Today we said goodbye to a country where we have made many friends and had our hearts changed. It is always hard to say goodbye to people you have become close to. Kelli is coming back in July, but in my case, I am not sure.
I believe that the Lord places certain people and experiences in your life for a reason. I am committed to doing whatever I can to help Africa. I know my sister feels the same.
Before I go, I must update all the readers on a few funny experiences we have had in the last couple of days:
1. Car Gas Leak- We were on our way home from school and all the sudden we hear a big thud and our driver pulls to the side of the road. We immediately start smelling gas and are confused because both the driver and another passenger jumped out the car and started working on it and calling a mechanic. Finally, Kelli and I looked at each other and jumped out of the car. When we got out we realized that there was gas literally pouring out of the car and that they were trying to collect the gas. The car was still running and Kelli and I tried to explain several times to turn it off so that the car did not explode. We even tried to turn the car off ourselves. Finally, they understood and turned off the car and Kelli and I caught a taxi.
2. The never ending “Bus and Van ride.”- Kelli and I needed to catch a bus to Accra to visit the health clinic that Kelli helped start. This required us to take a six hour journey yet again, only this time it had a new flavor. The large bus was filled and so we caught a van. We soon realized that they were trying to put us in the back seat in between people. We were there first and had already reserved the front seat so after at least ten minutes of negotiation, we were able to get the front seats. Then we realized that they were trying to put another person in between us and so we paid a little extra money so that we were able to be comfortable. The second thing that made it exciting was that our suitcases were sent on another bus and were promised that they would be there when we arrived. We kept picturing our bags being forever lost in Ghana. To our surprise, they were there waiting for us when we arrived. The ride in the van was equivalent to a roller coaster that is very bumpy. Every twist and turn was a new adventure.
3. Sister Negotiation: The African market had never had two sisters like us meet them. This is a craft market that is designed for foreigners to come and buy African crafts. All the prices are negotiable and are tripled for people who are not African. Kelli and I decided to go as a team and try to get better prices. Our negotiation leads too many people coming to watch and us going home with three prized items. We were followed out of the market by at least 10 to 20 Africans wanting us to buy crafts. This continued when the car we were riding in died and we had to be pushed out of the market.
4. Kelli’s Film Crew- This group consisted of me with a lot of instruction from Kelli. We are filming shots for Kelli to be on Animal Planet, a show that is a feature on Malaria. We were given specific shots we had to get, and this can be a big challenge with a camera person who has no experience (me). I have climbed on more chairs, found more rocks to set the camera on, and took more footage then I could have imagined. My favorite technique I have found is acting like I am taking footage of my sister while I am filming the scenery behind her. A lot of times people will begin shouting and want you to pay money if they think that you are filming them.
This trip has been an amazing experience and I am so thankful for the opportunity to experience this with my sister. I am sure we will have many more adventures together. We will forever be Sisters Fighting Poverty. We both have different talents and different gifts, but we have the same heart to help people who are in need.
It will be exciting to see where the Lord takes us in the next chapter of our journey. Thanks for reading our blog, we are in New York City right now. I will begin updating a blog when I get back to Oklahoma. It will be, http://www.unveiledthoughtsbyamy.blogspot.com.
Signing off,
Amy Shackelford
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Note from Kelli
Note from Kelli~
Well, since it is our last day I decided I should write on our blog! Amy does such a good job telling the stories that I thought I would leave it to her. Our adventure and time here has been incredible. I hope we will have another sister trip again soon.
The women entrepreneurs I have met are incredible and inspiring. They work tirelessly from morning until night. I tried to capture their stories and take pictures of their faces and businesses. I hope to do something cool with the pictures and stories…. Any ideas? It is amazing how different lives are in different parts of the world. It makes me wonder… if I were born in Africa, would I have the courage to start a business? Would I be able to carry one child on my back, one in my arms, and a basket full of clothes on my head? These women are up at dawn walking to market, and work until the sun falls. What an inspiration!
If you would like to see a few pictures of the women I met, here is a link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2199367&id=34304037&l=4deffe308f
Here is a glimpse at a few of the inspiring stories:
Yau Mansah (woman with smoked fish)
Yau started receiving loans from SAT seven years ago, and has now completed 14 cycles of loans. Her businesses have consistently grown and expanded over time.
Yau leaves near a small market in Offinso, at a place called Dentin. The living conditions can be very tough, but Yau works hard and continues to grow her business.
Yau travels to Eiji to buy smoked fish to sell in the market. Her sister died and left four children in her care. "The money I make from selling the smoked fish helps me create a better life for my sister's children who are now in my care. I am able to provide them with clothes, education, and hope for a better life."
“The training Vida (loan officer Yau works with) and SAT have given me has been very helpful. I have learned better how to attend to my clients, which has allowed my business to grow.”
Before taking her first loan from SAT, Yau could only grow vegetables to sell, and the money did not provide enough income to support her sister’s four children. "I am very thankful for SAT and the loans I have been provided."
Prisca Ajaari – Loan officer at Central Market
Prisca served her year of national service at SAT. Following that, she completed a six month apprenticeship program at SAT where she learned how to be a loan officer. Now Prisca covers 17 trust bank groups which includes 320 clients.
“There is a great need for additional microfinance services in Ghana. Most people in Ghana cannot get any money to start a small business. This keeps them constantly dependent and struggling to get by day to day. They keep working on the same $100 for their whole lives. They make so much of a small loan, and it allows their profit to increase. Most of our clients are women, and they are the breadwinners who must take care of their families. These women work very hard to take care of their families, but it can be difficult to get ahead.”
“In addition to working with the women on their business, I get to know their personal lives. This is part of doing my job well. I need to know my clients very well, and get to learn about their lives. If my client has a problem with her kids, her business, or anything, she can talk to me about it.”
A typical day for Prisca involves a lot of meetings with clients, primarily collecting repayments and holding training and orientation. Some days are “disbursement” days where clients receive their loans.
One memorable client was Fati, who had a really tough health problem. Prisca invited Fati to come to the office, and found a friend that was a doctor to help her. “I felt very happy knowing I had a difference to not just help Fati financially, but to help meet her other needs as well.”
Prisca also told me, “At SAT we are very focused on transforming lives through microfinance, and we really want to do that. We have to turn away people because they are not qualified borrowers. Supporters will help us to continue to expand our reach to the poorest people.”
Thanks very much for reading. May we all be inspired to work towards a world without poverty!
Well, since it is our last day I decided I should write on our blog! Amy does such a good job telling the stories that I thought I would leave it to her. Our adventure and time here has been incredible. I hope we will have another sister trip again soon.
The women entrepreneurs I have met are incredible and inspiring. They work tirelessly from morning until night. I tried to capture their stories and take pictures of their faces and businesses. I hope to do something cool with the pictures and stories…. Any ideas? It is amazing how different lives are in different parts of the world. It makes me wonder… if I were born in Africa, would I have the courage to start a business? Would I be able to carry one child on my back, one in my arms, and a basket full of clothes on my head? These women are up at dawn walking to market, and work until the sun falls. What an inspiration!
If you would like to see a few pictures of the women I met, here is a link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2199367&id=34304037&l=4deffe308f
Here is a glimpse at a few of the inspiring stories:
Yau Mansah (woman with smoked fish)
Yau started receiving loans from SAT seven years ago, and has now completed 14 cycles of loans. Her businesses have consistently grown and expanded over time.
Yau leaves near a small market in Offinso, at a place called Dentin. The living conditions can be very tough, but Yau works hard and continues to grow her business.
Yau travels to Eiji to buy smoked fish to sell in the market. Her sister died and left four children in her care. "The money I make from selling the smoked fish helps me create a better life for my sister's children who are now in my care. I am able to provide them with clothes, education, and hope for a better life."
“The training Vida (loan officer Yau works with) and SAT have given me has been very helpful. I have learned better how to attend to my clients, which has allowed my business to grow.”
Before taking her first loan from SAT, Yau could only grow vegetables to sell, and the money did not provide enough income to support her sister’s four children. "I am very thankful for SAT and the loans I have been provided."
Prisca Ajaari – Loan officer at Central Market
Prisca served her year of national service at SAT. Following that, she completed a six month apprenticeship program at SAT where she learned how to be a loan officer. Now Prisca covers 17 trust bank groups which includes 320 clients.
“There is a great need for additional microfinance services in Ghana. Most people in Ghana cannot get any money to start a small business. This keeps them constantly dependent and struggling to get by day to day. They keep working on the same $100 for their whole lives. They make so much of a small loan, and it allows their profit to increase. Most of our clients are women, and they are the breadwinners who must take care of their families. These women work very hard to take care of their families, but it can be difficult to get ahead.”
“In addition to working with the women on their business, I get to know their personal lives. This is part of doing my job well. I need to know my clients very well, and get to learn about their lives. If my client has a problem with her kids, her business, or anything, she can talk to me about it.”
A typical day for Prisca involves a lot of meetings with clients, primarily collecting repayments and holding training and orientation. Some days are “disbursement” days where clients receive their loans.
One memorable client was Fati, who had a really tough health problem. Prisca invited Fati to come to the office, and found a friend that was a doctor to help her. “I felt very happy knowing I had a difference to not just help Fati financially, but to help meet her other needs as well.”
Prisca also told me, “At SAT we are very focused on transforming lives through microfinance, and we really want to do that. We have to turn away people because they are not qualified borrowers. Supporters will help us to continue to expand our reach to the poorest people.”
Thanks very much for reading. May we all be inspired to work towards a world without poverty!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Goodbye and Hello
Today has been a bitter sweet day. We had to say good bye to Kelli’s friends at SAT and my friends at the school. The kids put on a great program for us consisting of songs and traditional dancing. I even joined in on one of them. One of the teachers wrote a poem and had one of the older girls read it to me. It brought tears to my eyes. As I was leaving they were all grabbing me and begging me to stay or take them with me.
It is always breaks my heart to say good bye to the children in Africa. It is amazing how close you can become to these kids after spending such a short time with them. As I waved goodbye to the school, I knew that part of my heart would now be in Ghana.
The people at SAT were so sad to see Kelli leave and said they were patiently awaiting her return. Kelli was able to get a lot accomplished and get the machines up and running and the time study started. It will be interesting to see how things go when she returns in July.
We are now back in Accra after a five and a half hour bus ride. We are staying at the guest house that Kelli and a group of her friends and colleagues stayed at last summer. We have an action packed day planned tomorrow and I am most excited to see the health clinic that Kelli helped start.
It is late here and I will update everyone more tomorrow.
It is always breaks my heart to say good bye to the children in Africa. It is amazing how close you can become to these kids after spending such a short time with them. As I waved goodbye to the school, I knew that part of my heart would now be in Ghana.
The people at SAT were so sad to see Kelli leave and said they were patiently awaiting her return. Kelli was able to get a lot accomplished and get the machines up and running and the time study started. It will be interesting to see how things go when she returns in July.
We are now back in Accra after a five and a half hour bus ride. We are staying at the guest house that Kelli and a group of her friends and colleagues stayed at last summer. We have an action packed day planned tomorrow and I am most excited to see the health clinic that Kelli helped start.
It is late here and I will update everyone more tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
School Days
The past couple of days I have continued to go to the school. When I was in Uganda, I was always amazed with how excited the children were to come to school, this has not changed. The children pack into a bus (a big white van) and are packed so tightly that you can not see many of them. The schools have limited supplies, and the teachers at most schools are not professional teachers, but the children put on their uniform each morning and head to school, wanting more than anything to learn.
I have often wondered, what motivates these children, why are they so passionate about coming to school each morning. I am quickly reminded as a ride home on the school bus and see mothers and fathers pick up their children that these children are desperate for a chance to be educated so that they can one day have a job. They don’t want a job so that they can live in a fancy house, drive the nicest car, or wear the most stylish clothes; they want a job so that they can survive. They dream of being able to provide for their family a better life then what they had growing up.
The school that I have been teaching at has impressed me and captured my heart. The woman that runs the school started the school from the ground up and is constantly reaching out to her village and serving the families in her community. She has big plans for the school and hopes to continue to be able to serve children who come from families who can not afford education for their children.
I have taught the children Jesus Loves Me, This Little Light of Mine, and the Hokey Pokey. I have sung these songs so much that my voice has started to hurt and at the end of the day I am exhausted. None of that matters the next day because I can’t get enough of singing and dancing with these children because of their beautiful smiles. It is their smiles that will remain in my heart and continue to drive me towards wanting to help Africa.
The reality is that as much as I help Africa, it is truly Africa that helps me. When I come to this continent, my whole heart changes and I see the Lord in a whole different light. The people of Africa have a lot to teach me about hard work and joy that can only come from the Lord.
When I get back to the states I plan on meeting with as many school teachers that will meet with me and developing a curriculum that I can give to village schools in Africa. These schools need materials on how to teach English, Math, Physical Education, Health, Religion, and Phonics. I know many teachers who could share so much knowledge with the schools in Africa. This will be the start of a ministry that can outreach too many schools in Africa.
If you know any teachers that would like to get involved, please email the information to Amy Shackelford at Amy.unveiled@gmail.com.
Kelli has been working hard on the project. She has gone in early and stayed late. The technology that she is implementing is now up and running and the pilot is off to a good start.
I have often wondered, what motivates these children, why are they so passionate about coming to school each morning. I am quickly reminded as a ride home on the school bus and see mothers and fathers pick up their children that these children are desperate for a chance to be educated so that they can one day have a job. They don’t want a job so that they can live in a fancy house, drive the nicest car, or wear the most stylish clothes; they want a job so that they can survive. They dream of being able to provide for their family a better life then what they had growing up.
The school that I have been teaching at has impressed me and captured my heart. The woman that runs the school started the school from the ground up and is constantly reaching out to her village and serving the families in her community. She has big plans for the school and hopes to continue to be able to serve children who come from families who can not afford education for their children.
I have taught the children Jesus Loves Me, This Little Light of Mine, and the Hokey Pokey. I have sung these songs so much that my voice has started to hurt and at the end of the day I am exhausted. None of that matters the next day because I can’t get enough of singing and dancing with these children because of their beautiful smiles. It is their smiles that will remain in my heart and continue to drive me towards wanting to help Africa.
The reality is that as much as I help Africa, it is truly Africa that helps me. When I come to this continent, my whole heart changes and I see the Lord in a whole different light. The people of Africa have a lot to teach me about hard work and joy that can only come from the Lord.
When I get back to the states I plan on meeting with as many school teachers that will meet with me and developing a curriculum that I can give to village schools in Africa. These schools need materials on how to teach English, Math, Physical Education, Health, Religion, and Phonics. I know many teachers who could share so much knowledge with the schools in Africa. This will be the start of a ministry that can outreach too many schools in Africa.
If you know any teachers that would like to get involved, please email the information to Amy Shackelford at Amy.unveiled@gmail.com.
Kelli has been working hard on the project. She has gone in early and stayed late. The technology that she is implementing is now up and running and the pilot is off to a good start.
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