Ghana - An ARI Home in Ghana

Network e-Bulletin, April 2020, No. 5

Message from John Yeboah

2018 Graduate

This year ARI invited four community leaders from Sierra Leone for the training program. While they were in Ghana getting their visa to Japan, the unthinkable happened. The country closed – no one in or out for at least three weeks. What to do? We called our network of graduates in that country and they stepped up. John Yeboah has taken them in and even started training them in the ARI style, with Japanese classes, FoodLife work, and Practical Field Study complete with lessons in bokashi making, organic pesticides, servant leadership, the dangers of chemical farming, and many more. Thank you, John, and other Ghana graduates who have been lending a hand to help these four travelers in their time of need. This is what it really means to be family!

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John giving an "ARI lecture"

Message from John

ARI recruits participants across the world every year. From the beginning of March this year, ARI started their intake, and some arrived safely to Japan. Unfortunately, COVID-19 broke out in China and some parts of Europe and eventually Africans started having cases in various countries. At that time, these participants set off from Sierra Leone to Japan, stopping off to acquire a Japanese visa in Ghana. Unfortunately, Ghana had already recorded 21 cases of COVID-19, with virtually all the cases being imported. Our President took the step to close all our borders and announce a lockdown of the greater Kumasi and greater Accra areas to avoid community spread of the virus.

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Practical Field Study orientation

Can you imagine what happened to those participants from Sierra Leone? They could not go back to their own country or to Japan and they didn’t know anyone in Ghana. Moreover, they didn’t have enough money to lounge in a hotel. They were actually stranded. The only thing was to call ARI for help, and what ARI could do was to inform graduates in Ghana and ask for assistance.

I opened my WhatsApp in the morning, which was unusual for me, because I am always busy with different activities. I got a message from ARI and arranged with the Director, Tomoko Arakawa, to have the four Sierra Leoneans fly to Kumasi for me to host them without any incentives until the borders open.

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FEAST foodlife work

The only difficulties of hosting these participants was how to get their staple food for them, because that day also was one day before the lockdown in my community. I had to do some arrangements to meet them at the bus station, do two weeks shopping for foodstuffs for them and for my family as well. It was a VERY busy day for me.

On their way to Kumasi, which is my community, ARI sent funds to be used for the first two weeks and I am additionally supporting them with some vegetables.

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Receiving their ARI allowance

Tomoko Arakawa sent her comment of appreciation about how she was happy for me to host them, because she knows I can take them through the ARI training program while they are here, especially field work. I’m looking after their activities schedule. They started with the Japanese language, followed by practical field studies.

My biggest challenge was that my neighbors suspected these participants are infected with COVID-19, just because they are foreigners and rumors spread all over the community. They went ahead to call police, health officers, and immigration officers to do an investigation. Fortunately for us all, their documents and health were genuine. The risk involved in this issue was that I operate a kindergarten school in the same venue, but to God be the glory, all rumors were solved amicably.

Finally, ARl is supporting these participants with their monthly allowance while they are still in Ghana and these participants are also trying their best to take serious note about the training program provided by me and Yukiko, the curriculum coordinator of ARI.

https://gyazo.com/9066615d38f07af9e2bcd9575d6a4dac

Practicing good handwashing habits

Message from four Sierra Leonean Participants

Hajimemashite!

We are only saddened about the prices that are shooting up in Ghana because of the lockdown. Sometimes we don't even see what we want to buy in the market. These are challenging times. We have to face it and by the grace of God we shall overcome some day.

Arigato gozaimasu.

Sierra Leone Participants on John's farm studying bokashi making and seed block nursery

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Update April 24, 2020

message from Takieu Amara

2020 participant from Sierra Leone

Thanks for your appreciation and words of encouragements at these trying times. As we consented to join Mr. John on his farm, it was a decision worth taking as I have gained a lot practically, morally, and physically. We engaged in practical demonstrations on the following: collection of microorganisms, nursery (blocks method), preparation of bokashi, and preparation of organic pesticide.

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Update May 8, 2020

submitted by Manosi Abe & Abi Hernandez

ARI Admissions & Recruitment staff & volunteer

Alternative Training in for Sierra Leone Participants in Ghana

This year, COVID 19 (Coronavirus) has had an unprecedented impact across the world. ARI has not been an exception. 7 of our expected 26 participants were able to arrive at ARI. The remaining participants were unable to fly due to border closures or flight restrictions in their home countries.

Out of those affected, the situation of 4 Sierra Leonean participants has been critical. While in Ghana to obtain their visas, Sierra Leone closed their borders on March 20th followed by a nationwide lockdown in Ghana on March 22nd, thereby preventing them from continuing their journey to ARI. In order to find the best ways to ensure the safety of our participants, we reached out to our network of Graduates in Ghana, and Mr. John Yeboah in Kumasi, Graduate of 2018 offered his assistance.

However, this assistance has far exceeded merely hosting our participants. Even in these difficult times, John has not only provided safety, lodging, and food but has also upheld the ARI spirit. In several ways he has already begun the ARI training. As the lockdown continues to extend in Ghana (the expected date of opening being May 31st), we too seek the best ways to support John and our participants. (ARI is currently providing a monthly allowance to the participants and John)

John’s Work

ARI curriculum that John has implemented:

Morning Exercise

Japanese class (greetings, responses, and self-introductions)

Method of collecting micro-organisms

Bokashi making - meaning, function, application, advantages and disadvantages

Vegetable identification, transplanting, and disease and pest management

How to create a nursery

How to make WCA, WCAP, FAA, FPJ and their application

How to prepare vegetable beds

Weed control in vegetable fields

Organic pesticides

Fermented flooring

Bamboo greenhouse construction

Dangers of chemical farming

Organic farming philosophy

Time management techniques

Leadership qualities, introduction to servant leadership, coaching skills

Presentation skills

Discussion and reflection sessions on what they have learned

Reflection paper Section I - MY JOURNEY TO ARI

Upcoming Topics:

How to make charcoal and wood vinegar

Reflection paper Section II - MY LEARNING IN ARI

Two-day study tour – 3 pig farmers, 2 poultry farmers, community butchering center, and a natural crater lake called Lake Bosomtwe

John’s farm was also visited by Ghana's Minister of Agriculture, Regional Director of Agriculture and District Director of Agriculture Kumasi on Wednesday, March 29, 2020. Rev. John Tucker gave the closing prayer during that visit!

John’s resources:

John has a soft copy of the ARI training program

Practical field(s) 5 locations, 32 acres:

Cabbage, Chinese cabbage, beetroot, carrots, chili peppers, okra, lettuce, spring onion, mint, spinach, and cucumber

40% of the farm is organic

1 office location which has also been visited by ARI staff (Uncle Timo).

John’s work is the best output or testament to the impact the ARI Training Program can have in a community. The strong display of servant leadership and ability to adjust in times of crisis has been a great source of support and encouragement to ARI. The Sierra Leonean participants too have been strongly motivated and encouraged by observing through action, the work of an ARI graduate. Although it is a difficult situation, we are all finding new ways of connecting and learning. We are continually discovering how the ARI motto of “That We May Live Together” can be and is being applied beyond the geographical boundaries of ARI. Our hope now is that we can sustain this support towards our participants in order to continue to receive this unprecedented training in Ghana.

Making fermented plant juice (FPJ) / Field observation