World Mental Health Day

On October 10, people across the globe come together to shed a positive light on mental health during World Mental Health Day.

Today aims to highlight global mental health education, awareness & advocacy and to reduce stigma to make way for more people to seek the help and support they deserve. This is an initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health.
Ensure that not just today but everyday, you look after yourself and those around you.❤️?
#WorldMentalHealthDay

Ahaban Volunteer Program

Ahaban GLF believes strongly in building the capacity of our volunteers. We can only give more when we have the capacity to do so. Through our capacity building activities we’ll be seeking to help our volunteers discover and develop skills and talents, advance their education and careers as well as improve your own well being. All with the goal of getting them in a better position to in turn give to someone else in need.

Our capacity building activities will include:

Mentorship/counseling sessions
Training workshops
Educational Scholarship opportunities

These activities will be organized and managed by the Ahaban Volunteer Network (AVN)

Ahaban Green Camp – 9th Edition at Osu Presby. Preparatory School

On the 27th of April 2019, Ahaban the Green Leaf Foundation held their 9th Ahaban Green Camps program at the Osu Presbyterian Preparatory School, Osu.

They had children coming in from schools in Osu, Labadi and its environs and were hosted by the Osu Eben-ezer Presby CDC, Osu.

Starting off with the reading sessions, the kids were split up into small age appropriate groups. Pronunciation of words and understanding of the books were some of the things the volunteers focused on. Some of the kids struggled a little with certain words but at the end of the session, they came out as champs.

Ahaban reading

They then went on to teach screen printing as well as tie and dye and the sessions and crowned it with the computer literacy sessions. The kids were impressively knowledgeable in basic computer knowledge and had pretty in-depth questions which were answered by the Ahaban team.

Ahaban Screen Ahaban Drawing

computer

Ahaban Tie dye

The program ended with a recap of all that was learnt and the kids went away with snacks and food from our donors and sponsors.

recap

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Group ahaban

The Ahaban team couldn’t have done this without sponsors, volunteers and donors and would like to acknowledge the following:

  1. Osu Eben-ezer Presby Child Development Center
  2. Marina Supermarket: Marilan Wafer
  3. Waakye Guy Guy

 

We can’t wait to hold our 10th Ahaban Green Camp in June!

Give & Grow!

 

 

 

World Autism Awareness Day

Not only is today, April 2 World Autism Awareness Day — the entire month of April is World Autism Month.

It might be noticeable that more folks than usual are wearing the color blue to mark the day and help bring awareness.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a broad range of conditions that affects a person’s social skills and communication. The organization Autism Speaks says there are many subtypes of autism and each are “influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.”

Groups supporting people with autism have collaborated on public service campaigns to increase awareness. The ABC television network has a popular prime-time drama called “The Good Doctor” in which the main character is a surgeon with autism.

There is a lot of work being done to shed light on the disorder as well as raise funds for research on it

 

Ahaban Mobile Shelter – 9th Edition

Ahaban the Green Leaf Foundation held the 9th Edition of the Ahaban Mobile Shelter in the community of Anyaa at the All Saints Lutheran Church on the 23rd of March 2019.

With the help of the International Healthcare Center, they checked the vitals and screen a little over 200 people; majority being children, for Malaria and HIV. Before that,  there was an educative talk on HIV as well as Malaria and personal hygiene by representatives from the International Healthcare Center and Cervical Cancer Awareness Unit respectively.

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After the medical screening, participants were given clothes, food packs as well drinks to take home.

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Thanks to the Marina Supermarket, they were able to give Oro Insecticide Spray to the families that attended while encouraging them to keep a mosquito- free household.

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A huge thank you to the host, sponsors, volunteers and everyone who contributed to make it yet another successful Mobile Shelter!
1. All Saints Lutheran CDC
2. International HealthCare Center
3. Marina Supermarket: Oro Spray, Marilan Wafers, Don Simon & Power Malt.
4. ILounge Restaurant
5. Joy Sweets and Savouries
Watch out for the next Mobile Shelter in May 2019.
Give & Grow!

 

Ahaban Green Camp – Gloria Pointers Girls’ School

Our first Green Camp Session of the year kicked off with a visit to Gloria Pointers Girls’ School in Agona Nkum, which is located in the Central Region.
We were warmly welcomed by the pupils and patrons of the school on arrival. After a word of prayer, we started the Green Camp Session with the different the activities planned for the day.
The girls were divided and placed into three groups according to their classes. We had the Drawing & Painting, Bead- Making and Tie/Dye groups.
In the Drawing and Painting Group, kids were asked to visualize and paint out things they like to do or be in the future.

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In the Bead – Making Session, the kids were taught how to string beads in order to produce key holders. Beautiful keyholders were produced at the end of the session.

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During the Tie/Dye Session, the kids in that group were taken through the process of tie/dye and were given cut-up linen to try their hands on what they learned from the demostration. Colourful tie/dye cloths were produced at the end of the session.

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We introduced Computer Literacy Session to our list of activities and pupils of Gloria Pointer Girls School had feel of it. We took them through fundamentals of the computer and they caught on it really quickly which was impressive.

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We wrapped the Green Camp with a reading session in which everyone was involved. Kids told us in their own words, the moral or lessons they learnt from the stories they read.

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Many thanks to patrons of Gloria Pointers Girls School for giving us the opportunity to come and show love to the girls, representatives from Gye Nyame Leo Club Ghana, Ms. Verlica, Nyonyo Foods and to all Ahaban GLF volunteers that took time off to spend time with the kids.

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Ahaban Green Christmas kicks off with a Green Camp in Adumasa

Our first Ahaban Green Christmas project kicked off with a trip to the little Republic of Adumasa. We stopped by the Chief’s palace to pay a courtesy call and brief him on our intentions. We were warmly welcomed by the Chief, Nana Ansah Kwao IV and his wife, Oheneyere Gifty Anti. After proceedings, we headed to the Awoa Dansoa Library to start with the day’s activities.

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Children were divided into various groups for the Art, Bead-making, Tie/Dye and Drumming & Dancing sessions.

Children from kindergarten to early primary stages had a super fun art session. They drew things in and around their communities & library that inspired them.

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In the Bead-making session, the enthusiasm the kids showed during the season was over-whelming. We had four groups which produced beautiful key-holders, wrist beads & necklaces.

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During the tie/dye session, our volunteers gave the children a detailed demonstration on tie/dye. The children were so attentive and learned so fast they ran through the process in no time.

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Thanks to the Ministry of Tourism, a fraction of the children got to polish their talent in drumming & dancing with Antonio & his team of professional traditional drumming & dance instructors.

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One important part of our Ahaban Green Camps is the reading sessions. We had various groups consisting of not more than five children who read along with a volunteer. Their improvement in reading and lesson recall gives us hope that they’ll keep putting the library to good use.

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At the end of the sessions, outstanding participants got to share the newly learnt skills with the community. Outstanding children were rewarded for the efforts and later on goodies were shared to every child to kick off the Christmas festivities.

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Many thanks to Oheneyere Gifty Anti, Dotkad Mini Mart and not forgetting our volunteers that took time to come and spend time with the children.WhatsApp Image 2018-12-01 at 22.23.41and spend time with the children.

 

World Children’s Day

Children have their rights denied every single day. Today is World Children’s Day, but it is no different.

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) aims to build a world where every child has the right to basic human needs such as freedom, food, water, shelter and education.

“World Children’s Day is a fun day with a serious message,” said the 14-year-old actor — who symbolically changed her name to Millie Bobby ‘Blue’ to mark the occasion. “It is a day where all children are encouraged to speak out about what matters to them, like education, safe spaces to learn and play, and positive environments. By going blue for UNICEF on this day, we are demanding the world provide a brighter future for kids.”

UNICEF works in 190 countries with the primary goal of saving children’s lives and defending their rights. Unfortunately, due to numerous humanitarian crises, millions of children worldwide live in complicated conditions.

Go Blue

‘Ahaban Green Christmas’ starts on December 1st

‘AHABAN GREEN CHRISTMAS’, a charity project organised by the Ahaban Green Leaf Foundation (GLF), is set to commence from December 1- 26, 2018.

According to Ms Seli Tukpeyi, a volunteer of the foundation, the ‘Ahaban Green Christmas’ will work on five remarkable projects for young people in Ghana in the field of education, vocational training and healthcare.

In an interview with the DAILY HERITAGE, she explained that “On December 1, 2018, under the ‘Ahaban Green Christmas’ project, there will be the ‘Green Camp’, an initiative to help children between the aged 5- 15 learn vocational skills as well as reading skills to improve their reading to be moderated by Gifty Anti in Awo Dansoa’s library at Adumasa Akwaman in the Eastern Region.

“The ‘Street feeding project’will be on December 8, 2018, where volunteers of the foundation will partner with Gold Coast Network on their project to feed children in some parts of Accra.

“On December 14, there will be the ‘Christmas on wheels’ [in which] we will also give gifts and food to and also interact with children found on the street, just to celebrate Christmas with them and enlighten their day.

“There is the ‘Christmas Cup’, a football tournament organised by Soccer for Change foundation in Gomoa Fetteh, Central Region, to encourage young people to value football and education. One qualifies to play the tournament only if he/she goes to school. Ahaban is in partnership with this initiative and it will be held in Gomoa Fetteh on December 15.

“The fifth project, slated for the 26th December is dubbed the ‘C.A.R.E ShoeBox Project 2018’ where in partnership with the Gold Coast Volunteers. We would visit the town of Ankomah in the Eastern Region and present gifts for everyone in the community. There would also be a short visit to a tourist site nearby which also serves to promote tourism in Ghana.

Credits :  ERICA ARTHUR (Daily Heritage)