You are listening to Herzenssache, project whispers with Madamfo Ghana, the podcast that takes you to Ghana.
Christine and Bettina tell moving stories, chat about their personal experiences and share them.
Come with us on this special journey. Let's go!
Hello everyone, welcome back to our podcast. It's great to have you back.
I am Christine and I am Bettina.
Today, because we are almost at Christmas, we would like to
briefly tell us a little bit about Madamfo Ghana's Christmas activities.
I can still remember well, a few years ago you
started with a tree campaign, a tree for one euro.
And of course you're running another campaign this year .
And of course there is the topic of education, which is always very close to my heart,
Because without education nothing works and usually nothing changes.
That is why it is of course particularly important and this year it is really about the topic of education,
because you want to collect supplies for school children.
Bettina, tell us exactly what is included in such a package and how much it costs.
Maybe some information would be great.
Yes, please, great.
Yes, we are moving towards Christmas in giant steps , all over the world, all people who celebrate Christmas.
And as you said, we do a Christmas campaign every year.
We always talk to the team , maybe it will be interesting.
So our team here in Ghana is thinking about what we should
this season, which is also special for many people here,
what we can do there.
And this year also through some of our project visits.
I was actually in Takoradi only in the last few months.
And it became clear to the whole team that this year it should be specifically aimed at school children.
We have now called it an action together for education.
And it is about equipping children who go to the schools we build,
together with the government , but also for other children.
It is now not limited to one group of children, but together
for education in principle as much as the donations ultimately allow.
Yes, I have to be honest and say that I also noticed it back then,
As I said, we have been to Ghana twice and when we were there
made a tour of our school, other schools,
The fact that the building is there for the first time is the most important thing and school desks.
And the next step was to say that school materials are everywhere; teaching materials are also very important.
And many simply have no money because the cost of living has increased, like everywhere else.
And of course it is particularly important that the children have teaching materials at school.
How much does such a package cost and what is in it?
We have broken down such a package, also from the
Ghanaian currency so in euros is about 20 euros per child and yes.
And the equipment is basically a basic equipment
like it is here with us, or with you, I am Engana,
At the moment, Christine is in Munich, I am in Accra.
So like in your Germany, in my Germany too
is, so books, these exercise books, where you write something,
where you can do your homework or exercises and
such things, then the books that are used in class,
are partly provided, but sometimes they have to be purchased.
I think it's the same here in Germany.
And then the pens, so pencils, fountain pens, I have here
never seen, but ballpoint pens are used like this
and there are also ballpoint pens that can be erased in this way.
There's a tip on the top of the pen like an eraser, so you can remove it.
In addition, Engana are required to wear school uniforms in schools
and then also a certain type of shoe, so a little bit, we might say a little bit finer shoe,
So a nice shoe, preferably, if possible, a leather shoe, a sturdy shoe and for the girls sandals,
but can also be sneakers.
And then the undershirt, underpants and then of course the school uniform, so that adds up.
These are a few things, it is not just about the material that is used in the classroom,
but also, for example, I would call it personal equipment.
And it is really true that with 20 euros you can get shoes, school uniform, notebooks, books,
the school bag or backpack, pen, eraser, all of that is included for 20 euros.
Yes, of course we looked where we could get it from
and it really depends on what the donation pot will end up with,
Because of course the more we buy, the more we can negotiate.
So if we have the opportunity to spend 10,000 euros on a certain number of children,
then you can of course imagine that with such a
Shop owner over 20 boxes, pens can negotiate differently,
as if I were getting a wholesale price and not a retail price.
Yes, exactly. And it's the same with the seamstresses.
If we buy a whole bale of fabric for the shirts for the boys,
This is different than if we only had one bale of fabric.
And there is already a pretty high margin here.
So you can also simply act well without acting too much,
because people, that's what we do with every project, this win-win situation.
We buy the things here locally . Of course, the shop owner benefits from this,
he can send his children to school again.
And so it really is this win-win situation.
And which school classes are we actually talking about?
Well, I think the school system is a bit different than in Germany.
Maybe you can explain that briefly.
And then also, how many children are in a class, for example,
It is also much more than we have.
For example, I am still a reading partner in elementary school.
And there are always around 20 children.
That is much more in Ghana.
Perhaps a few words about that.
Yes, gladly.
Our target group now is primary school children.
In Ghana, primary school lasts six years.
So, first to sixth grade, so to speak.
After that comes junior high school at three years and then senior high school.
For us, that is, let's say, high school graduation.
That is, the target group is primary school children.
But as I said, if we get enough together or get a lot together,
then you can of course also have a complete school from grade one or kindergarten
up to 19th, 10th, 12th grade, depending.
It is often the case that parents consider this primary education to be the most important thing.
It has to start somewhere.
We all know that the more education the better.
But if we just look, okay, at least six years of education
and that went well, then you can see how you can get the parents on board,
that you say, come on, and now we'll add the Junior High School with three years
and look, such good results worked so well.
Man, maybe we can also do the Gymnasium, so translated,
Gymnasium.
And in the end, it is simply due to the situation on the ground how much and how much
or how little we can simply do.
As with many projects, this simply depends on the amount of money we receive in donations.
Yes, and how is it now?
Well, in Ghana, I think, school does cost something.
The Madamfo Ghana schools are government schools, if I understand correctly.
But there are also schools that cost something.
But people don't even have the money to send their children to a regular school, do they?
Am I seeing this correctly?
The challenge or problem that you are pointing out is exactly the one that is linked to these school materials.
So attending public schools is free.
But I'll call it the additional costs for everything that I've just explained, and they're obviously quite expensive.
And then people often have not only in quotation marks, not in a negative sense, a child,
but two, three or four or even more.
And then it all adds up.
And of course that only includes meals at school.
That is another topic.
And what we want to provide now, because it is donations,
that's just the basic equipment.
This is something that we, our team, have simply worked out over years of experience.
One child needs five pencils per year and one needs ten.
This is simply a basis on which we can say that this is a good sum and that the children are well equipped.
But of course we make sure that we use our free donations to see
that we do something about it, when at the end of the year, as with everyone, including my son,
I get another letter at the end of the school year, in April or so,
oh, we need some more pens and a notebook and so on,
that in the end something may have to be cobbled together.
But if we can finance this basis , then that is of course good.
And that helps the parents incredibly.
We have created a website for this very project,
where we will go into the questions you have just asked in more detail,
what the parents are concerned about and what exactly it costs.
You could take a look at our website www.madamfo-ghana.de.
The easiest way to do this is to simply click on “News”.
There you will also find the complete Christmas campaign with more information.
Just by the way, Christine, that maybe if you listen to the podcast in the car,
You can't really write down what you hear while driving .
And if you're interested in something, feel free to take another look.
Yes, so the hint, that's great.
So you can have more information about it.
Now you were in a school some time ago
and you talked to a teacher there.
What is the feedback that came from her regarding this Christmas campaign
or on the topic in general?
Yes, that was the school near Takoradi that I just mentioned.
And the headmistress, this is a school that we built there on site.
This is a model school, it is one of the few schools.
If I am correctly informed, there are three model schools for girls in Ghana.
And this is one of them.
Great, that's great.
It's really great how the girls...
The girls who are sometimes treated a little bit disadvantaged, yes.
Yes, this is a project where the team in Ghana, Victor,
Sandee, Claude, all our people on site looked at what we should do for Christmas
and because of this girls' school, for example, this idea has really matured again.
The headmistress, Mrs. Hagen, has just shown us around the classrooms and everything
and is blown away, because of course a great building that protects you from the weather
and the necessary materials and so on, i.e. chairs, tables and blackboard, chalk and so on,
it's all there.
But if the student cannot come because the uniform is missing, the shoes are missing,
who cannot take the exam because the notebook is missing and there are no pens.
This is simply something that makes the routine work in such a school,
and probably teachers are listening here too , and everyone can understand that,
and the necessary materials for learning are missing, then everything stops.
Or if you really have to look, for which subject do I have a notebook now?
I only have one, which subject should I take?
These are burdens that we cannot even imagine.
And this headmistress has just made it very clear, you can see that too,
when you come to class , if of course these things are there,
which we just as planned in the basic equipment,
then you can do a completely different teaching operation,
if you have to make drawings in mathematics so that a compass can be made,
and if all these things are there, that is something completely different,
than if the teacher draws it theoretically on the board,
you can look at it as learning there in the bank,
but I can't even try out how to draw such a line with a ruler.
I think it is quite understandable that...
That’s actually only half the battle,
The lessons are half the battle, but I also need the equipment, that's quite clear.
Maybe a word about that, because you say that the schools that Madamfo runs with the state,
So who pays the teachers, for example,
because this is a permanent expense, so if I act as a sponsor now,
If I give the money for the construction of the school, then they already have a building,
but then the whole operation has to run somehow, and these are running costs,
and how are they financed?
The running costs for such an educational institution, whether it is a school, kindergarten,
Primary or secondary school, is taken over by the Garnasche state and also the salary of the teachers,
That is one thing that sets us apart, that we have this cooperation with the authorities here on site
have thought it through to the last detail, that
Donations are not used for the operation of the educational institution.
So that is secured, there is also electricity and water, we often drill wells and provide water supplies,
Toilet facilities, you need a light bulb when it is dark or something, that is all paid for,
that works, that is stable and no problem, it depends
then the equipment, which is only partially taken over,
So sometimes there are book packages or things like that, or there are also parent initiatives,
So just like we have a parent representation, there is one here in Ghana too, it is called PTA,
Parents Teachers Association, i.e. teachers parents association, association, they do it together
and of course we help each other, but if you
If you look at a school with several hundred students,
then there is often a hole somewhere and we try to fill it with
our Christmas campaign as best we can and wherever we can.
Now something else occurs to me quite spontaneously,
In a class there are all kinds of subjects,
I'll say starting at the bottom with arithmetic, writing, reading and then there's biology and geography,
but there is also sport and you might need some equipment,
Do you already have support for this or is there something like this or is it not offered at all in the school?
But there is PE, Physical Education, which is the sport lessons that the children like the most, of course.
because of course, they can leave a classroom, I mean, there are also children who don’t like sports,
but generally if you don't have to sit and say something
then the children here are like all children in the world,
We already support that, even with the same materials sounds so big now,
it's about balls, jumping halls, basketballs or painting
basketball hoop, which are then welded together from metal
and basically self-made, but we have also built football pitches, real football pitches,
where championships and really the league operation, as I call it here, is done,
we have in this field, so what sports and all this sporting activity,
many, many ideas and also project ideas that are brought to us by the locals,
For example, we received a proposal for a Tata track, is that what it's called, where you walk?
And.
And in the middle there is a volleyball court and a basketball court, so there are some really great ideas
and approaches from the people on site, the teachers, the parents, the students themselves.
They take the initiative and then ask you whether you would like to support it.
Exactly, the challenge or what is really difficult with all these sports facilities,
that it is simply incredibly expensive because you have to work a lot of land,
I say now, even if you don’t want to bring it up to international standards,
We don’t want to build a Wembley Stadium here or a
NBA court, but the floor still needs to be worked on.
Either grass has to be put there or stones have to be put there or what is the best way to do it?
This is always associated with very high costs and sometimes we find it difficult to get donors.
So anyone who is interested in supporting a volleyball court, for example, which can be done quite well,
because you can just play beach volleyball, let's put sand there, sand is just quite expensive
And you need more than a truckload. So it just adds up, but sport is very important.
Let me address another topic, because in our schools, although we are digitalized,
somewhat behind compared to other countries, but it is actually already common practice today,
that you work with a PC, so both the teacher, today you no longer have a flip chart
or an overhead projector, but does everything with a projector and laptop
and the students also work with a PC, especially in the higher classes.
And how advanced is Ghana in this regard?
Because I remember that a teacher once
from one of the schools said , yes, if you donate again,
then a PC, because we would like to show the children how to do it properly and not just with a piece of paper.
Yes, you have shown it perfectly. Often the screen of a computer is drawn on the boards
and in the, well there is a drawing on the blackboard that children look at to see what a computer looks like.
This is still very common here. It is absolutely at the top of the Ministry of Education's agenda.
That is clear, that is known, that is also being attempted, but
not to the sufficient extent like many other things simply.
And when we build a school, we usually do it in several stages, starting with the kindergarten,
then primary school, secondary school and then the whole thing is called Computer Lab, i.e. computer laboratory.
That we then build and equip with PCs, screens, mice, keyboards and so on.
This is also at the top of our agenda and we do it often.
Christine, it all depends on the donations. The more
We simply find people who say, we donate a computer lab,
it's not our fault.
Exactly, like always, like it was with us, spontaneous.
I would like to build a school, how does that work? Then you've come to the right place.
That is quite clear.
So to summarize again, we are now doing the
Christmas station for 20 euros with basic equipment for the school children.
You can also donate 200 or 2000, I don't have to for him.
Don’t just donate 20 euros either.
One set of equipment costs 20 euros, but of course you can also donate for 3 children or for 10 children, that's quite clear.
So we would of course especially like to point this out to our viewers and feeders.
If you still have a few euros left from your Christmas bonus,
These are then best invested with Madamfo.
Or would you agree with me, Bettina?
Yes, I totally agree with you and one euro is also good.
Everything goes into the pot.
You can follow this fundraising campaign live on the Internet , so as I said, simply go to our website.
Under News you will find the Christmas campaign on the homepage
of course also on our social media portals under Madamfo Ghana.
And there is a fundraiser and you can follow live how it hopefully shoots up.
We also have donation certificates, so you can make a donation
and receives a certificate, which can then be given as a gift.
Personally, I think it's a great thing and it's always incredibly well received.
You can choose the image and then enter your own text etc. and then you get the certificate.
You get it in your email inbox and you can print it out.
This is a really great thing, maybe for Christmas, in addition to whatever was requested,
perhaps you should attach such a certificate.
Yes, great idea. I always feel that is great, because before you give someone the 25th style trunk,
I think that it is simply a better investment of money and if the recipient is also socially minded,
then he will definitely like it a lot.
Well, I think we should just wish for Christmas like we did before.
Exactly, so we wish you all a great Christmas, celebrate
nice, don't eat too many cookies, have a good start to the new year
and we'll see you in January.
See you in January, Christine and I are also taking a break.
I don’t have time for a break, Christine certainly doesn’t either, but we’re going on a podcast break,
ppp Podcast break, exactly. You'll hear us again on January 9th with the next exciting topic.
So take care, see you soon, bye!
See you soon, bye, Merry Christmas, happy red!