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Building a library in Ghana, Maisie and Lena 24/25
News Story: Building a library in Ghana, Maisie and Lena 24/25
During our year in Ghana, we wanted to leave something lasting behind for the school: a library. While teaching at A. A. Fia Basic School, we quickly noticed a gap in students’ learning: although many were fairly confident in spoken English, they struggled with reading and writing. As lifelong bookworms ourselves, we believed that access to books could make a real difference in bridging that gap.
Our plan began months in advance, but as so often happens, time slipped away and obstacles appeared. Suddenly, with just over a week left, we still had no library. Determined not to give up, we threw ourselves into fundraising, and thanks to the generosity of family and friends from all over the world, we quickly raised £800 for books.
That weekend, we travelled to Accra, the capital of Ghana, where we spent one long day book shopping. With limited funds, we aimed for variety, choosing books for every age group, from KG1 to JHS3. We also made a deliberate choice to focus on storybooks rather than syllabus texts. At the school, we had seen that classrooms lacked storybooks entirely, and we wanted children to have the chance to read for pleasure, not just for exams. It was also important to us that they could see themselves in the characters of the books, so we made sure to buy as many as possible set in Ghana, written by Ghanaian authors.
After a hectic day in Accra and a long four-hour journey back home with a suitcase full of books, we had done it. Payment had gone through, books were acquired, and we were ready to begin converting an abandoned classroom into a library. Although we managed to buy slightly fewer books than we had hoped, we were able to combine them with the school’s smaller existing collection to create a respectable bookshelf full of them.
The next morning, the real work began. The classroom we hoped to use had been empty for some time, but it still had a large bookshelf that could be repurposed. We were joined by a group of our students who, having just finished their exams, were eager to help. Together, we cleared out the room, cleaned and dusted, sorted through stacks of old books (including one set from 1960!), and organized the new ones from beginner level through to more advanced. Maisie painted a mural to brighten up the space, and by the end of two very full days, the dusty classroom had been transformed into something that truly looked like a library.
The best part of the process wasn’t the finished room but seeing how quickly the children took to it. Even as we were still unpacking, some of the students who usually found English lessons boring were already sitting down with books, completely absorbed. At the end of each day, we read together, and it was amazing to see them learn and use new words almost immediately. It showed just how much potential there was once books were simply available.
We’re deeply grateful to everyone who supported our fundraising, and to the Headmaster, Sir Isaac Sallah, for giving permission to use the classroom. Our hope is that the library will keep growing and continue to give students the chance to read, explore, and learn for many years to come. Go Back
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Exploring Gap Year Learning in Ghana
Barney Mills- Seva Basic School, Ghana (2022/23)
What has been your biggest learning over the past 12 months?
My biggest learning was to not rely on anyone else or bigger longer-term goals for my happiness and to instead take things more slowly, making the most of living day to day and celebrating the smaller successes. While trying not to worry about the problems in the future to which I currently had no available solution. The Ghanaian idea of ‘small-small’ means you are getting a tiny bit better each time, and I think this idea is very helpful, and important to not focus on negatives or things that are uncertain about the future.
Who inspired you the most during your placement?
Sir Issac was my biggest inspiration. Despite being the second oldest teacher (probably around 39), he advocated vehemently the reforming and modernisation of the curriculum and the traditional school activities. He was the main coordinator and quizmaster for the exciting initiative of an intellectual quiz competition, which encouraged younger and gifted children to learn and be rewarded (for which I was the assistant quizmaster). All the children he teaches greatly respect him, alongside his colleagues.
What was the best thing at Debriefing?
I found debriefing important and cathartic for helping me process what had happened. The most important if not purely enjoyable activity was carefully listening to a mixed group of Volunteers talking about their perceived impact and the way their experiences had impacted them. Then I took my turn to stand up in front of everyone and reflect on my experience.
It was cathartic and positive as it felt as if all of us could relate to and at least partially understand each other’s challenges- hence it made me feel better and a lot less isolated in what you went through. Also, the range of feedback given throughout debriefing, covering the entire gap year journey from selection and recruitment to returning, was vital for Project Trust. It also shows how much the current Volunteers genuinely care about the experience that future Volunteers get and who hopefully will be taking this same journey.
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Abbie Brown, Ghana
Hi, I’m Abbie and I am currently living with Eliza, my project partner, in Anyako Kpota, Ghana.
Even though my time volunteering is slowly coming to an end, I want to share the amazing experiences I have had over the past 7 months.
Anyako Kpota is a very small town which is located in the Volta Region of Ghana. Anyako (the main town) is located on the island which is in the Keta Lagoon. We are based only a 15 minute walk away from Anyako and a few minutes walk away from the lagoon (we get a lovely breeze so are not suffering too badly from the heat!). Our school is only a 2 minute walk from the house and compared to other schools, it looks very big. We have the Basic School (which contains Kindergarten, Primary and JHS – Junior High School) and then we also have the Senior High School (equivalent to Sixth Form or College). I teach JHS 1 which contains 24 students with ages ranging from 12 to 20. I also teach JHS 2 which contains over 50 students and are between the ages of 13 and 22!
The subject I teach is Career Technology and it is certainly a challenging subject to teach. Career technology is a mix of life skills, science, home economics and business (it certainly covers a wide variety of different topics).
Despite being very busy with teaching and writing exams, I have had a chance to explore many different regions in Ghana. Some of the places I have been lucky enough to experience is Accra (the Capital city), Ho (the capital of the Volta Region), Tamale, Kumasi, Mole and also all the way across the coast to Busua. Even though every different area of Ghana has its own attributes, I have noticed that Ghana as a whole is such a warm-hearted country. Everywhere I have been to, everyone has been so welcoming and helpful even when we do not know them! This is something I am definitely going to miss.
The last 7 months have definitely been an emotional rollercoaster but I have had the best experience of my life! The initial month in Ghana was such a culture shock but I was too excited about starting to teach and explore a different country. Personally, I found Christmas time the hardest as I had been in Ghana for a fair amount of time and was starting to miss home. However, home was only a phone call away and I was able to talk to the other volunteers if I needed to. This start of this year has flown by and it will not be long till I have finished my journey in Ghana.
Between all the teaching and travelling, I have also been able to help with netball at the school. We have a full sized netball/basketball course that is well used! I have been sharing my journey on both Instagram and Facebook so people who have supported me throughout my Project Trust journey and also people who are thinking of volunteering, can gain a deeper insight on my experience. Recently, I started up a blog where I am going to share more about my day-to-day life; it is going to take a lot of work as I have only a few posts but it is a start!
Keep up with Abbie’s adventures here: Abbies Volunteering Year in Ghana (site123.me)
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A Day In The Life…
Current Volunteers Choe Hood & Ella Fraser share with us a day in the life of a teacher volunteer…
They are currently volunteering in Ghana, and both are living in the Volta region, In a small town called ‘Akatsi’. Chloe is teaching English and Ella is teaching Maths in a basic school. Monday – Friday.
Chloe Hood “Our alarms go off at 6am and we often get up and sweep the compound outside the house. Some days are definitely harder to get out of bed than others. It’s tradition that the women especially must do so before anything else. We sweep the sand, to make the compound look clean and tidy. We have a small gas container so often put some water in the pot to heat up so that we can have a tea on our walk to school. We like to walk to school in the morning, as it’s the only time that the heat is bearable to walk in. On our walk, we often pick up a local Ghanaian breakfast, the lady expects us most mornings! Our students line up under the tree for assembly each morning and sing a few songs before starting lessons at 8am. We often finish the songs with a prayer…. Lovely start to the day! Primary school tends to work per level rather than age. You start school, when you can afford to do so however as of 2017 our school changed to a government school, which is one of the very few schools around our town, that is free. We are teaching primary six, age ranged from around 11-17. We have a timetable and teach one lesson a day. However, in-between we often help in other classes. While we aren’t teaching, we plan our lessons, read our books, or write a diary. Break and lunch time is always fun! Although it’s very hot, we often play with the children. We’ve taught them a numerous amount of team games such as, rounders, capture the flag, football, table tennis, skipping etc. When we first came to the school, it had no P.E equipment whatsoever. We have introduced a library lesson to our school. The children are growing and learning more each day. We found that their facts were always pretty good however their creative writing skills were what needing improved. This was purely due to lack of reading, not having the chance to have seen a movie etc. As well as teaching English, during the week we have been asked to do P.S.E and on a Friday we are the dedicated P.E teachers. We often eat the local Ghanaian dishes while at school. When you are eating, it is expected that you “Invite” the other teachers to join. We finish teaching around 2pm. Everyday, we go to a little stall to get a fanIce, which is a lovely ice lolly to cool us down! Depending on the temperature, we then decided if we are walking or taking a transport home. As you walk the streets, everyone will greet you. Everyone you pass, will welcome you. We have never met a friendlier community. Before coming to Ghana, we felt scared of my safety but actually we haven’t once felt unsafe in our community. The locals look out for you, more than we could ever imagine. They all treat us as if we are their own family.
Ella Fraser Once we are home, we often cook lunch and sometimes we cook for the children in our community if their parents are not home. Some days, we head out around 4pm with the children in the community and play games with them at the local “Football pitch” – sand pitch. Although, some days we are very tired due to the heat, and we will come home and sleep for a few hours and just rest! Each day tends to be different. We cook around 6pm, as we often try and have an early night before a busy day the next day.”