A week ago today we were exploring Cape coast with year 7 ✨
We headed to Kakum National Park first where the kids took on the canopy walk above the national park, fair to say they smashed it. Followed by a trip to Cape Coast Castle to learn about Ghana's history.
We are off on another adventure tomorrow with our smaller friends.... Any guesses where we are going?
#adventure #schooltrip #excursion #daytrip #roadtrip #schoolday #dayout #picnic #canopywalk #backtonature #castle #CapeCoast #goldcoast #history #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Monday at Street to school
Yesterday we set the kids a competition to make the strongest spaghetti bridge
Check it out
Monday morning music class with @marjorielieben
We love to see how much the kids have learnt over the last 2 months and how much they are enjoying music 🎶
#musiclesson #music #teaching #volunteer #volunteeringhana #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
A little update on our library and vocational center ✨
📚 The library is still being used by the kids every day and has become a safe place for the kids to hang out, play games, read and do their homework!
🧵 The girls in the sewing center are doing an amazing job. So far they have all learnt to use the electric sewing machines, have sewn their first school uniforms, are making some special bags for you guys and will be designing their own clothes next week!
Thankyou again to @tecsocialize, @nataliecrampton @19tmb for making our dreams a reality.
#librarylife #library #reading #stories #books #bookworm #sewingschool #sewing #volunteer #Ghana #Accra #Akwaaba
Happy #givingtuesday
What better way to celebrate than giving out some pretty special Sal's Shoes to some of the wonderful kids at @billa_futureleadersschool
We had new shoes, first shoes, light up shoes, sparkly shoes, running shoes, school shoes and rain shoes 👣
We love giving these pre loved shoes a new life and who doesn't love new shoes!
#newshoes #schoolshoes #smile #preloved #donation #partner #givingback #togetherwecandomore #school #volunteer #Ghana #Accra #Akwaaba
Match day for the boys this weekend.
The @streettoschoolla u13, u15 and u17 will be playing this afternoon 💪
Lets see if they put what they have learnt this week at training to the test!
#matchday #footballers #footballteam #MoreThanAGame #players #weekend #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
And the winner of the @billa_futureleadersschool recycling competition is.....
Year 7 🥇
Well done for all your work to keep the school, sports ground and homes tidy and plastic free.
The competition might be over but we will still be recycling in the school ♻️
Watch this space as we head for our school excursion next Friday!
#recycle #recycling #reusereducerecycle #competition #school #winners #plasticfree #volunteer #Ghana #Accra #Akwaaba
Have you ever seen a school eating competition?
Welcome to the @billa_futureleadersschool eating competition highlights. Each class was represented by one boy and one girl and had to eat their Gari (cassava) soakings as fast as possible.
Turn the volume up to hear the support from the rest of the school!
*** WE NEED YOUR HELP ***
Meet Theodora. She is 6 and goes to @billa_futureleadersschool. After suffering from an eye problem for just over a year after accidentally being hit in the eye with a pencil, she has sadly been diagnosed with eye cancer.
Yesterday on our stories we asked for your help and have already been able to raise an amazing amount of money for her chemotherapy. Thankyou to everyone who sent wishes and donations, we will make sure Theodora and her family gets them all!
If you would like to donate to help her, please let us know by sending a message. We know there is so much going on in the world right now but this little girl lights up a room when she walks in and she really deserves a bright future!
Another weekend adventure to the Volta region of Ghana!
Did you know Wli waterfalls is the highest in West Africa? Not a bad place for a swim
💧Wli Waterfalls
⛰️ Mount Afadjato
🐒 Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary
#travel #weekend #travelwithpurpose #adventure #waterfall #hiking #wildlife #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Awesome 💗
The reason we love our volunteers 💜
"I am very grateful to have been able to learn about the ghanian culture and people. This trip truly made me learn a lot about others but also about myself. The people there were amazing the kids you and the other volunteers and I was really amazed by the positivity of everyone especially the kids even with that much difficulty.
The project you have set up is really beautiful and I admire you both a lot for what you did there. It is very reassuring and touching to see that people give so much to help others and to bring joy. "
#volunteer #volunteeringhana
#givingback #Ghana #Accra #Akwaaba
Before, during, and after.
#canopywalk #grouptour #weekendaway #travel #CapeCoast #nationalpark #squad #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
We asked our sewing girls why they chose to join our vocational sewing initiative!
Swipe across to hear their reasons why! The girls are now 3 weeks into sewing classes and today they will be sewing their first school uniforms for the new students enrolled in school!
The @streettoschoolla OG's celebrating 𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐀 PRODUCTIONS
One thing we love more than anything is how these kids always turn up for each other and the coaches!
Next party is the Christmas party and you're all invited!
#party #squad #alwayssmiling #dreamteam #bettertogether #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Smiles from Monday to Friday 😀
Our volunteers made us smile this week. What made you smile?
#volunteer #school #education #smiletoday #alwayssmiling #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
My Ghana 💕people 🫂🫂 i
This week we started our recycling competition at @billa_futureleadersschool
Each class is competing to collect the most water sachets, we will recycle the sachets one they fill their bag up. The class that manages to recycle the most will go on a fun school trip at the end of term!
#recycling #recycle #saynotoplastic #volunteer #Ghana #Accra #Akwaaba
Sunday Beach Day ⛱️
Getting set for another week of fun....
#beach #beachlife #buriedalive #horseriding #sunshine #SandyToes #beachday #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Back to school this week, and we are very excited to welcome Marjorie, who will be running music lessons for this term at Billa Mahmud Memorial Future Leaders School
Today was her first music class and tomorrow the kids will have a chance to sing in the choir!
We are blown away by how many people watched Second Chance Part 2 last weekend...
A few shots from the film and some of the feedback we received 😊 Thankyou from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who took the time to watch and send us a message
And of course, to everyone who contributed to make it possible..
The film is still available to watch at your convenience!
SECOND CHANCE PART 2 IS HERE 🤩
Join us this weekend to watch the premiere of Second Chance Part 2, simply book your time, sit back and enjoy the film.
We can't wait for you to see part 2, 4 years after the first film. F.J.West Films Creative-Media-House has been working so hard to put this together and we can't wait for you to see how Benedicta and Jesse have been getting on!
Viewings will be available from Friday 22nd 16:00 GMT - Monday 25th 20:30 September.
Click the link below to watch!
www.fjwestfilms.com/watch-second-chance-part-2
Felicity West Rob Ellington Catherine Isobel Roy
Day 1 at the vocational centre today!
These girls have now enrolled to learn how to sew and eventually design clothes. These girls have been part of @streettoschoolla for years. Now that they have completed junior high school, we wanted to find a way to continue to help them learn and grow whilst they are at home.
We can't wait to see how they get on over the next couple of months.
Thankyou @nataliecrampton and our ambassador @19tmb for making this happen.
#sewyourown #sewingschool #sewing #vocationalskills #vocationalcenter #empoweringgirls #futureleaders #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Fab idea! 🙂
Did you know that if you sign up to Easyfundraising you can raise free donations for us every time you shop online....
It's super easy to use and there is pop up reminder anytime you use a website that can raise us some funds
Click this link to sign up today!
You shop. Akwaaba Volunteers gets money. For free.
join.easyfundraising.org.uk
Help us when you shop with 7,000+ brands. Join now.
We just can't keep it a secret anymore.....
Second Chance Part 2 is coming to your screens very soon!
F.J.West Films Creative-Media-House has been working super hard to make another incredible documentary, and we can't wait for you to see how Jesse and Bene have been getting on since Part 1 was released in 2019
If you haven't watched Second Chance or you want to rewatch it, the link is here!
youtu.be/HrlnwtjCCRQ?si=VRfONJVfb5AOXjoo
Watch this space for more information on how to watch Part 2!
What am amazing 1st film. Can’t wait to see the second. Jordan and King are very special people.
🙏🏼❤️
Celebrating #InternationalLiteracyDay
Literacy is such a huge part of what we do:
📚 We opened the Akwaaba Library so the children we work with have access to reading books always
👩🏽🏫 Ensure every child is enrolled in school and is able to stay there!
✏️ Running classes every Monday at @streettoschoolla so we can help the kids to learn, progress, or get help when needed. As well as extra classes when exams are coming up!
📝 Starting the intervention class at @billa_futureleadersschool so all the kids who were struggling with their reading are getting extra help, and they are doing amazing so far
🙋♀️ Plus, our volunteers work one on one with the students to help with their reading too!
Rainy season means waterfall season and this is one of our favourites!
All our volunteers have the opportunity to travel at the weekends, trips arranged by us!
#travel #waterfall #rainyseason #chasingwaterfalls #roadtrip #nature #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Our first Rounders tournament with years 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 at @billa_futureleadersschool
Earlier this year, the wonderful Buckingham Partnership SCITT group taught these kids a few new sports. With exams coming up next week, we thought we should have a bit of fun before we get serious!
We had lots of big hitters, some spectacular misses and so much fun!
Well done to year 6 for becoming the first Rounders Champs 🏆
As England celebrates the success of the Lionesses in the world cup, we have been doing some celebrating of our own as 15 of our Netball Queens finish writing their BECE exams, opening the next chapter of their lives (and we won both our netball matches this weekend)
"We have all heard the story about girls education.... it goes something like "To end poverty, educate a girl". BUT when you send a girl to school without radically reshaping the support structures around her, you are simply putting a certificate in her hand, if she even gets that far and then putting her right back into a world of poverty and inequality.
To change this trajectory and reap the benefits of a girls education we have to life the burden placed on the shoulders of each individual girl. They know first hand the web of barriers that extend beyond the school gates from pressure to beat the odds, poverty, child marriage, gender inequality and teen pregnancies.
Through projects like @streettoschoolla we are making sure girls thrive both in and out of school and are equipping them with the skills and support network they need to succeed and to tackle the structural inequalities that hold women back. We provide financial and material support for school basics such as uniforms, books, school levies and menstrual products. We safeguard the children we work with and the girls keep coming back to guide and support the next generation of girls.
We have seen the success of this project and as a result have girls who are leaders, they lift each other up and support each other to make sure no-one is alone on their journey, they are showing each other what is possible. Street 2 School is proof that when a community joins forces we can change lives for the better. We are championing girls, changing gender norms and making sure even more girls can benefit. We are providing safe spaces where girls can show up as they are and leave better than when they joined. This is the kind of space we all need to thrive.
These girls are going to change the world!
You're doing amazing things. Keep going. These girls will go far thanks to you guys x
Beautiful and thank you for all the work you do in Ghana.
Welcome to the Akwaaba Library and Vocational Centre 📚
3 weeks ago, we found the perfect space for this project and started building from scratch (check the last picture)
Today, we opened the library for all the kids at @streettoschoolla with a little party, food, drinks, and toys.
The Library has just over 500 books so far, 12 laptops, and provides another safe space for the kids in our community. The vocational centre is targeting the girls who just completed JHS and have some time on their hands. We will have 6 sewing machines and our very own teacher to help these girls learn to sew.
We are so excited for the kids to use this space and encourage reading and dreaming. Thankyou @nataliecrampton for making our dreams a reality and @19tmb for the support always
🖌 Art by deffart
📚 From @nataliecrampton @marthablakee Buckingham’s Private Coaching Gym PASS Abu Dhabi - Soccer School @annie.georgina ⏳️ @jameskumah9 made this happen!
#library #reading #newproject #librarylife #newsafespace #dreambig #volunteer #Ghana #Accra #Akwaaba
This is really beautiful. Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen
Amazing! 💕
Good job 👏
Celebrating the GA culture and heritage at the Kola Festival yesterday in Labadi
That’s beautiful
Queens inspiring queen's ✨️
A new report from the UN posted "women in sub saharan Africa have less power and freedom to make choices and seize opportunities in life"
We want to encourage as many girls as possible to play sports and give them opportunities alongside this. Thankyou @annie.georgina & @marthablakee for helping us out over the last couple of weeks
#Queens #thisgirlcan #girlsinsports #girls #netball #genderequality #changinglives #newopportunity #Volunteer #Ghana #Accra #Akwaaba
A few of our favourite moments from this week with @alex_amch and @gaby_gdry 😍
Very grateful for all the help they have given these kids to learn their ABC's and make the classroom special again
#volunteeringhana #volunteer #education #school #futureleaders #learning #changinglives #Ghana #Accra #Akwaaba
Great job
Imagine having a project that produces smiles like these every day
@streettoschoolla is about so much more than sports. After a busy weekend with sport for both the boys and girls, our volunteers had a painting class with the kids yesterday.
The sea theme was a lot of fun! Check out the results 🖌
#painting #art #paint #underthesea #smile #smilesarecontagious #artwork #youngartist #volunteeringhana #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Enjoying just a little bit of beauty that Ghana has to offer
This weekend, our volunteers visited Shai Hills and look at those views 😍
#weekend #daytrip #nature #wildlife #hiking #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Gorgeous!
Awesome 👏
Welcome to the new intervention class at our partner school, Future Leaders 🙌
From being in the school, we noticed a number of students who are struggling with their reading and writing ✍️🏿 so this week we have started Intervention, to give these kids a helping hand and a chance to catch up with their peers and get the help with the things they are struggling with!
We are looking forward to seeing how these kids do and how much their confidence will grow in the next couple of weeks.
#education #school #learning #knowledgeispower #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
If knowledge is power, learning is our superpower 🦸🏿♀️
This week, we got creative with our learning to see what we could make with a very kind donation of pipe cleaners.
#creative #creativity #artwork #KidsArt #learning #education #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Last week, @bbcafrica posted a report:
👧🏿 1 in 5 children of primary school age are out of school in Africa
🧑🏿 1 in 3 children does not complete primary school on time
Through projects like @streettoschoolla we are changing this for the Labadi community. If you have followed us for a while you will know Mondays are for learning! We use these classes as an opportunity not only to educate the kids but to identify children who are out of school, find out why, and place them in schools appropriate for their ability.
We are making sure 100% of the S2S participants are enrolled in formal education, this project is so much more than just sport!
#report #poverty #education #bbcafrica #changinglives #communitydevelopment #street2school #learning #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Reflecting on our week with volunteers from @b_p_scitt
Let's start with P.E. We know how important exercise is for both the body and the mind, and we were very lucky that every student at Future Leaders school got to try new sports this week
From rounders, dancing, ultimate Frisbee, dodgeball, American football, aerobics, and a fun sports day to finish off the week.
It was amazing to see the kids (especially the girls) have so much fun during their PE lessons, and we can't wait to continue with these sports!
#fitness #physicaleducation #peteacher #moveyourbody #sportsday #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Halfway through our week with the wonderful teachers from @b_p_scitt
The students are loving their time both in and out of the classroom!
#humpday #wednesday #teaching #teacher #teachertraining #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
We loved welcoming the @b_p_scitt to Ghana this weekend. We explored Accra, learnt more about Ghanaian culture, and visited Bojo beach for a bit of downtime before the hard work starts.
The volunteers will be teaching at Future Leaders School over the next week 👩🏼🏫
#welcome #citytour #daytrip #beachdays #weekend #volunteer #volunteering #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Is that Nell? xx
Celebrating Menstrual Hygiene Day 2023 with 60 girls from Future Leaders School ♀️
This year, we split the girls up into 6 groups and gave each group a topic around menstrual hygiene and female empowerment. Their task was to do research and design their own posters to be put up around the school.
Each group presented their posters and taught us about what they had learnt, and we distributed goody bags and sanitary pads!
#MenstrualHygieneDay
Bead making in Krobo 📿
Yesterday, we had a netball match in Krobo, so we took the opportunity to visit a local bead maker who taught the girls the process of making traditional recycled glass beads.
70% of the world's 130 million out of school youth are girls. We are using sport as a tool to engage girls, give them an education, and teach them skills like these along the way to help promote gender equality ♀️
Swipe to see the bead making process!
#beadwork #tradition #beads #jewellery #genderequality #girls #netball #LevelThePlayingField #thesegirlscan #femaleempowerment #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Meet Godson 💫
Godson is 7 and is part of the @streettoschoolla u8 football team. His mum is a single parent, and whilst she goes to work to support the family, Godson has never been to school.
This week, he started his education journey at Future Leaders school. He's loving it so far, from getting the school bus to playing at break time, and he can already write his ABCs and 1 - 20!
We are excited to see how he gets on for the rest of the term 🙌
#educationforall #EducationIsKey #educationispower #education #learning #school #schooldays #schoolboy #MoreThanAGame #changinglives #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Keep on with the good work.. Your reward is in even
As you may know we love a fundraising challenge....
Last year we conquered Kilimanjaro, this year King and I will be running the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon with some of our friends from PASS Abu Dhabi....
2024 we will be taking on the Lanka Challenge - a 9 day adventure, driving across Sri Lanka in Tuk Tuk's and we want you guys to join us.
You can sign up by yourself or as a team of 3.
Its only £150 deposit to secure your spot
Only 20 spots available!
Drop us a message to sign up or for more information and please share if you know people who may want to join us!
May 2019 vs May 2023
Raphael may still have the same bicycle but now his brother has taught him how to ride it...
He has also been enrolled in full time education, plays football at Street 2 School twice a week, gets support from classes every Monday and is a full time trouble maker 😅
#SpotTheDifference #bicycle #rideabike #football #changinglives #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
A week in photos 📸
We kickstarted the week with a visit to the national theatre to watch @lounagroup. It was such a great show. Thankyou @funhousenurserygh for making it possible to go ✨️
Followed by a community health walk with the @streettoschoolla kids 💪🏿
Then usual activities resumed 🇬🇭
#weekinthelife #theatre #CreatingOpportunities #healthwalk #exercise #learn #school #sports #changinglives #strongandhealthy #volunteer #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Great work
Earlier this year, students from @theroyallatinschool Year 8 Geography Class watched our documentary "Second Chance" to learn more about life in Ghana
The film inspired them to write letters to the students in Ghana, this week the year 8 students at Future Leaders school got the chance to read and write back to the kids in England and we are so excited for the partnership to continue
Swipe to see when @fjwest_films and @jordan.palmer.boateng visited the school to speak to the students about the documentary and the amazing donations the kids collected for us to bring to Ghana! 🇬🇭
#culturalexchange #learning #documentary #filmmaking #donations #letter #penpal #unity #Volunteer #Ghana #Accra #Akwaaba
*** AKWAABA VOLUNTEERS ***
A very proud moment for us. Our mission is to give as many people as possible the opportunity to experience Ghana
Thankyou to every single person in this group for trusting us to give you the experience of a lifetime and to all the @streettoschoolla family too!
#volunteer #volunteeringhana #changinglives #volunteering #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Would be very nice to host you at kwahu to play with our newly formed ROYAL Ladies Academy obo
Want to see what we got up to when PASS Abu Dhabi spent a week with us in Ghana...
Here it is! An incredible video by F.J.West Films Creative-Media-House capturing all the amazing things we got up to with this wonderful group.
Thankyou PASS for trusting us to put together this fun trip for you guys and to everyone in Ghana who helped make this possible too!
If you are interested in group trips to Ghana as a school, sports team, university or a corporate group get in touch!
What a week! 🙌🏻🎥 Creating this film was a blast from start to finish! If you want to see Ghana, Akwaaba Volunteers is hands down the best charity to do it through without a doubt. Not only do they have amazing local knowledge, support, huge range of activities and experiences, they work closely with the community and 100’s of children and families living in poverty. Absolutely life changing!!
I LOVE THIS!!!!!
You may have seen that @fjwest_films has been back in Ghana and we are cooking up something very exciting!
Hands up if you saw Second Chance?
Watch this space!
#documentary #filmmaker #secondchance #volunteer #changinglives #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Soooo exciting!!!
A few of our favourite snaps from our @streettoschoolla Easter Games 🐣
It was so much fun to see the kids and coaches working together and to do something a little bit different 🍎
Well done Blue team and Coach @maccarthypatrick for being crowned Easter champs 🏆 and to the rest of the S2S family for a fun day!
#happyeaster #eastergames #Community #sportsday #race #togetherwecandomore #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Happy Easter Weekend 🐣
We can't wait to show you what we got up to with PASS Abu Dhabi - Soccer School
📸 F.J.West Films (Felicity West)
#MoreThanJustAGame #footballtour #volunteer #givingback #ghana #accra #Akwaaba
Excited to welcome the PASS Abu Dhabi group to Ghana
We will be spending the week with 45 kids and parents exploring all things Ghana and football!