University of Washinton Students Help Out and Final Week Update.

For the past weeks CHF has been continuing with the interviews at the various shores,giving child labor talks,fundraising and proposal writing,and all other relevant activities.

Last week from 30th July to 3rd August CHF received some students from the university of Washington to help with the child labor project in the three communities in which we work that is Senya,nyanyano and fetteh.On tuesday,Ali,Bright and myself went to senya together with four students and their academic supervisor,they were Aminata,Kafiya,Fardosa, and Kayley and their academic supervisor Joe Nathan.We arrived at senya about 10am and divided into four groups to start with the interviews.Firstly,Bright and Ali demonstrated how the interviews are done so the students would know how its done.After the interviews began,and i did mine with kafiya Arte a 19 year old medical student and since there weren't enough interpreters the chiefs son came along with a friend to help with the interpretations.In all about 10 interviews were conducted and since most of the schools were on vacation it was quite difficult,since most kids at shore were already in school but on vacation.We were done by 2pm and most of the students were astonished by the responses they received.We came back to kasoa were we got off  and the otther students who teach joined the bus to go back to their place,thus krokrobite institute.
On wednesday,we went to nyanyano to give the usual child labor talk at ebenezer memorial school,that is the school the world child labor day was held and where angelo teaches.Myself,prince,Kayley and Fardosa in one group and Aminata,Bright and Joe in other.The students did quite well since it was the first time most of them were teaching only that the pupils at some point found it difficult to understand them proberbly because they spoke too fast or their accent wasnt common to them.The students gavve out candies to students that participated in the talk and later to every one there.After we just spent some time with kids and cameback to the office.
On thursday,however we went to nyanyano to conduct interviews at the shores and get to know the situation at nyanyano.It all went well and people were very welcoming since they had heard of our activities and sponsorships.On friday,fun games were held for all the uni. students,children and teachers of great promise school and staff of CHF.My final week,I had to do a write up for the students activities,creating profiles for the kids and other minor office work.Also,Angello finished with the child labor video and its awesome  and I know it will go a long way to help the NGO.Today we went back nyanyano to follow up on the kids we interviewed to find out more about them and to meet their parents.Actually,officially today is my last day at CHF since tomorrow is a holiday (marking the death of Ghana's president john mills on 24 july 2012 at 2.15 pm) but I will be back on monday to help with the free vacation classes.Its really been an interesting vacation for me and nothing like i imagined.It really feels good to be a part of a good course and know i actually spent it doing something positive.Im really going to miss workin with CHF and all the wonderful people I met from

AMANDA,GRACE,JOSH,JENN,MEGHAN,EMMY,VIVIAN,ANGELLO,HOLLY,BARBARA,ALI,SOPHIA,PRINCE,GODWIN,DOUGLAS,FREEMAN,EMMANUEL

 and the new interns Grace and Laura even though its been only a week.Thanks to my Bosses Bright and Eric who have really been like mentors to me running this organization together and giving me the opportunity to be a part of it.But surely, God willing i would intern again with CHEERFUL HEARTS FOUNDATION.

STILL ADVOCATING A STOP TO CHILD LABOUR

FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS A LOT OF WORK HAS BEEN,THAT IS WE CONTINUED WITH INTERVIEWS AT THE FISHING COMMUNITIES,GAVE CHILD RIGHTS AND CHILD LABOR TALKS AT TWO SCHOOLS AND TOOK THE RESCUED KIDS ON AN EDUCATION  TOUR AROUND ACCRA.ON THE 12TH,WE WENT BACK TO SENYA TO DO MORE INTERVIEWS AT THE SHOW AND ALSO RELATE TO THE PEOPLE THERE MORE.THIS TIME BARBARA AND PRINCE JOINED THE TEAM.THERE WERE ACTUALLY FEW CHILDREN AT THE SHORE AND AFTER ADAM AND I ASKED SOME PEOPLE AROUND WE WERE TOLD MOST OF THE KIDS WERE AT HOME OR AT SEA.INTERVIEWED ABOUT 20 KIDS AND LEFT FOR THE OFFICE TO CREATE THEIR PROFILES.

ON FRIDAY 13,WE DID OUR NEXT TALK AT PREMIER SCHOOL,BUT THIS TIME AROUND WE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS THAT IS MYSELF,ADAM AND ALI IN ONE GROUP AND PRINCE,BARBARA AND MR BRIGHT IN ANOTHER..THANX TO BARBARA WE INTRODUCED AN ACTIVITY SESSION WHICH WAS REALLY EDUCATIVE AND ENTERTAINING.AFTER THE TALK WE SPENT SOME TIME AT THE SCHOOL TO SOCIALIZE WITH THE KIDS.

ON 19TH HOWEVER WE WENT TO GOMOA FETE ANOTHER FISHING COMMUNITY WHERE WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED WORK THERE AND ALREADY HAVE SOME RESCUED CHILDREN.THIS TIME AROUND ANGELO AND GODWIN JOINED THE TEAM BUT SURPRISINGLY THERE WERE ABOUT ONLY FIVE KIDS AT THE SHORE.WE NONETHELESS INTERVIEWED THEM AND ALSO MET WITH THE CARETAKER IN TH TOWN TO FIND OUT HOW THE RESCUED KIDS WERE DOING.WE WERE TOLD THAT MOST KIDS HAD COME TO THE BEACH EARLIER ON IN THE DAY,SO WE DECIDED TO COME EARLY NEXT TIME.

ON THE SATURDAY,WE TOOK THE RESCUED KIDS ON AN EDUCATIONAL TOUR TO ACCRA,TO PLACE LIKE THE NATIONAL THEATER,KWAME NKRUMAH PARK,AND INDEPENDENCE SQUARE.WE ALL HAD A LOT OF FUN AND ALSO LEARNED A LOT.AFTER WE WENT TO SEA SIDE BEACH TO HAVE LUNCH TOGETHER WITH THE KIDS.THAT IS DIRECTORS,INTERNS,STAFF,CARETAKERS AT THE VARIOUS TOWNS, AND OUR CHERISHED KIDS.THE DAY WAS FILLED WITH SO MUCH UNTIL AFTER THE KIDS HAD DEPARTED FOR THEIR TOWN IT WAS TIME TO SAY BYE BYE TO JENN AKUA DU MOND.SHE WAS AN INTERN FROM THE USA WHO WAS WORKING ON THE MALARIA TALKS AT SCHOOLS AND ALSO WORKING AT THE KASOA HEALTH CENTER.AFTER SPENDING SOME TIME AT  OSU FOOD COURT WE WENT WITH HER TO THE AIRPORT TO SAY BYE.
I SHOULD SAY QUITE A LOT HAS BEEN DONE  BUT THERE STILL IS A LOT MORE TO DO.

TO CREATE MORE AWARENESS ON CHILD LABOR ISSUES CHEERFUL HEARTS FOUNDATION  IS GOING TO BE  GIVING TALKS ON  CHILD LABOR AT VARIOUS SCHOOLS IN THE SENYA BREKU DISTRICT.

  WE STARTED WITH FRANKLIN MEMORIAL SCHOOL ON  JULY 6TH 2012,AT ABOUT 11 AM.MR ERIC,ALI,JOSH,ADAM,SOFIA  AND MYSELF GAVE THE TALK,WITH EACH ONE US TACKLING A PARTICULAR ASPECT.MR ERIC STARTED BY INTRODUCING US TO THE PUPILS AND THE TEACHERS PRESENT AND THEN CONTINUED WITH THE PURPOSE OF THE TALK.HE TALKED ABOUT THE ISSUE AT HAND AND ALSO EMPHASIZED ON THE NEED TO PLAY A VITAL PART TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE ERADICATION OF CHILD LABOR IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

   SOFIA CONTINUED WITH THE MEANING OF CHILD LABOR,FORMS,STATISTICS OF THE NUMBER OF KIDS ENGAGED IN CHILD LABOR, AND THE STATUS OF CHILD LABOR IN THE WORLD.SHE THEN HANDED OVER TO JOSH WHO ENLIGHTENED THEM ON THEIR RIGHTS AS CHILDREN OF GHANA AND THE WORLD.HE ALSO TOLD THEM ABOUT SOME OF THEIR BASIC RIGHTS AND HOW IMPORTANT THESE RIGHTS ARE AND HENCE CANNOT BE INFRINGED UPON.ADAM CONTINUED WITH A STORY OF A KID THAT WORKED FOR ONLY 50PESEWAS A DAY AND HOW TIRESOME AND HECTIC HIS WORK WAS.HE THEN WENT ON TO ASK IF THEY KNEW OF ANY KIDS THAT WENT THROUGH SUCH DIFFICULT TIMES AND MOST OF THEM SAID YES.HE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THE RISK INVOLVED IN ENGAGING IN SUCH ACTIVITIES.ALI TALKED ABOUT EDUCATION,THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION,SOME OF THE PERSONAL BENEFITS OF EDUCATION AND PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH NOT HAVING AN EDUCATION.I THEN ENCOURAGED THE PUPILS TO FOCUS ON THEIR EDUCATION,ASPIRE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE THROUGH A GOOD EDUCATION,HOW IMPORTANT EDUCATION IS TO BECOMING LIKE THE PROMINENT PEOPLE THEY SEE IN SOCIETY AND ALSO PLEADED WITH THEM TO ADVICE THEIR PEERS TO COME TO SCHOOL AND SHUN WORKING AT DANGEROUS WORKING SITES.MR ERIC THEN ASKED IF ANYONE  EXPERIENCES TO SHARE AND ONE BOLD BOY SHARED HIS EXPERIENCE ON HOW HE USED TO WORK AT  THE SHORES AND SOME SAD EXPERIENCES HE SUFFERED.
      MR ERIC CONCLUDED BY ENCOURAGING THEM TO TALK TO THEIR FRIENDS AND THAT CHEERFUL HEARTS FOUNDATION IS PREPARED TO SUPPORT ANY KID THAT GENUINELY WOULD WANT TO SCHOOL.ONE OF THE STAFF MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL SHOWED APPRECIATION FOR OUR KIND GESTURE AND SAID THEY WERE QUITE HAPPY WE DID THE TALK SINCE THEY HAVING DIFFICULTIES EXPLAINING THIS ISSUE TO THE KIDS.
     AFTER, UPON HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH ONE THE TEACHERS HE WAS ALSO HAPPY WE DID THE TALK AND SUGGESTED WE DID MORE OF THE TALKS SINCE WE GETTING CLOSER TO THE FISHING SEASON AND THAT MOST KIDS EVEN THOSE THAT WERE IN SCHOOL GET ATTRACTED TO THE SHORES SINCE THERE IS BOUNTIFUL HARVEST IN THESE TIMES.HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE DOING MORE TALKS IN THE SCHOOL TO CREATE MORE AWARENESS AND SPREAD THE WORD "STOP CHILD LABOR NOW"