Savelugu - Our Journey So Far

Our Journey So Far.

Team Watermelon!

Two weeks has now gone by, with the Savelugu team now fully on way with their project work with NFED. We have two of the best volunteers this week who have graciously given up their time to write about their experience so far, and also why they both decided to join our ICS team. 

Firstly Louis will tell you a bit about his experience so far, let’s starts from the beginning...

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a step forward. My ICS journey started with an application, when I first heard about ICS, I remember thinking, Challenge yourself to change the world? That sounds awesome! I opted to give it a try. After going through a successful application, I was short listed out of 400 applicants for assessment which would take place in Tamale.

It was finally assessment day... I made my way to the Tamale sport stadium conference hall, extremely nervous. I had no idea what an assessment day was going to be like. I came to a stop outside the door, and took a breath, I then entered the hall.  Everyone was looking at me. I quickly looked down to the floor and made my way to the front desk for my registration. The day was consumed by group activities and one to ones with the ICS staff. To make it through the assessment, you had to compete against yourself. The long awaited day was over, and I was reimbursed for my transportation.

Two weeks later I received a call informing me that I was offered a place on the ICS scheme. However, the placement offer was conditioned subject to my medical clearance, criminal clearance and satisfactory reference. A pre-placement training was organized for in country volunteers awaiting the UKV’S.

On the 9^th of January both ICV’s and UKV’s were hosted at GILLBT for an in country orientation before we move to our various project based communities. I got to know and meet my other amazing team members, and together we made up Team Watermelon (as we chose to name ourselves). The NFED Savelugu team finally arrived in Savelugu the evening after our last day of training. We started work on a positive note, meeting with the director of NFED, where we read through the reports of the previous team. We paid homage to Yoo Naa to announce our presence in his community. This was followed by our first community entry to meet with the various IGG’s, we were welcomed with Kola nuts from the chiefs of the local communities. I must say the team looks set to take this project to the next level. It has been an inspiring, fun, educative and life-changing two weeks, and I can only hope the journey continues.

Luis & Shauna respectively

Next we have our UK volunteer, Shauna....

Sitting on a 5 hour train journey to York, I struggled to keep my eyes open. York had been the closest assessment I was able to attend, and I fully expected to be the only Scottish one there. The day had been long and tiring, it consisted of group activities and also a one-to-one interview, all of which being constantly assessed. Around a week later I received a phone call to say that I had been successful and had been placed on a team traveling to Ghana. I only found out at training that I would be working with NFED Savelugu, helping women maintain their cooperatives and create a sustainable future for themselves and their communities.

I have currently been in Ghana for two weeks, and I am enjoying every minute of it. Living with a lot of children, and my bucket showers in the morning have been quite a struggle. None the less, experiencing a different culture and living here day to day has been the most rewarding experience of my life. I look forward to my forthcoming months living here. Working with ICS is very different from many other charities, instead of offering money to these communities and expecting a change to develop, ICS promote sustainability. Allowing the women, in the communities to help themselves, by producing Shea butter, soap making and rice production. The women can then pass these skills on to the developing generation in the community, creating jobs and a balanced lifestyle. By visiting the various communities we will be working with, and seeing how International Service as well as NFED has already made a considerable impact, will be something I never forget. I can only hope to carry on in this department throughout my career after working as a volunteer, and I will be a strong advocate on anyone who wishes to volunteer in the future, ICS is the place to do it!