Green Nets

Submitted by Mike Mayo

Green Nets is the name of my startup project where my students and I make soccer nets out of recycled material. Our material of choice is water sachets. I thought up the idea at the Peace Corps All Volunteer Conference. At the conference, every PCV in Ghana comes together to share ideas and help each other with projects they are working on. After seeing the water sachet hammock created by another PCV, I realized that I could make something using the same method but much bigger: a football (soccer) net. Since then I have been collecting sachets and making nets.

There are two obvious benefits of this project. The first is it helps clean up the environment by collecting and reusing the plastic sachets that are typically discarded on the ground. You need at least 3500 sachets for one net. Even though that seems like a lot, if you can get your community and the surrounding communities involved the sachets really start to pile up. The second is it provides soccer nets for villages throughout Ghana.

If Green Nets becomes as popular as I hope it will, there is the potential to start selling the nets and creating job opportunities for the local villagers. There is no mechanical way to make the nets so you would need to pay the men and women of the village to weave the nets together. You don’t have to stop at soccer nets. You can show people how to make hammocks (Ghanaians love taking a midday nap and a hammock is much more comfortable than a bench), and volleyball nets. This weekend I even made a kite using water sachets, straws, some thread and a needle. The primary school students loved it! This project is only limited by your imagination.
The most important aspect of this project is its feasibility and sustainability. All you need to make a soccer net out of water sachets is a pair of scissors, plenty of sachets, and some free time. “But Mike,” you might say, “you said you need at least 3500 satchets that is 3,500,000 cedi (old currency), how can I afford that on my Peace Corps stipend?!” My answer for you: you don’t need to buy the sachets, you gotta be a good PCV and pick’em up off the ground! As for scissors they can be purchased at your local Melcom’s at a reasonable cost. In terms of sustainability, as long as Ghanaians keep drinking water out of sachets, PCVs will be making things out of them.

Recently I have partnered with GreenIsEasyGhana, an environmental organization trying to clean up Ghana and supporting small projects they feel can make a difference. They will be supporting my project by providing funds that will help me buy new quality scissors and recycling containers that I will place around mine and the surrounding communities. I will also provide them with pictures and videos that they will post on their website to promote the recycling of water satchets and show the process of making the nets.

To sum up I think this is a great project for everyone to take up. It is easy to learn and the communities love the nets. I will be trying to host an IST in Cape Coast sometime in the future to not only teach the net making techniques, but also to show Cape Coast the possibilities of recycling their massive amount of water sachet waste.

Darien Book Fund

Submitted by: Danielle Dunlap, Central Region


In the spring of 2012 I received information about a book donation program for people abroad that need books for their communities. Darien Book Fund is an American program that has a special process for Peace Corps volunteers. I sent an email telling them who I was, where I was located, who the books were for, and the genre and reading level of the books needed. The email was responded to within a week and in late summer I received a 20-pound box of children’s books and National Geographic for the kids in my town. The one thing Darien Book Fund asks is that you inform them when you receive the package of books and that you take pictures. I did just that along with a “Thank you” video message from the kids.

My counterpart and I have set up a library-esque check out system (the community is currently working on constructing a library) to prepare the youth for obtaining books from a real library. The kids come by my compound and select a book, then sign there name, and are given a 1 week due date. This project was well received in my community and the kids continue to come by and borrow books. The one down side is that you have to educate and motivate the borrowers on bringing them back on time. Some people do and some don’t. Fortunately I have all the names so I can track who checked the book out.

I believe that the Darien Book fund is an excellent idea if you have the patience and time or already have a book borrowing system/library in place. My kids love selecting books every week and I believe that it will help broaden their minds and increase their level of English understanding.

 HEY PCV's! 

It's time for you to put down the laptop (even though Homeland is the most addicting show ever) and get to work supporting Gender and Youth Development at your site! We love hearing about the amazing projects that volunteers have been working on with their communities, so to help you get started we've compiled a list of ideas for GYD-related projects. And remember, your friendly GYD Committee is always here to support you (financially and otherwise) in anything you decide to undertake regarding GYD!

-School garden

-Tree planting event

-Trash clean-up day

-Business classes

-Canning project

-Reading group/tutoring

-Cooking club

-Painting a mural / world map

-Craft club-recyclables

-Ultimate frisbee

-Bike riding

-Quilting/crochet/sewing club (tap into your inner grandma!)

-Language exchange

-Pen pals/World Wise Schools Program

-Movie night

-Jogging club

-Volleyball

-Yoga

-Singing group

-Dance group

-Basic business skills program for young girls (especially those who are vulnerable to travel on Kayayo).

-Boys & girls soccer camp

-Spelling bee at the local Junior High

-Round table discussion with some female leaders (ex: clinic staff or national service volunteers)

-A Men as Partners program with opinion leaders from the village

-Start an HIV & AIDS/art/reading/cooking club

-Start a women’s Shea or Batik group and teach some skills

-Sit with your local women, men, or children and listen to their stories; take the time to discuss their daily lives

-Watch Harry Potter with the kids (because being a good role model starts with good, fun quality time)

-Sit in on a baby weighing (and hold the cutest nuggety chunky-monkeys in the world)

-Try your hand at farming (or any chore that is made easier with a little bit of chit-chat)

-Learn about age- or gender-specific beliefs in your area (be it rumor, stereotype, superstition or ghost story)

-Endear yourself to the nearest school and offer to help with lessons

-Organize a village clean-up day with the local youth and teach them a bit about waste management

-Hold a nutrition or family planning course for the local mothers and mothers-to-be in your community

And remember, send us your story! We'd love to hear about anything you've done (a lesson learned, a successful project, or just a picture of a cute baby).

The Sneaky Teacher

Submitted by Betsy Conway, Brong-Ahafo Region

As senior school science and chemistry teacher, I am in the prime position for educating the young people of Ghana about HIV/AIDS.  They are just at the right age and education level to really understand some of the more complex particulars of the disease.  Futhermore, I can give an HIV/AIDS lesson without them even knowing...

What do I mean?  I mean I am the Sneaky HIV Teacher!  I mean I can sneak in heavy duty information about HIV/ AIDS, while the students think the topic of the day is the digestive system.  I mean I routinely educate people about HIV/AIDS without them becoming ever uncomfortable or burnt out.  I mean I encourage healthy sexually practices wihout ever waving a condom around,  I mean I am the Sneaky HIV Teacher!

Here are some of my recent Sneaks in my Integrated Science class....

Section	Topic	The Sneak
Classification in Biology	The Five Kingdoms (Prokaryotae, Protoctista, Animalia, Plantae, and Fungi)	"There are five kingdoms into which all living organisms can be classified... [blah blah blah] ...But you know something interesting?  Viruses don't fit into any of these categories because they aren't technically "living."  And one particularly interesting virus is human immunodeficiency virus..."
Introduction to Chemistry	Mixtures	"There are two types of mixtures: homogeneous and heterogenous.  A homogeneous mixture is a mixture which appears uniform in consistency.  For example, blood is a homogeneous mixture, which in addition to blood cells can contain all sorts of stuff!  Like bacteria, or the malaria parasite, or HIV..."
The Immune System	Leukocytes (White Blood Cells)	"There is a special type of white blood cells (leukocytes) in your body called lymphocytes, which play very important roles in the function of the immune system. And one very important lymphocyte, the CD4+   T cell is this type of cell that gets attacked by HIV..."
The Circulatory System	Blood	"The blood consists of red blood cells (erythrocytes), plasma, and white blood cells (leukocytes and plasma)... [blah blah blah] ...And leukocytes - do you remember our class about the  immune system?  About the Lymphocytes and the CD4+ T cell...."
Diseases and Infections	Infectious Diseases	"Infectious pathogens can include bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites.  Malaria is common infectious disease caused by the plasmodium parasite, which enters your blood when a mosquito bites you.  HIV is a common infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus..."

I could go on and on... But you see the point, right?  Just sneak it in there when they least expect it, and they will never feel weird or uncomfortable about discussing HIV/AIDS!

Sincerely,

Ama "The Sneaky HIV Teacher" Fati

GYD in your region!

Hello all! Check out the GYD-related projects that PCVs in different regions are taking part in this month! And remember to submit any of your own stories/pictures/articles to your GYD rep the last week of every month.

Greater Accra
Submitted by Lindsey Hanson

Junior High School students at State School for the Deaf are currently learning Taekwondo. This form of MartialArts is a great way to exercise and have fun; students practice twice a week during their physical education period. They are learning kicks, punches, and karate chops with hand to hand combat. Students are also able to use weapons to defend themselves against predators.

Taekwondo is a great form of self defense. It is especially important for female students to learn about how to escape in case someone is trying to attack them. The female students have learned how to escape from one, two, and three attackers. This training will help them if there is ever a real life event.

Northern
Submitted by Lizzy Lyons

Here in the Northern Region the men complain that to find a wife they must travel to Accra or Kumasi, because that is where all the Dagomba women are. I laughed when I heard this, but as I looked around the village I find that the statement is less humorous and more truth. The women leave. All around me are stories of women who traveled to the south. The young mother across the street left at the beginning of dry season, she left behind her small two year old daughter and her husband. Next to her a small girl dropped out of school and left to Kayayo. My next door neighbors have a young son nicknamed “accra boy” because he was born while his mother was at Kayayo. Here, in my village, almost every woman travels to the south at some point in her life… its not a matter of “if” but “when”.

Will she travel when she is young? Dropping out of school, or maybe never having gone to school, and going south to earn small money for their family to buy fertilizers, foods, and clothes. Will she travel to earn money toward buying her bowls for marriage? Some may decide to travel to earn their school fees during JHS, and if she makes it to JHS 3, she will join her whole class as they all travel to earn their SHS fees, which are very difficult for families in my village to afford—so the children must travel to work and earn moneys to pay for their fees. Others girls travel to the South because it has become a rite of passage and they follow their mothers before them; they go with their friends; and they may go  in search of the freedom and adventure away from the normal daily life in the village.

Some women wait. They travel with their new babies, or they leave young babies and whole families at home, and travel to the southern cities to earn money to pay their childrens’ school fees. Or to earn the money they need to buy ingredients to feed their families—as women in the north are required to pay for all milling the corn into flour and ingredients like tomatoes, onions, okra, salt, and  Maggie —all the costs associated with feeding their families. In the Northern Dagomba tradition it is only the mans’ job to provide the corn, the women must provide the rest, but have little or no way of earning the money to do so, unless they travel. To Kayayo is seen by many as one of the only ways a woman can  earn her own money,  unless her father or husband gives land or money  to her..

And while there are many economic pressures to motivate women to migrate both seasonally and for short and long times… some also leave to escape more difficult reasons—domestic violence or child abuse in their homes; difficulties with their husband’s other wives; they may be a modern slave as some young girls are trapped in “slavish” conditions due to family abuse of the “small girl” tradition; and the break-down of the family due to divorce or death.

These girls face many different threats to their health and safety when they reach their destination cities. They pay for their housing and may find themselves living in dirty, overcrowded and hazardous places. Housing in the city is more trash and sewage filled, with high exposure to diarreahal infections and malaria. Life is challenging in the city for young women who have never lived without the support of family in the village. They face the risk of theft, assault, and rape. And they often find boyfriends who “help” with their housing or give them small money for food—a sexual exchange—which exposes them to HIV and STI infections and unplanned pregnancies.

What is Peace Corps Role and GYD doing:
The Northern Region, in the beginning of July, had a one week training with PCVs and community partners, which also included a day of networking with NGOs working on Kayayo programs in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, and Bolgatanga. We came up with lots of information, lists, and projects—to see more information on Kayayo see the information which is located at each Sub Office’s GYD folders, the partner agencies information is also located there and is digital on the computers at Sub Offices, information is also available from our NEW GYD “Kayayo” COMMITTEE LEADERS: Megan and Rachel.

There is new funding available from the Gender Challenge Fund, which is for projects focusing on Kayayo, Income Generating Activities to reduce the pressures on girls and women to migrate to cities, and programming with focus on reduction of gender based violence. Talk to Omane about this if you are interested.

Also, a great project which focused on this issue of Kayayo occurred during the Peace Corps’ National STARS Conference last month—a Street Children’s Day March. It involved 15+ volunteers, a group of our STARS students, and partner NGOs in Kumasi… along with hundreds of young Kayayo girls and boys. The march went through the main areas of the downtown Kumasi and involved signs, drumming and horns, and Tess on a megaphone! Fun was had by all, as well as an opportunity to educate the community on the rights of children and the rights of women workers to respect.

Here are a couple more pictures of the march:

Brong Ahafo

Submitted by Caitlin McGuire

Many students learn better through hands on activities. Due to a lack of vocabulary, deaf students can understand concepts easier through demonstrations and practical experiences. The goal of the school farm is to provide practical work for students that will directly correlate to theory classes given at the junior high school level.

All term the students have been hard at work. They have successfully created a nursery in which they germinated cabbage. The students cleared the land and prepared beds for their crops. The students have been watering and weeding the baby carrots and onions. We also planted okra and groundnuts, in which we continue to battle away stubborn grasshoppers. Recently the students transferred the cabbage from the nursery, which with the help of mulch is off to a great start. In the future we hope to invite agricultural volunteers to give presentations of organic fertilizers and natural pesticides.

This holiday break from school I have hired four students to care for the farm. One boy in particular has been abandoned by his parents, so he is forced to reside at the school every vacation. A deaf couple at the school are now providing for him. With some extra funding from my PCPP grant I will be able to pay him for his farm work, so that he can have money to buy school supplies for next term. He will be working alongside two deaf girls and another boy who live in town.

I have seen the students slowly start to realize the value in growing your own crops. There cooperation amongst one another is inspirational. I have this image ingrained in my head of a group of junior high school girls carrying a huge pile of mulch with raking sticks going in all different directions. After much struggle they were able to move the great heap as they all collapsed laughing together victoriously.

Eastern
Submitted by Kyndra Eide

Since I have arrived in Ghana to start my service as an agriculture volunteer I have wanted to start a school garden. After speaking with several PCVs who have participated in this project, I felt that it would be a great way to integrate and get to know my local school, despite what might go wrong; many volunteers felt it to be a waste of time and that the students don't usually take responsibility, causing it to fade away. About 6 months into my service I decided to go for it, so I began working with the JSS science students in my community.

I arrived at the primary/JSS school to choruses of "blafono" and “obruni” which alerted the entire school that a white lady had come. Most students kept their distance but a brave few came up to touch my arm or say “good morning". One JSS girl even offered to take my bag and lead me to the staff room to great the headmaster. After a short conversation about why I am in town and what I would like to do at the school, I was whisked away by the only science teacher to watch as she delivered the days lesson to the Form 2 students (equivalent to 7th grade). She started by reviewing the biology of plants and then let them work together to draw the anatomy of a flower. This was the first time I got to walk around and talk to the students, ask them questions and answer some of theirs.

As we walked back to the staff room after class I asked more seriously if they would like to start a school garden. The teacher was so grateful that I wanted to help that she went straight to the headmaster and asked for land at the back of the school to start on. Only two weeks later, a once garbage dump for the school had been turned into a cleared dirt area just waiting to become a garden. One bed had already been raised as an example for the students to make their own. As classes began for the day a stream of Form 3 (8th grade) students came out to the garden to start their work. All we had was a hoe, a couple of cutlasses, and some sticks, but I guess that’s all you really need because an hour later two more beds were raised. This was a wonderful thing to watch happen as you could see the natural leaders take command of the situation. These were different leaders from in the classroom, so seeing the different types of learners getting a chance to shine was great.

There was one boy that really got into it. He was working up a sweat as his fellow students just looked on. I asked the other kids to follow suit and start working but after 5 seconds of acting like they were participating they went back to watching. There was, however, a group of about 5 girls that made a game of picking up the trash that was in the soil. They would all pick trash up with the sticks and toss it into a bucket, when they made it they jumped and celebrated. The whole time I was astonished that none of them got a bit dirty, which is even more impressive when you consider their pressed white uniforms!

The seed was sown a week later after all the beds had been completed. Lettuce, hot peppers, sweet peppers, onion, watermelon, cucumber, carrot, and tomato were all planted. Although it was getting to be the end of the term and the end of the growing season, I was promised that the students that live nearby and those who attend summer classes would take care of the garden. I have returned to the garden many times and each time I am impressed once again at what a little push in the right direction and some seeds can do.

Meet Your Reps!

GYD Ghana is very excited about the upcoming year! We have some wonderful projects planned and as always, we are ready to support YOU in any GYD-related projects you want to do in your community!

The regional representatives and position holders for GYD are as follows:

Lizzy Lyons- Northern Rep / President
Kevin Nascimento- Western Rep / Scholarships Coordinator
Sarah Wein- Upper West Rep / Scholarships Coordinator
Kate Stalter- Central Rep / Fundraising & Treasurer
Melissa Obenchain- Upper East Rep / GYDLines
Caitlin McGuire- Brong Ahafo Rep / GYDLines
Stephen Hall- Ashanti Rep / Take Our Daughter To Work Day (TODTWD) Coordinator
Andie Yost- Eastern Rep / Women's Book Coordinator
Lindsey Hanson- Greater Accra Rep / Training
Lauren Neubauer- Volta Rep / Child Trafficking and Human Rights Coordinator

Drop us a line!

GYD wants to hear your voice: how have you supported the mission of GYD in your communities?

Submit any stories, pictures, articles, videos (ANYTHING!) from projects or events to your regional rep by the LAST WEEK of every month. 

Every month the GYDLines blog will post GYD projects 
from each region- share your story with us!

Creative Small Grants

Thanks to GYD small grants, I was able to start a vocational program at State School for the Deaf, Batik! The past term has been filled with many experiments, a few mistakes, and a lot of learning. Students from Primary 6; JHS 1, 2, and 3 have been coming in two days each week to learn about and practice the batik making process.

Currently they are trying their hand at stamp making, learning different ways to apply the wax design, and how to mix chemicals for the dying process. You may have seen or purchased some of our design at the All Volunteer Conference in Bunso. Our next batch is promised to the staff here at State Deaf, but you should feel free to call me with personal orders or ideas for a new design.

We also welcome visitors to the campus to watch the process and design some of their own batik. Thanks again to GYD for helping make this possible with the small fund grant you donated to my school. We are having a blast and learning a ton!