Traveling to Rural Village

As we arrived, the caregivers and their orphan charges began lining up under the shade of a huge mango tree in the middle of the village.

The children stood proudly with their caregivers, each wearing his or her school uniform, and respectfully answering our questions through an interpreter.  We asked how life had changed for them since they had been in the Houses of Hope program.  Without exception, the children told us that they now went to school because they had money for a uniform, school supplies and necessary fees.  They all had smiles, seemed proud to wear their uniform, and genuinely happy that they were now permitted to go to school.  Several children said that they did not go hungry and that they went to school with a full stomach.

Each quarter when the funding from HBA takes place, Apostle Cudjoe travels to each village with his BDGM team and with the money that you provide.  He gives out the money to each caregiver and then has them sign a receipt which he keeps.  The caregiver and the child are fingerprinted and the fingerprint stays with the receipt.  This is similar accountability process to that of many major organizations such as World Vision and Compassion.

It was during this trip that my mind totally grasped the logistical difficulties that Apostle Cudjoe faces as he serves our Lord in Ghana through the HOH program.  For us in the West, with our well-maintained vehicles, well-maintained roads, and relatively strict rules-of-the road, travel is almost a pleasure. Travel in rural Ghana typically means very rough roads. In fact dirt roads are preferable to asphalt because many of the asphalt roads are more potholes than pavement.  Our driver, Abete, whom we call “Mario Andretti” Abete, has the eyes of a fox and the agility of a housefly with regards to avoiding potholes that you could hide a fire engine in.  On one of our trips we were almost flattened by two heavy trucks whose brakes had failed.  Then there are the roads which go out to the rural villages, they are the size of bicycle paths, and normally not paved.  When it is dry, they are passable, but when it rains, they just fill up with water and there is no drainage. When we went to interview and fund the orphans in Klokope we were caught in a torrential rain.

We almost had to spend the night in the village because our attempts to get out of the village over the flooded road resulted in our vehicle being stuck in the mud.  Fortunately a man with a truck eventually hauled us out. On the road, we encountered the school children walking home to the village, and most of them were thigh deep in water.

I hope you are blessed by these pictures and comments made by the children because they are so blessed by your generosity.  Be assured you are a blessing to these little ones!!!

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