Sundays are quiet days for the traveler in Ghana. Activities here are all church-oriented and services last most of the morning and into the early afternoon. Joy Family Lodge, the small hotel where Susan and I are staying, is across the street from St. Sylvanus Catholic Church. It is enjoyable to hear the choir and the hymns waft along with the breeze. This is the most pleasant form of evangelism, I think.
Susan contracted a cold on the flight over and has been battling a sore throat. Yesterday we were in Osu and visited the Koala market, a small grocery which caters to foreigners. We picked up a supply of Halls lozenges, some honey, and a spare bottle of rum, figuring that she could combat it so armed! I will of course take appropriate rum-based prophylactic measures myself! While she rested at the hotel, I went on to Shikspolese to visit with our loan clients there.
These clients ("Sophia's group) have an impeccable record of repayment. They are the standard against which we measure the performance of other groups. When we hear excuses, we note that the economy and social conditions are no better in Shikspolese and clients there have a wonderful record.
The group meets on Saturdays at 4:00 PM in the courtyard of Sophia's home which is also the site of worship for the Presbyterian community in this area. There is a little table with a white lace cloth , bunches of colorful artificial flowers, and bottled water for me as World Class's US representative. I am touched by the attention to these details. There are about 10 women at the meeting and one man, whose wife, a client, was unable to attend. Each member gravely shakes my hand and says "Akwaaba," welcome. Mike translates my comments for them: I am happy to meet them at last and tell them that they are the "cream of the crop" and the standard of success for our loan program. They are delighted to hear it. Mike makes the presentation about business planning, a simple seminar on the need to take account of costs, including one's own labor, in any business. We respond to questions: why can't they get larger loans? why can't interest rates be reduced? why can't they repay every two weeks instead of each week? We address all these issues, if not to their satisfaction, then at least to their understanding. They are especially pleased that World Class is limiting itself to the assistance of only 3 small communities and that Shikspolese is among them. This means that the other elements of our mission, water and sanitation improvements, will eventually come their way.
We depart laden with gifts from all the members: coconuts, oranges, pineapples, dozens of fresh eggs, a loaf of bread, 4 bottles of malt, 2 cakes!!!! This is very generous; I know that for most of these women contributing to the pile of largess was a real sacrifice. I thank them for it. We shake hands in a kind of receiving line and take some pictures. Everyone is pleased, including me. We head back to the office and then the hotel. Sadly, it is well nigh impossible to make use of these treasures while staying in a hotel. I divide the goods up between Mike and Rita and give the taxi driver a couple of coconuts and pineapples. Susan and I enjoy some of the cake and make a present of the rest of it and the remaining fruit to Rita, our favorite hotel employee. We have kept a few sour oranges for the rum! This generosity is most appreciated and we have been careful that none of it has gone to waste.
The picture of the woman at the well was taken earlier in the week on a visit to the WC well in the village of Doblo Gonno. It is hard to express how good it feels to know that our organization has made it possible for this woman to get clean water near her home! One of the highlights of this trip, for sure!
No comments:
Post a Comment