Projects

Western Heritage Home Facilty

The building housing the Children’s Residential Program and the Community Learning Center was designed and built by Western Heritage Home. Mr. E. L. Abbey from Axim prepared the original architectural design. Mr. Michael Biney, a construction engineer based in Takoradi, was the contractor. WHH purchased most of the materials in the Axim area and used mostly local Axim laborers. They painted the building "Happy Blue." It rings with the sound of children and youth playing and learning—indeed a happy sound!

James Kainyiah, Chair of the WHH Board, and Isaac Bentil, a local Axim businessman, provided overall supervision of the entire construction process, handled all funds, and supervised purchase of construction materials. Miss Frances Polley, a retired teacher and WHH Board member who lives across the road from the facility, kept a close eye on all comings and goings during the construction. These three donated countless hours, cell minutes, miles on their vehicles, and sheer energy and dedication to the building project.

Patrick Kwofie, WHH logistics specialist, not only procured most of the materials himself and arranged transport, but actually slept outdoors on the site during critical times, to prevent thievery. Awulae Attiburusku III, Paramount Chief of Lower Axim Traditional Area, found time to visit the building site frequently. We are grateful for his crucial oversight and inspiration. Mr. Chamsou Andjorin, Boeing Executive for West Africa, traveled from Accra to visit the construction site to make sure Boeing grant funds were being used well.

Funding was provided by the Boeing Corporation-West Africa; Kirkland, WA Rotary Foundation; Mercer Island, WA Rotary Foundation; Compass Rose Alpaca Farm; TransworldSourcing Inc; Valco Aluminum Corporation in Ghana; Produce Buying Corporation of Ghana; and Ghana Together Board Directors and their families. About 250 families and friends of Ghana Together and former Global Citizen Journey Ghana Project alums joined the effort. Ghana Together Directors engaged actively in fund-raising over about a two year period, including hosting a three-day "Raise the Roof" yard sale, silent auctions, and other events.

Building Description

The first floor of the WHH facility—the children’s area—consists of boys and girls sleeping quarters, kitchen, secure supply store, Mother’s room, great room, and separate boys and girls group showering and toilet areas. There is a fairly large covered veranda where children can play or do homework in the shade and enough area outside for pickup soccer games, girls’ dancing games, a sturdy clothesline, and a native plant hedge.

The second floor of the facility features a large, nicely furnished community meeting room for use by local and regional gatherings, training sessions, and conferences or meetings of all kinds. There is no other such facility in Axim or in Nzema East District. It is much needed to support local leaders’ efforts to improve the economic and social conditions in the community, especially for children and young adults.

The second floor also houses several programs in smaller rooms. The WHH Academy, launched in February 2009, offers remedial tutoring for secondary students to help them pass exams that will position them to possibly go on to university or technical programs in nursing, engineering, accounting, teaching, computer science, etc.

The Academy has set up a Vocational Computing Lab for older teens and adults. We hope to add a computer projector in the near future and in our really wildly ambitious moments, we dream of solar energy to power the computers in the Lab.

Another room serves as temporary dormitory space for girls from surrounding villages needing a place to stay while they study in the tutorial program.

The WHH office is outfitted with office furniture, file cabinets, an HP desktop computer, phone, and on-again-off-again internet access.

Finally, the facility contains two fairly large, airy rooms designated as "volunteer quarters," with a separate bathroom. Volunteers can stay for a modest fee, and take meals at the facility.

WHH intends to use income from the community use of the facility and the adult programs to help fund their children’s programs, which will help to put their organization on a self-sustaining path financially as well as offering a much-needed facility and programs to the community.

We, Ghanaians and North Americans together, are so proud of this unique facility and are thrilled with the opportunities it promises to the entire Nzema East district, including the town of Axim. We also are so proud that in fact this building project was truly a Ghanaian-North American partnership effort in every sense!