Visiting Besease Palm Oil project

We visited the Besease Community Centre Oil Processor Plant – a Palm Oil Project where we saw how this group of communities are using the proceeds from the oil sales to support the community.  We were greeted first by the children:

Children from the Besease Oil Project

Every part of the Palm seed is used including the left over fibre for burning as fuel.

Hard at work

Steve Portner & Mark Britton with the chiefs of the villages involved in the Palm Oil Project. When asked to comment on the changes they had experienced the chief said: “Now that people have seen success, when I beat the drum they rush to work” and “ Any time there are things we do not understand we ask the women and they explain it to us.” Talk about change in mind set and a strong sense of community!

All the chiefs together

Further photos of Osonson Epicentre inauguration

Osonson epicentre building with ribbon ready for cutting and proud community member

The physical building is just part of the five year Epicentre Strategy but a very tangible one.

The whole ceremony lasted three hours and was a great opportunity for the whole community to celebrate their achievements.

Chief cutting the ribbon to open Osonson Epicentre building

Birthing room at Osonson Epicentre ready for new deliveries

Microfinance bank ready for operation at Osonson

Enterprising women selling their wares at Osonson Epicentre

Osonson Epicentre Inauguration

The inauguration of the Osonson epicentre was the culmination of three years of hard work by the 15,000 strong community of 15 local villages in this Eastern Region of Ghana.  The physical building is part of a five-year strategy for the community towards self-reliance.  Participants were shown to their seats Ghanaian style:

Dancing Ghanaian style to the inauguration ceremony

Some of the Osonson epicentre community dressed for the occasion

The ceremony itself is a great occasion with plenty of speeches.  The chief of all the villages started off with a traditional blessing.

The Chief's blessing ceremony

 He then made his opening address, followed by THP-Ghana’s Country Director, Dr Naana Agyemang-Mensah, the District Director of Health Services, the Directors of Agriculture and Education and then Steve Portner, representing the Investor’s team.

Opening address from Osonson Chief

Giving gifts to the Osonson epicentre community

Chief's speech and 'blessing' of footballs brought as presents

As investors, Steve Portner was asked to present some certificates for outstanding accomplishment and work.  This young woman got hers for fetching water during the construction of the epicentre building.

Presenting certificate of outstanding accomplishment & work

Impressions of Ghana

Here’s a message from JMJ’s (global investor in The Hunger Project) Steve Portner about his impressions of Ghana.

Ghana schoolchildren

“This morning I took a run, well a jog, alright I was moving my body in mostly one direction while dragging my feet. That said, I had the opportunity to run through a village and see the morning activity. It was 6:30 am and the village was already fully in action. It was very cute seeing many of the children dressed in their uniforms for school and either walking to the bus stop or on the buses. It was fabulous seeing their eyes light up and smiles on their faces when you waved at them and then they would wave back. It is an incredible reminder of the joy a small act of kindness can create for both the giver and the receiver. 

Ghana is mostly a Christian country, about 85% we are told, and they seem to be fairly religious with many shops having religious names and quotes from the bible on the back of taxis. It is a very poor area and most live in what we would look at as shacks.    It is a very safe country and there is very little security.  A few of the larger homes and businesses did have walls with barbed wire on top but not very many. I felt very safe and the hotel people say you can go anywhere at any time. The people are very friendly and open. They will return smiles and waves. I do have to say I think they thought it a bit strange an old white guy running through their village. I guess they don’t get a lot of that. Most shops are little stalls along the road where they sell everything from food to blocks to build with. ”

Ghana street scene with waving children

Visiting Obenyeni and Osonson Epicentres

Today we traveled to two epicentres in the Eastern Region, Obenyeni and Osonson—the epicentre that JMJ is underwriting.  It was a momentous day in both communities as 13th of July, 2010, was the day that both of the epicentre buildings were inaugurated.  It was thrilling and an honour to be present at both ceremonies.  The ceremonies and speeches lasted about three hours at each epicentre and were similar.  
 

The Welcoming Committee

We spent the morning through to lunchtime at the Obenyemi Epicentre.  The first slide here is taken from inside our bus and shows the welcoming committee who was in the road dancing, singing along with a brass band to greet us.  It was our first glimpse of epicentre partners and the lengths they had gone to for our visit.
 

Continuing on with Osonson, here’s our welcoming committee from 15 villages with the completed epicentre in the background.  We danced Ghanaian style to our seats for the inauguration ceremony. More to follow… 

The Osonson Community welcomes us

Greetings from Ghana!

Here are a couple of snaps upon arrival in Ghana.

Arriving in Ghana

Mark & Lily watching the World Cup Final