Thursday, November 29, 2007
Look here for updates!
I will be trying to blog at least a couple of times a month so check back here for updates! The first update has to cover whats been going on for the last 6 months so its going to take me a few days to get it together. I will try to get the first general update up by 12/7/07. Check back!
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3 comments:
We are thrilled to see your dreams and determination bring the start of something so big. We have been praying for you, your support team, and those dear children. We've shared your writing with others and now many more can read your blog. Thank you, Joy, for expressing in words and actions what many of us wish we could do.
Love and prayers, Grandma and Grandpa Hardt
Dear Edem...
I hope you remember me... Sally, one of the Belgian girls.
I have been looking to the pictures on your site and it made me very happy to see you are using all te materials we gave you very well!!
It really fills my heart with joy to see those children playing with things that onces where mine!!
You are doing a great job!
Greetings,
Sally
sallypeustjens[at]hotmail[dot]com
OFFICIAL UPDATE TO THE DISTRICT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF KPANDO
Dear Honorable Pious,
I am writing to inform you of the status and goings on at HardtHaven Childrens Home for the months of December 2007 through February 2008. Joy Hardt returned to Ghana on the 30th of December and stayed through the 4th of February. During that time she and Edem negotiated with the landlady to allow HardtHaven to continue to reside at the LuckyStar house until the end of the original lease.
New Children: Wisdom Adzowu, was brought to the home by the Birth and Death registrar from Kpando-Torkor, Mr. Bondi, on the 15th of January. He is 17 years old and lost both of his parents. He has completed JSS and did very well on his final exams, with scoring aggregate 10. We are currently working on placing him in a Senior Secondary School, hopefully in Kpando.
Volunteers: Donnie and Lisa were two volunteers who arrived in December to celebrate Christmas with the children from the home as well as the children that we sponsor. Donnie left Ghana on the 28th of December. Lisa and Joy took all the children to Tafi Atomi monkey sanctuary on the first of January. Lisa left Ghana on the 2nd of January. Amy and Sarah from Canada also arrived in Kpando and stayed for 2 weeks. Sara a professional nurse worked for 8 days at the hospital and Amy spent two days working at the special inclusive school at Kpando Abanu, they both brought toys, books, hand sanitizers and soccer balls to the kids, they promised to return to your wonderful district again very soon. Julie Wynne, arrived from Ireland on the 25th of February. She has an extensive background in social work, which will be very beneficial to the home. She will be volunteering at the home for six months. Sonjelle Shilton, an American volunteer who came to Kpando last summer from August to September and worked at the home, returned on the 27th of February. She will be volunteering at the home for one year. The plan is that Julie and Sonjelle will take on the daily operations of running the home, thus giving Edem and Tim Dogherty the ability to start up the maize and moringa farm project as a way of sustaining the home, as well as work on other projects as well. We also expect two volunteers to arrive in early March.
Donations: MTV Staying Alive sent six boxes of goods for the children; sadly five boxes were detained by customs officials. Edem asked MTV Staying Alive to email the custom officials to explain to them that the goods were for a children’s home and not for import sales. Hopefully that will rectify the situation. Julie brought a number of books and a football for the
children. Marcy, a volunteer at Margaret Marquat Hospital donated some stickers, medical supplies and educational materials. Sonjelle donated educational books, teaching aids, some toys and a number of footballs to the home. Frank, has donated a good deal of Pawpaw monthly.
Other: Tim Dogherty left Kpando for the US in December and returned to Kpando in January. He has continued to help with the home, especially in the aspect of planning to set up a farm.
A charity football match was held for us at the Kpando sports stadium in the third week of January and some of the gate proceeds was used to bye one bag of rice, tins of sugar 5 litters oil, one cotton biscuit and 6 bars of key soap. Special thanks to Coach George Bankole and former Kpando Mopo striker Abdul Mumumi. We are very grateful for all the support from the community.
Executives from the British consul and UK Belonging project visited the home on the 20th of February and they were very impressed by the home, especially since Edem is a member of the Belonging Project team.
On the 18th of January two women volunteers from Deladem Orphanage in Logba visited us because they want to see how we operated our home and to learn how they could better run their own home. After hearing some of their problems we donated tooth brushes, school supplies and toys to them and have promised to share what ever we have with them. Our children have been sharing the pawpaw that was donated to us with teachers and students in Gabi D/A primary school as well as neighbors within the stadium community.
The regional correspondent from the Independent newspaper named Christopher, called Edem and accused him of taking donations and funds from Oprah Winfrey and some philanthropist from Belgium, Edem informed the man that people such as Oprah do not donate to individuals but rather to larger global funds. Anna McNicholas a journalist from the newspaper the Insight visited the home on the 25th of Febuary.
Edem, Julie and Marcy took the sick children from the home as well the children that are sponsored by the home to their appointment at the Ho regional hospital on the 29th of February. We are delighted to report that the doctors were very impressed by how healthy the children are. We are currently housing 15 children in the home and sponsoring 9 in the
Community.
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