Hand in Hand, Nkoranza, Ghana (UK Support)

Testimonials

JOE HAND, BRISTOL

I enjoyed the trip so much I will be going back next year, to spend a few months in Ghana and at Hand in Hand before I’m off to uni. Hand in Hand was a really cool place, with so much good being done, I can’t wait to get back and get involved more with all the kids.

JACQUI JONES, DROITWICH SPA

Ghana, what an amazing experience! I went with much trepidation unsure of a great unknown yet within a very short time of arriving the sights, smells, sounds, people and culture had me ‘hooked’. Bearing little resemblance to contemporary Britain, possibly more to our shores centuries, rather than decades, ago we were welcomed by (almost!) all we came in contact with.
The diversity of the landscape as we travelled around – with our Ghanaian driver whose skills were well tested by the terrain- was amazing. ‘Hand in Hand’ was an inspiration though also initially potentially overwhelming. The ‘stories’ of the resident community were mostly heartbreaking but the caring and dedication flowing from Inica and Bob that cascaded down through the carers and volunteers into the children was lovely though it didn’t prevent many of us wanting to bring individuals home with us!
So much will stay with me for the rest of my life and that is due to Naomi and Danielle aka Hand in Hand Tours whose enthusiasm for Ghana and dedication to the work of ‘Hand in Hand’ was contagious and who offered the opportunity to share their love of the country. Thank you so much.

JOHN INNES, SOLIHULL, FROM HIS TRIP JOURNAL

We spent four whole days at the Community, time to begin to absorb the extraordinary atmosphere of love, care and fun that pervades the whole Community. At our first breakfast, Bob brought his ‘choir’ and they all sang to us with an enthusiasm which more than made up for the slight disharmonies. We didn’t just spend our time with the children while we were there. We had a drive north to visit the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary. While black-and-white colobus monkeys can be clearly seen in the trees, the mona monkeys would actually come down to the ground and accept tit-bits from our hands.. Tradition has it that the inhabitants of the two villages after which the Sanctuary is named, revered monkeys and would never kill them. Indeed, if a monkey died, they would bury it with full honours: we visited the cemetery and saw the wooden ‘gravestones’.
We also did quite a lot of our own catering, involving first a visit to the local market to buy food, including the most delicious mango and other fruit.
During our last two days we helped look after the children after their early-afternoon rest while sessions on autism (translated into Twi) were held with the care-givers. Later we dressed up in our finery for one of the famous Hand in Hand Parties, held every two weeks. Drummers drummed, people processed round, poetry and speeches were given, songs sung (including by our ladies’ choir, ably coached and led by our own Marjorie, including a song in Twi, much to the audience’s delight). Then food appeared and as it became fully night the children bedded down, and we dispersed to prepare for an early start the next morning.