Taking it to the Streets

SAID goes to the streets with a
mobile library program

Street Girls Aid goes into the streets with a new mobile library program. The van, books, supplies and staffing are part of an Empowerment of Young Girls and Mothers Living in the Streets project funded in partnership with International Child Solidarity (ICS). Books were purchased from the Ghana Book Trust and also sponsored by a recent Rotary delegation from the United States.

Margie's passion for libraries is
only surpassed by her passion
for people and building relationships

As part of the recent Rotary Foundation District Grant, a team of our volunteers brought resources and tools related to mobile libraries to help build capacity within the Street Girls Aid staff at the earlier request of the Executive Director, Vida. Several of the volunteers spent time building relationships with the SAID staff and then sharing resources. The capacity building related to not only mobile libraries, but library management and our volunteers were passionate about the resources that they shared. Their passion caught fire and the staff were pretty fired up and ready to tackle this new initiative.

This is what capacity building
looks like - Holly sharing resources

Another component of the grant allowed the team and Vida to make some critical connections with both the Ghana Book Trust and the Osu Children's Library Fund about library management resources for NGOs in Ghana as well as access to some fabulous books written by local Ghanaians - the connections were powerful and it will be exciting to see them flourish. Already, two weeks after we are gone - the mobile library is out on the streets, and while we only had a small part of that - it is exciting to see the impact of capacity building, and the power of connections.

One of the hundreds of books purchased locally
by authors from Ghana as part of this project

For more information about supporting literacy and empowerment of girls, children and moms living in the streets contact Vida Amoako, Executive Director at streetgirlsaid@yahoo.com or send a message to our site from the contact us box in the sidebar. Look for an announcement soon about the 20th Year Legacy Celebration festivities! 20 years of Serving Street Children - Impacting Generations


Enjoy these photos from the first day on the streets with the mobile library:

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.

Different parts...same city...

Fishing on the Atlantic Ocean

Different parts….same city

Last night we had the good fortune to attend a fundraiser/fellowship event put on by the Rotary Club of Accra in District 9100.  They had a Cheese and Wine Jazz Night, attended by some 200 plus Rotarians (and future Rotarians…?) under a beautiful moonlit sky.  We both enjoyed some of the typical Rotary traditions (singing, greeting old friends) and were introduced to some new ones (local slang and a Chinese auction).  It was a lovely event and had great coverage by the local media due to a myriad of sponsors that were supporting the work of this Rotary Club.  And, it was hosted at the home of one of their Rotarians, who, as luck would have it, hails from the same area of Minnesota as us!  What are the chances!?!?!? 

Some more goodies
coming home with us

Today we headed out to Kokrobite Beach (recommended to us by a local at the party last night)  to sit back and enjoy the sun, sand, and the ocean.  The drive out was once again very interesting, with a lively discussion with our driver about who should maintain roads and how we think our respective governments are doing with this (as we bumped, bounced, and veered left and right…great AB workout!).  Then, around the corner and we saw nothing but white sand, waves, and fishing boats as far as the eye could see.  Amazing how quickly you can be out of the frenzy of the city and enjoying a Club beer in total relaxation! 

Tonight we’re hunkered down in the room prepping for our last day with Street Girls Aid staff tomorrow, heading to a Rotary meeting, off to pick up our new African wear from the seamstress, last errands and then to the airport!  We’ll post another update as time lets us.  In the meantime, wish us safe travels!

Goodbye Dinner

This is what 39C feels like inside...(103 degrees F)

Schwarma...yummm...

Cheese...yummmm

Serving Street Children...Impacting Generations....

The goodies are on their way...For those of you who ordered items made by Street Aid...here they are! And they will soon be in your hands. If you did not order anything but want to after you see these wonderful items, we are bringing a nice order home so contact us at the e-mail address at the bottom of this page and we will give you more information. The girls have been busy for the last few weeks making all of these things just for you and the impact is pretty incredible...these girls were living, working, and sleeping on the streets of Accra with their babies before they enrolled in the school. While living at the refuge, they must participate in school classes, learn about caring for their babies, receive medical care, and learn a trade - sewing, hair dressing, cookery; some of the girls have expressed interest in some other vocations such as business and being a mason... As apprentice seamstresses, they contribute to their meals, food, child care and their babies meals by making these items. Your purchase of these goods helps not only the girls and the Street Girls Aid organization, but also society as a whole since Street Girls Aid has as one of its objectives assisting girls in becoming contributing members of society. And finally, your purchase will also be cherished by whomever you give it to...in fact, we had a hard time deciding who got what because we wanted to keep everything. A few more pictures of the day follow...enjoy!

Twins...we could tell the difference between Cathy and Vida by remembering that Cathy was the taller of the two

Vida and Phidelia working on a planning exercise

Kathy sharing a community development resource paid for by your Rotary Foundation  dollars

Reconciling the orders

One of the girls in the hair dressing school sporting one of the new school polos

The sewing school has new polos too...thanks to the Austin Rotary Club!

The multi-colored polos fit right in in the colorful workroom

Even here, in Ghana, the Christmas decorations are appearing

For more information about ordering some goodies please send an e-mail to mamacaruso@yahoo.com