Navrongo and Zebilla
on Michael Cashman (Ghana), 09/Apr/2010 21:32, 34 days ago
Charlotte& I decide to go to Zebilla (volunteers at Ghana Education Service) via Bolga (Widows& Orphnas Mision, helping with Human Resource Policies) and Navrongo (cousin Sam at the Teacxher Training College). Not quite on the way, but not far off. A swimming-pool not in use is a pretty sad sight here though.We see a little of the end of inter-college Sports - the 100 metres here. They start (after a false start - "red card" for the unfortunate offender), they run past, somebody wins.This is an opportunity to meet Sam's boy-friend Grahame, visiting from VSO Cameroon - although he's not directly involved, it's useful to hear a little about Organisational Development in VSO Cameroon.We stay overnight with Sam's collegaue Mary, seen at the back with Charlotte - thanks Mary!Then on to Zebilla.This is the spot, having just alighted from the tro-tro, where Charlotte takes& makes some crucial phone calls. We had discovered that Organisational Dévelopment activities could be funded or subsidised by VSO, and Charlotte manages now to faciliatte phone calls between Seidu (Walewale GES OD Lead), the GES Director (on a workshop in Tamale) and Dora in Accra, which result in a written request being prepared in Walewale for us to take to Accra on Monday. Many more pigs in Zebilla than at home in Walewale, but Walewale is very MuslimLunch in Zebilla, with Stepehn (governance), Ellie and Cherith (new volunteers in Feb/March) and Pat the Management Support Officer who like Stephen was part of our intake.  We explore how Organisation Assessment could take place in Zebilla GES Office, with limited time available for Pat to drive this, and Pat settles on her preferred approach that would explore all the issues via five time-bosed workshoips, one per week in May. Talking through some of the examnple and illustrative materials helps Pat and Stephen to make choices on how to recommend the assessment should happen in Zebilla.We have a stroke of luck at the end of the afternoon in finding a tro-tro going all the way west to Bolga and then south beyond Walewale. Then, back home, we're visited by Seidu with the vital piece of paper - request for funds. In Walewale we're trying to integrate the VSO Organisational Development Planning process with the existing Annual District Educational Operational Plan, and the request is for funds to support the necessary joint workshops - Seidu is, we're glad to say, looking ahead to the whole year in terms of budgeting for this - good indication of sustainabaility!