarians - can't wait to see what comes from these shared learning opportunities.

The birth of the traveling library - Hudson, Wisconsin USA

To successfully accomplish the build, assemble and construct part of the project, the team will be bringing 5 libraries with us as checked baggage and will seek partners on the ground to design and draw plans for libraries...and you will be able to follow this particular library which Kathy Stutzman built in Hudson, Wisconsin and the journey starts here...

The libraries are all packed and ready to go thanks to the crew at BL Dalsin who have packaged the libraries into checked baggage size - Yippiee! The next part is to get everything to the airport and take off. Pictures will be posted all along the journey - follow the links included in this post to learn more about the various partners we will be working with in Accra...2 days and counting.

Thank you all for your support and well-wishes!

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Libraries, Deechas and Children's Books - Preparing to Leave for Ghana

Kathy Margie & Holly work on building a Little Free Library

Deechas, books and libraries abound as we prepare to leave for Ghana in 5 weeks. In preparation for the upcoming trip our team worked on their construction and teamwork skills to prepare to train the trainers and work with Street Girls Aid staff as part of the literacy and library components of this project.

Donations continue to come in to support the purchase of the Little Free Libraries which will be built, decorated and installed in a variety of locations in Ghana – classrooms, villages, crèches, and other locations identified by Street Girls Aid and the girls…can’t wait to see where we will be installing them! Some of the library kits are already on their way in a Books For Africa container, we will be carrying several with us in our checked baggage and we have the plans ready to go to build with local supplies once we get on the ground.

Margie, Barb, Kathy & Holly

We will be bringing some books with us but will be purchasing culturally appropriate and inclusive books while on the ground in Ghana from the Osu Children's Library Fund – they are great books and will be wonderful for moms to be reading with their children. For more information on how you can support the purchase of these books click here: How you can have an impact

Street Girls Aid offers vocation training and opportunities for street

girls and sewing is one of their vocational specialties. If you would like to support Street Girls Aid and provide an opportunity for the girls to make something for you and your friends, now is the time to order your goodies so that we can bring your items back when we return. For more information click here: Street Girls Aid Fabric Items Order Form

We are honored to be bringing boxes of Deechas with us to share with the girls and to put in the classrooms. We are honoring the creator of the Deecha’s, the late Dianne Meixner, who was one of the founding members of Team Ghana which has worked for many years on creating opportunities for literacy and increased international relationships through a variety of initiatives, one of which involves these adorable creatures which originated from children’s imaginations. For more information about Team Ghana and the Deecha story click here: Team Ghana - Deecha Story

Books and Deechas are all ready to go to Ghana

The partnerships continue to evolve and we really need to thank The Rotary Foundation all of the Rotary Clubs of District 5960 that have supported this effort and continue to show an outpouring of generosity. Friends and family, coworkers and other service organizations are sharing their support of this project and our team and this would not be possible without the involvement of everyone – so thank you all! Stay tuned as we continue to update the blog with our progress, preparation and on-going adventures.