Wheels for Ghana Diary

Sad news from Asare

2008-05-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-24T03:30:00.000-07:00

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/

Visit to Shekinah Children’s Home - Saturday 13th October

2007-10-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

Ellen took us to Shekinah today. Shekinah means “Glory of the Lord” and was set up 4 years ago to look after children who wanted to come off the streets. There are 19 children there; the youngest is 5 and the oldest,18. We were welcomed with outstretched arms - quite literally! - the children ran to greet us and clearly were thrilled to have visitors. They offered to carry our bags. They delighted us with their singing.

Sandra persuaded Pip from our team to get up and dance a praise song to God with her! Clothes and presents that had been brought for the children were handed out and received with eagerness.

I brought a photograph of Lighthouse kids (see Blog entry 15th September) with all their signatures. This was pored over with great interest and held up when they posed for a photo. We sang some action praise songs for them, they sang some more for us. It was quite inspirational!

After that we visited the market with four of the children where Ellen bought school uniform material for them – essential if you want to go to school – which they do, passionately!

If you want to know more, visit The Light Outreach website. It costs just £20 to accommodate, feed, clothe and look after each child for a month. A little goes a long long way in Ghana!http://www.thelightoutreach.org/
http://www.lightinguplives.org/

First distribution at Dodowa – Friday 12th October

2007-10-22T11:35:00.001-07:00

Having spent a dusty day yesterday sorting the wheelchairs in the warehouse into 4 groups for each distribution, it was great for the 10 of us to pile into the minibus today and head off for our first distribution at Dodowa which is situated an hour’s drive north of Tema.
From the minibus window, the panorama of Ghanaian life could be viewed, from teeming city suburbs to simple villages in the lush countryside. The location at Dodowa was outdoors under canopies to protect us from the relentless African sun. That was fine until the weather switched to a torrential downpour in the early afternoon sending everyone rushing for cover!

This was my first experience of seeing how the disabled fare in a developing country. Many of our clients crawled or were carried as a means of getting from A to B. Each therapist assessed their clients with vital help from an interpreter; mine was Pastor David. When he saw George’s name on the form, he exclaimed, “Oh I know him! I carried him here today!” He then proceeded to collect him for the wheelchair assessment which went straightforwardly and it was a delight to see George soon seated proudly in his new chair.

Mercy was used to getting about on her hands and feet. She lived with her grandmother as her own mother was dead. There were additional communication problems as she had some learning difficulties but friends from her community spoke up for her and ensured she got what she needed. The pleasure and dignity in her face after receiving the chair were evident. She said the chair would help her in her job as a seller of iced water.

Not everyone who came to us was given a chair. It is our policy not to give out chairs to those who are getting about with a walking aid as we want to encourage independence and physical strength, not disable them further. This lad was a bit disappointed not to receive a chair but understood when the reasons were explained to him. We were able to give him a pair of crutches which greatly improved his symmetry and walking posture.

Each client was offered time with our pastor Pam for prayer and to receive a Bible in English (if they spoke it), or in their own language. Most of the clients we saw today wanted this.

Our first distribution had gone very well and everyone who needed a chair had been supplied with one. We travelled back to Tema with happy hearts.

http://www.throughtheroof.org/

Safely back again

2007-10-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

The Ghana Wheels Team arrived back in London yesterday morning after our 10 day stay. We’ve had a brilliant time distributing wheelchairs to people with severe mobility difficulties in remote places. We also visited a children’s home in Tema, met with street people in Accra and saw a Ghana that most tourists would never see. We have been conscious of God’s protection (especially on the fast, dangerous roads) and God-given stamina in our challenging working conditions (heat, humidity, afternoon downpours!) At each distribution our prayer has been that we would match the right chair to each client and we have witnessed answers to that prayer in amazing ways. Over the next few days I’m writing a retrospective diary so the information comes over in small digestible chunks.

What has happened this week would not have been possible without Ellen Annan (above) and The Light Outreach Team who work with the disadvantaged in Ghana. Their local knowledge of culture and languages (Ghana has many!) and their knowledge of specific people and places in need is absolutely vital to our effectiveness. Their mission statement is “To relieve poverty and distress of the homeless and spread the Gospel”. And they have a website which is worth looking at!
http://www.thelightoutreach.org/ or www.lightinguplives.org/

Tomorrow I will describe our first distribution at Dodowa.

Cheerio, tomorrow I go!

2007-10-09T00:04:00.000-07:00

In the words of the song, “My bag is packed and I’m ready to go! I’m leaving on a jet plane ....” However, I DO know when I’ll be back again - early on Saturday 20th October. In the next 10 days I will be staying with the Wheels for the World Team in Westgate Hotel in Tema which is in Greater Accra. We will hold wheelchair distributions there and further east along the coast in Ada; also in Dodowa which is inland a bit and in Somanya which is still further inland and more rural. Each wheelchair recipient will also be given a Bible and offered prayer – it’s a truly holistic operation!

A big thank you to all who’ve sponsored me – my Justgiving page has overtaken the target I set of £1000 which is wonderful. It’s been a faith-building thing this fund-raising. I originally prayed about what I should do, set up the web page, told people about it and then just watched the amount climb over several months. I haven’t “badgered” anyone. (I know that many of my friends and family give generously to many other different concerns and giving should come from the heart, not from pressure.) And friends have dug deep. It’s been fantastic!

My holdall is bulging with clothes that friends have given me for the children’s refuge we will also be visiting. In fact I’ve had to turn away bags of clothing! There’s just about room for a few things of my own!

I look forward to sharing my experiences on my return, hopefully with some good photos! See you then.

2007-10-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

10 days to go

2007-09-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

When I returned to Lighthouse a week later I took a photo of the kids and was given 2 big bags of teenager clothes for the children at the refuge we will be visiting in Ghana. Others have given me clothes to take too! Their interest and kindness is heartwarming. I'll have to be careful to keep my own clothes at a minimum as we're all trying to keep our luggage allowance to 15 Kilos each because the Team (of 10) will check in together and the group weight mustn't exceed 230Kilos. This will enable us to take the 2 heavy tool boxes necessary for adjusting the wheelchairs to fit each client and various other bits and pieces.

People at church have been very generous, slipping me cash or cheques to add to the WftW fund I have going on my Justgiving page. It often surprises me who gives - frequently it's people who haven't a great deal themselves but who recognise how well off we are in this country even so. My aim is to raise £1000 and it's 3/4 the way there - more if you count the Gift Aid, which is really pleasing.

All injections are done now. I was lucky not to have any side effects from the Yellow Fever jab 10 days ago. It was interesting with the malaria tablets. I took the Private Prescription to Boots and discovered they cost £2.85 a tablet! At 19 tablets needed, that soon mounts up! I was quietly advised to shop around. It turned out they were even more at my local chemist but I eventually found a good deal at Tesco's.

Countdown for Ghana Trip

2007-09-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I signed up for a trip to Ghana with "Wheels for the World", which is a subgroup of Through the Roof (a Christian Charity for disabled people). The trip is from 10th -20th October 07 and its purpose is to distribute 160 wheelchairs to people in Ghana with severe mobility problems (eg someone who couldn't leave their home unless carried by friends.) I am funding myself and, since there are many expenses getting the wheelchairs in a "roadworthy" state, have also raised over £500 so far for WftW. If you would like to contribute please click on my Justgiving link - www.justgiving.com/christinegrew

I am part of a team of 10 which includes a leader and administrator, 5 OTs and Physios, 2 wheelchair technicians and a lady pastor. We will be based in Tema but hold wheelchair clinics in the capital, Accra, and a more rural location as well. Obviously, as we are helping those with mobility problems, we need to go to them! A Ghanaian lady, Ellen will be our guide and translator. She is also taking us to a children's refuge where children as young as 12 have been rescued from the streets and prostitution.

Two significant things happened this week as I commenced the one month countdown! Firstly I had most of my jabs - Tetanus/Diptheria/Polio and Hepatitus A /Typhoid. It's Yellow Fever next week!

Secondly, I was asked to give a talk about my trip to Lighthouse, a mid-week Youth group run by Holy Trinity Church for 12-14 year olds in our community, Knaphill; (see photo above.)I brought along 2 wheelchairs which are about to be sent to the repair workshop in Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight. I thought the teenagers might like to experience what it feels like to be in a wheelchair. How right I was! After a short talk during which they were very attentive, everybody had a "go" - either self-propelling or being pushed. Lots of screams assured me they were having fun! The chairs were used till going-home-time, the teenagers even playing Unihoc in them. During my talk I mentioned that Ellen would be taking us to visit the children's refuge and that we wanted to bring nearly new clothing for the teenagers there. Several spoke to me afterwards, saying they had some things they would like to give. I felt very encouraged by the interest shown for those less fortunate than ourselves.