Sad news from Asare

Asare, our translator at the home visit, emailed me at the beginning of May with this news: "Christine, I have one piece of bad news for you. Maame yaa has passed away about two weeks ago. You remember I told that she was seriously sick and use to cry all night? the problem became severe that she could not survive it and died about two weeks ago." Although sad, I feel Maame Yaa is in a better place now, in God's care. She had no real future with her particular and severe disabilities. I like to think of her restored and healed and revelling in the joys of heaven. I hope her mother is at peace and that the buggy we brought her, lifted their lives a bit and helped them know that someone cared.

Home visit to a one year old birthday girl – Friday 19th October

We were due to fly out of Ghana this evening but there was just time to distribute a few more wheelchairs in Tema using as a base, the Redemption Presbyterian Church that Jill and I visited last Sunday.

Then our leader, Shirley, asked Pip, Will and me to attend a home visit in Tema which we did with our translator Asare.

We discovered it was the first birthday of Amee Yaa, a dear little girl with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. Her spine had been surgically closed soon after birth but no shunt had been inserted to drain the excess cerebral fluid at that time. When she reached 6 months old, it was clear that her head was swelling rapidly and that she needed the operation. Ghana’s National Health Service doesn’t extend to that surgery and Amee Yaa’s mother had to find 15 million Cedes (£750) to pay for it. This was a huge amount to find and even with family and friends all rallying round, took 3 months to raise...by which time Amee Yaa’s head had increased still further. However since the shunt was inserted, her condition had remained stable.


Amee Yaa and her mother lived in a “house compound” - a common arrange- ment in Ghana where the wider family can live and work together. Three aunts and their families also lived here and clearly both Amee Yaa and her mother enjoyed good family support.

We had a buggy to seat Amee Yaa which needed additional foam to keep her well supported, particularly her head which was too heavy to hold up on her own. Will and Pip did wonders with the foam while I explained to mum how to gently stretch the little girl’s legs each day to prevent contractures.
Before we left, we prayed for the mother and her young daughter and gave them a Bible with a verse at the beginning which is sometimes called “the Gospel in a nutshell” – “John 3 v16 For God loved the world so much He gave his only Son that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.”

It was noticeable how much more stimulating Amee Yaa found the upright position and as we left, she was wheeled into the family courtyard to be included in the socialising!

http://www.thelightoutreach.org/
http://www.throughtheroof.org/
christinethefizz@onetel.com

A musical welcome and fresh challenges at Somanya – Thursday 18th October

Somanya is a 2 hour journey inland from Tema and an area that has been hard hit by AIDS - there is an orphanage in the village for children who’ve lost their parents to the disease. However it had a robust church building with a good tin roof and electricity and was the best location we’ve had on this trip.

In the afternoon, some of us climbed the bell tower and were rewarded by views over the green and leafy village.


We arrived in the minibus with the lorry-load of wheelchairs to the wonderful sound of unaccompanied singing and clapping which didn’t stop for 20 minutes after our arrival. What a welcome! Never mind the language barrier - music bridged the gap!

We soon knuckled down to seeing the clients. I was interested in the unique way this 55 year old polio sufferer moved – by rocking a small stool from side to side.

Kathy came prepared with balloons and bubbles for the children. Here, following the seating assessment, she entertains a delightful 13 year old child with learning disabilities. The infectious laughter made several of us stop what we were doing to watch.

We were particularly glad of the strong building when the afternoon rains descended with even greater force than on previous days. The noise on the tin roof made communication through an interpreter particularly hard and when the power cut came, my translator had to hold a torch so I could see what I was writing! Someone fetched a gaslight for Chris our administrator and for Will, one of our technicians, who managed to re-build a chair for the last client of the day!
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This lovely lady called Larko didn’t know how old she was as she came from an illiterate family. She had a young son and daughter and guessed she was about 25. Her father looked after her and her children, and although he was currently in good health, his age and the physical demands on him were beginning to concern her.


This was one of the highlights of my day because we had just run out of self-propel adult chairs. However, Larko was so slightly built, that she fitted a child’s self propel wheelchair perfectly. I didn’t even have to adjust the footrests! Whereas many people felt obliged to pose rather seriously for their photo, Larko was unable to stop smiling.

A further joy for me – I later learnt that after having had the Gospel explained to her by the local pastor, she received Christ.

http://www.thelightoutreach.org/

http://www.throughtheroof.org/

christinethefizz@onetel.com

Distribution, downpours and delightful children at Acroso – Wednesday 17th October

Acroso was a three hour drive away and meant an early start for us all. However the rides in the minibus are so fascinating that one almost forgets the time. The towns we pass through are full of traders, some with shops, some simply a stall by the roadside.



Many businesses reflect in their names, the Christian belief that is part of Ghana’s heritage, such as “The Lord is my Light Fashion” and “Sow in Tears, Reap in Joy Welding and Spraying”. Many make us laugh and I've started keeping a note of them. Jill noticed “Perseverance Fast Food” and Will spotted “Sweet Jesus Fresh Eggs”! Many cars and taxis also bear witness to their owners’ faith with slogans such as “God is with us” and “Thank you Jesus”. As Pip so rightly observed “It’s amazing – God is everywhere!”

The Acroso location was a building with a roof overhang right around it which was a blessing when the familiar early afternoon torrential downpour happened! I’m beginning to understand why Ghana is such a green land!







Canopies had been erected around the grass square and already many people had gathered – in fact some had arrived the day before. Some were there to receive wheelchairs, many were carers and friends accompanying them and not a few were there just to enjoy the spectacle!





Chris, a happy 5 year old was brain-damaged after having convulsions at the age of 6 months and had poor head control. It was great to be able to give him this Pixi buggy with wings which support his head. His mum was as delighted as he was!







Theresa was a 24 year old woman who lived with her father and 2 year old twins.

She previously got about by crawling and was so happy to have a chair. She said her father was a farmer and this wheelchair would now enable her to help him sell his produce. The little girls were adorable, but never having seen a white face before, they were absolutely terrified of me!

As has happened previously the "official opening ceremony" which was laid on for us at the beginning of the day took up precious daylight time and meant that we worked until nightfall or beyond. As we were tidying up the site we saw several children collecting water, on their way home with buckets or basins on their heads. Their balance and agility is awesome.
When I took this little girl's photo, the flash alerted other children to my camera and they came crowding round wanting their picture taken too.

Within moments I was sur-rounded by about 40-50 children.

There's a limit to how much you can take photographs and show a group of that size, so I asked them if they'd like to sing and we went over to the grass square where the site of the distribution had been.

They joined in with actions to

"Who's the king of the jungle? Who's the king of the sea?
Who's the King of the universe?And who's the King of me?"

and then they sang a couple of songs to me, one of which I'd heard the street kids sing last Sunday night. Again, their enthusiasm and the strength of their singing made a deep impression on me. This passion is infectious!

http://www.thelightoutreach.org/
http://www.throughtheroof.org/
christinethefizz@onetel.com

Our second wheelchair distribution at Ada - Tuesday 16th October

Ada is a coastal town east of Tema. There was a
Wheels distribution there 2 years ago and some of the chairs that were returned to us today were beyond repair because the salty sea air and tremendous humidity accelerate the process of deterioration on anything metal or rubber.

Seysi returned her completely dilapidated chair and was re-issued with a new one. Her right leg was inclined to “do its own thing” and flop into the castor, even with a footplate.
After consulting with another member of the team and trying out various ideas with foam padding, I made a strap for her leg which enabled it to rest and kept it out of the way of the wheel.

Ototeye was 13 years old with bilateral Talipes (clubfoot) and also had weakness and contractures in both legs, suggesting more than one pathology. He was his mother’s only child and dependant on her for everything. The mother was shown massage and stretches for his legs to stop the contractures from worsening and she was encouraged to let her son do more for himself.

Being seated in a chair and propelling himself forward was a completely new experience for him! One sensed great changes ahead for them as Ototeye may now be able to attend school whereas previously, it’s been too far for his mother to carry him.

You can also see my translator, Albert, a member of the Light Outreach Team, in this picture.

After each client was seen, they were offered a Bible and prayer with the pastors. 41 out of the 52 clients seen today met with our pastor Pam and a local pastor, Kwadro. Many were hungry for spiritual reality and God’s Word. Here is George proudly seated in his new chair with a Bible.

The photos show lovely sunshine. What they cannot convey is the incredible humidity we experienced. As I worked, I could feel rivers of sweat running down my back and my legs, my forehead was dripping and my hands completely sticky as I wrote down the assessment notes! One of the things I knew people were praying for back home was stamina for the team. How we all kept going seeing client after client till the end of the day was amazing and a direct answer to prayer!

http://www.throughtheroof.org/
christinethefizz@onetel.com

Craft market and the street people of Accra – Monday 15th October

Unfortunately our distribution to Somanya has had to be postponed till Thursday as today is a Bank Holiday! This was only recently announced and took the organisers by surprise. Many of the clients wanting to attend the distribution depend on the Social Service minibus to get there and as this doesn’t run on Bank Holidays, it was better to rearrange the day.

Instead, we headed up into the lush Ghana hillside to a roadside craft market where we were able to buy some gifts to take back home. Some of the craftsmen were at work and I was interested to see the posture of this young man as he decorated his relief carving. The therapists on the team have noted that the Ghanaians use their backs quite differently to us westerners and attempts by us to teach “correct” lifting don’t really seem to work. One thing is sure, from a young age people here use and strengthen their backs and it’s rare to see someone walking down the road with bad posture.

In the evening, Ellen took us to the city of Accra where we met the street people who look forward to tea and bread every Monday evening distributed by The Light Outreach Team. They were rough and ready types and there was lots of good humoured banter and bravado. The common theme was how much they wanted a job. However, to find work and be paid is a dream that probably most won’t realise. My most difficult moment of the entire trip was when I met 18 year old Isaac, (not pictured here.)His parents were dead and he looked after his younger sister and brother. He wanted my contact number which I explained I couldn’t give him. He wanted to come to England and get work. “I’d work hard,” he said “I’d do you proud!” What could I say? I felt the agony of the situation and we just stood looking at each other. After a few moments Ellen appeared and I introduced them. She spoke to him in his own language and took his number; she may be able to offer help with the care of his siblings.

Reflecting later, how ironic this lack of jobs when Ghana is the second largest exporter of gold in the world.

http://thelightoutreach.org

Praising God - in a building and on the streets Sunday 14th October

The 10 members of the team were sent in pairs to 5 different churches this morning so that we could spread the word about what “Wheels for the World” was doing in Ghana and also challenge the local Christians to think about disablement. How could they make their buildings more accessible for a wheelchair user? How could they develop a more inclusive approach for those with disability?
Jill and I attended the Redemption Congregation Presbyterian church in Tema. The worship was vibrant and wholehearted which moved me very much. The contrast between Ghana were one’s need of God is much more obvious and England where we are materially rich but spiritually poor, struck me quite intensely.

Everyone was dressed in their Sunday Best! I loved the clothes – all the women were wearing two-piece tailored suits with bright and varied prints. I know that God looks on the heart and of course everyone is welcome to come to church no matter what they’re wearing but I still love the fact that these people want to put on their best to come and worship God!

In the evening Ellen took the Wheels team to the street kids of Tema. This was also extremely moving for different reasons. The children we met have very hard lives but you wouldn’t immediately know that from their happy shouts and laughter. Ellen asked them if they spoke English and most did. We sang with a group of 70 - 80 children aged from about 4 to12 years old. We sang "Jesus' love is very wonderful" and got them doing the actions:
“So high you can’t get over it!
So low you can’t get under it!
So wide you can’t get around it!
Oh wonderful love!”
Then they sang us a song about God’s goodness and the strength of their singing blew me away! In the video clip below you can hear for yourself. These are underprivileged kids many of whom sleep in shop doorways at night or alone at home while their mother works the streets - but just listen to their praise!
(From the lips of children ... I have ordained praise. Psalm 8 v.2)



We used puppets to perform a short sketch and then bread and tea were handed out to all. The way they cared for one another and made sure everyone had received was another moving sight.

http://www.throughtheroof.org/
http://www.lightinguplives.org/