A journey of mutual growth, a Simple reflection

As I near the completion of my volunteering service with CorpsAfrica, I take a moment to reflect on the remarkable journey I've been on so far. With the second quarter now behind me, I'm gearing up for the final phase of my service, eager to build on the progress we've made and make a lasting impact in the community.

Over the past quarters, my focus has been on immersing myself in the community, preaching community-led development, and collaborating with community members to identify and address pressing needs with available assets.

Through this process, I developed strong bonds with community members and gained insight into their challenges and opportunities. Together, we tackled some of these challenges by leveraging available assets and my external networks.

Some of the highlights of the previous quarters include a successful NHIS registration drive, supported by Travel Center Ghana and Twellium Industries, which expanded healthcare coverage to over 200 individuals, mostly children.

I partnered with Ewura Foundation to organize a health talk focused on menstrual and personal hygiene, which led to training over 100 women and young girls in reusable pad making. This initiative significantly improved the menstrual health of community women.

In addition, I facilitated multiple soap-making trainings for community women, introducing them to a new income source to supplement their crop farming livelihoods.

Thanks to the support of Khalifa Foundation, we were able to empower the girls in my community with a valuable skill - bead making. This training has been a huge success, and bead making has now become a highly sought-after skill among the girls in the community.

To address malnutrition and promote climate-smart agriculture, I helped the women set up keyhole gardens at their homes, utilizing available resources and teaching them sustainable practices.

Still on climate-related efforts, I invited United Force for Development International to introduce the community women to clean cooking techniques, which have been widely adopted and significantly reduce smoke emissions while cooking with firewood. This has also improved the air quality in the community.

At the ave of the last quarter, I had the pleasure of collaborating with a physics student from UCC who shares my passion for addressing climate change.

Together, we organized a session that highlighted the significance of trees, particularly the neem tree. The women in the community learned how to process neem seeds for sale, and it is exciting to see some of them start collecting neem seeds just days after the training!

I am also grateful for the generous donations from HIVE Students Hub and Around Seven, who provided uniforms, shoes, bags, and learning materials for our students. These contributions have made a significant impact, not only by providing essential resources but also by motivating my students to take their studies more seriously.

These initiatives have collectively empowered community members, promoted studying and learning, improved women's health and economic well-being, and contributed to a more sustainable future.

As I reflect on our journey so far, I am humbled by the progress we've made, yet I feel that there is still so much to be done. I am eager to continue working alongside my community members, learning from them, and contributing to their growth and development.

I am grateful to CorpsAfrica and its partners for providing me with the platform to make a difference in the lives of others and develop personally and professionally myself. I look forward to continued collaboration and support, as we strive towards a brighter future for African communities.