Ghana: Atorkor Development Foundation

Ghana: Atorkor Development FoundationAtorkor Development Foundation is a community-based organization that seeks to transform Atorkor village from being under-developed with extreme poverty into a self-sustaining community. Located on the Atlantic Coast, Atorkor has lovely long stretches of sandy beaches. As a volunteer, you have the opportunity to be immersed in their Ewe culture by working in education, public health, business development and education.

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Atorkor is a beautiful remote eastern coastal village in the Volta region in the Keta Municipal area of Ghana, two hours east of Accra. Located on the Atlantic Coast, Atorkor has lovely long stretches of sandy beaches, (part of which has been encroached upon by the building of a sea defense wall to address the perennial problem of coastal erosion). Atorkor has some of the warmest and friendliest people in all of Africa. It is a safe, enchanting village and a wonderful place to visit. It has a population of approximately 6,000 Ewe people.

Economic Situation

The main occupation for the men of the village is fishing, for which the inhabitants depend on the sea and lagoon. However, the fishing industry has declined considerably due to depleting stocks of fish in the area and archaic fishing methods; over fishing and illegal fishing by large foreign trawlers; and the construction of the dam by the Ghana government, which has almost completely dried up both the river and lagoon.

Atorkor Community Healthcare Program

The Atorkor Community Healthcare Program (Atorkor Healthcare) was established to provide affordable healthcare services for the people of Atorkor, as well as the surrounding six villages of a total of 20,000 people who have no healthcare facilities. The nearest hospital is 27 km away. Atorkor Healthcare covers malaria, heart disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, pediatrics (immunizations and malnutrition), maternal health, and dental health. Atorkor’s healthcare facility has only two resident physicians. This deters people from seeking early medical treatment, which results in avoidable pain, suffering, and even death.

Atorkor Vocational Training Institute (AVTI)

The high level of poverty means most parents cannot afford to support the education of their children and therefore very few youngsters are able to continue their basic school education. Hence the area has very high youth unemployment. Even though the Foundation has been supporting some of these children by providing educational sponsorship, this is not sufficient to address the problem.

Hence the decision to set up the AVTI to provide skill and micro enterprising training for the youth and diversify the economy away from the collapsed fishing industry. It was decided to construct the AVTI in 3 phases. The buildings for Phase I was completed in August 2011 after six months of construction. It is a thoughtfully designed modern facility with five workshops of various dimensions an administration office, two washrooms, kitchen and covered walkways.

The Institute opened formally to students in November 2011, providing training in Information and Communication Technologies, Business administration, (Marketing), Batik and Dressmaking.

The construction of the buildings for Phase 2 was completed in October 2012 and the training of students started in March 2013 providing the much-needed skills training in masonry, plumbing, carpentry, welding and electrical installation.

Goals of Atorkor

1. To promote, coordinate, and implement economic and micro-credit development programs.

2. To mobilize financial, material, and human resources to develop and improve:

  • Education and welfare
  • Health awareness
  • Sanitation
  • Nutrition
  • Primary health care
  • Employment and training
  • Social  needs programs
  • Agriculture and food safety
  • Environmental welfare
  • To foster peace and unity among the people of Atorkor.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT ATORKOR

Education/Children:

  • Help teach Mathematics, English, and Science
  • Teach basic computer technology to elementary and junior high students
  • Tutor students with reading and writing
  • Introduce  best practices and new methodologies to teachers
  • Help teach Sports, Music, Drama, and Arts & Crafts, as a means for  conveying educational or public health messages
  • Assist at the kindergarten with creative skills, music, read poetry, etc.
  • Teach team sports like volleyball, basketball, netball, football etc as well as track and field.
  • Teach sewing and fiber arts like sewing, knitting, crocheting etc.
  • Teach creative arts in drawing, painting, mixed media and other arts.
  • Work with students in creative writing and drama.

Atorkor School Calendar:

Volunteering at Atorkor School is possible during the following school terms.

  • First term: September – December
  • Second term: January – April
  • Third term: May – July

 

IT Education

  • Teach computer maintenance and basic computer repairs Introduce teachers and  students to computers, email, software, and the internet
  • Teach how to print, scan, upload and process images and video
  • Assist in the library in the maintenance and promotion of the library
  • IT administration and maintenance work
  • Teach basic web design

Public Health:

  • Provide public health awareness programs and community outreach
  • Disease prevention, health education, including hygiene
  • Conduct health demographic surveys

Medicine: Medical Professionals Only

  • Conduct medical examinations and treatment, screenings, and patient referrals

Business:

  • Provide basic business and management training to people with very little or no education – who cannot read or write (translators will be available)
  • Hands-on coaching for small businesses
  • Perform fish farming feasibility
  • Analyze existing fishing processes in the village
  • Evaluate setting up a fishing cooperative

Building and Construction:

  • Help build classrooms for the Atorkor School (when funds are available)

General:

  • Help with the production of documentaries
  • Participate in cultural preservation and the performing arts

ACCOMMODATIONS AT ATORKOR

Housing

Volunteers are housed in a gated compound residence that has five bedrooms in the main house with two additional rooms attached to the house. There is mosquito net protection on all windows and each bed. Volunteers can walk to their daily activities from the compound. This community is also good for groups of up to 17 participants.

Ground Floor

  • one bedroom with two single beds
  • large  communal furnished living room with 2 electric fans
  • kitchen
  • separate toilet (with WC) and bathroom with shower

Upper Floor

  • 1  master bedroom with three single beds and en-suite bathroom
  • 3  additional bedrooms:
  • bedroom  1 has 2 single beds
  • bedroom  2 has 2 single beds
  • bedroom  3 has 1 single bed or one double bed
  • separate  toilet (with WC) and bathroom with shower
  • small communal area

2 Attached Rooms

  • 2   beds in each room
  • occupants  use the facilities in the main house

Meals

A caterer prepares all meals and discusses the menu with volunteers upon arrival. Volunteers who have special dietary needs or food allergies should note their needs on their volunteer application so Village Volunteers can notify the Atorkor staff in advance.

Drinking Water

Purified drinking water is provided for volunteers.

Electricity

There is electricity; however, there are frequent power outages. Rechargeable lamps are provided for volunteers. It is recommended you bring along a Solar flashlight.

Internet Access

Volunteers can typically access the internet using a mobile modem for a small fee. However, this is very slow and sometimes unreliable. When the internet in the village is down, the nearest internet access/cafe is in Keta, about 27 km from where volunteers stay. It costs about $2 USD to travel to and from Keta by public transport. (Prices are subject to change.)

Laundry

For $30 USD per month, a volunteer’s laundry (clothing and bed linens) can be done once a week. All volunteers are asked to launder their own undergarments.

ATORKOR: Helpful Hints and Cultural Practices
from Founder Sam Adjorlolo 

Arrival in Atorkor

Travel is an adventure in Ghana. As it is so, everywhere in this world, one’s budget dictates one’s mode of transportation. There are “trotros” through to standard buses to air-conditioned luxury rental cars. A trotro is the typical low-cost local transportation in Ghana and is seen everywhere, far outnumbering standard buses. They are usually converted small vans. Depending on your mode of transportation, your journey from Accra, the capital of Ghana to Atorkor will take about two to three hours. Expect a very warm and friendly welcome from the ADF team upon your arrival in Atorkor.

Cultural Practices

We entreat you to come with an open mind. Needless to say, there are bound to be cultural differences, and our expectation is that you appreciate and respect these differences. These differences are like nothing you could imagine, but you will enjoy being part of this relaxed and friendly community.

  • Greetings are accompanied by handshakes. I mean a lot of handshakes.
  • You shake hands with your right hand. Please keep your left hand to yourself.
  • Never point to people or objects with your left hand. It is considered very rude.
  • Be mindful of the language barrier. Not all of the people speak and understand English. Even those who can communicate in English may take some time to understand your accent and vice versa. The local language spoken is called EWE.
  • Funerals are held mainly over weekends. Expect a lot of noise from drumming, dancing, and music. Sometimes this can go overnight. Funerals sometimes come across as more like merrymaking events than mourning ones. You will get to understand this after a few weeks in Atorkor.
  • People carry things on their heads.
  • The traditional way of spending the night is storytelling within families. Therefore, very little goes on after dusk.

Be Mindful of the Following

    • Like most parts of Ghana, mosquitoes abound in the village. You will be advised of all the necessary precautions to take.
    • Frequent electricity/ power cuts. Note: the majority of the people in the village do not have electricity anyway.
    • The very slow pace of doing things can be very frustrating here.
    • There are no ATMs, no banks, and no cashing of travelers’ checks in Atorkor. These are, however, available in selected places in Accra.

It is our fervent hope that you will have a wonderful experience. We certainly would like you too and will, therefore, endeavor to do our best for you to enjoy Atorkor. If there is anything we can do to further enhance your volunteer experience, please let the ADF team know and they will do their utmost to accommodate your request.

May I take this opportunity to say woezor, meaning ‘you are welcome,’ and akpe, meaning ‘thank you!’ You will have a great time in Atorkor!

Sam AdjorloloGhana, Atorkor Founder, Sam Adjorlolo

Founder and Director of ADF