Service Report Summaries

This page contains summary reports of services rendered and accomplishments by Andy Jones for Africa Heartwood Project in West Africa. While AHP has full time staff in both Liberia and Ghana, sometimes it is necessary for Andy to be on site. "When the kids at the Refugee Orphan Home ask me when I'm coming back to Ghana," Andy explains, "I reply, 'I'll be here when I need to be here'."

Even though there is regular monitoring of projects and communication between Africa-based staff and the Directors in the USA, over the past twelve years Andy and Kayla Jones have needed to be in West Africa seven times - doing needs assessments, setting up projects, networking with government and community leaders, shooting video and taking photos, capacity building, and otherwise expanding the influnce for good of Africa Heartwood Project. The three most recent trips are summarized here.

The following excerpts are not meant to be formal documents, but rather quick notes for the purpose of referencing general accomplishments and accountability follow up. References to specific persons or organizations are not meant to be fully explained. Readers be advised that due to the nature of these "jotted down notes", a more complete understanding of context for full relevance may be required.

Service Report October 23 to Nov 3, 2011 – Ghana and Liberia

Refugee Orphan Home

• Items brought from USA delivered:
• tagging gun and tags for craft items made by the kids.
• laptop donated by Zimmerman family + mouse
• laptop for Lennie, payoff with stipend reductions
• framed photos from Amy Allebest and family
• sponsor letters and photos for each child
• penpal letters from Jana Capps’ class
• penpal letters from Wildwood School in Canada
• take individual photos of each child and staff member (except nutrition director Nancy and VTC teachers)
• take back to US some sponsor letters and penpal responses, and gift for Allebest family.
• Meeting with Lennie and Rufus about needs of the home:
• Mouse/rat prevention
• Curtains to make the place look nicer (non-essential)
• Fencing the compound is too expensive, see if there is a cheaper solution
• Tutugirl is not being well cared for; she feels she cannot make a decision about adoption on her own. Oscar of DSW says if the grandparents are willing to care for the child he cannot be adopted, and rightly so. But does Tutugirl have a voice?
• Abibatu is staying with a friend and washing dishes at her mother’s shop. Abi gave a partially bogus excuse that she was coming home late because of working at the chop bar until closing time. Lennie and Rufus don’t agree.
• Show each of the kids their OPS so they can see the information we have about them, which the government will be questioning. Child should be prepared to tell the facts of their own story to DSW.
• Foday is helpful at the Home as a part-time staff assistant. Obedient, kind, does what he is asked.
• Plan for 600ghs from Jessie’s classroom fundraiser. Children raised proposals and we voted. School books priority, then fan repair, then satellite television. Other ideas were shopping, lockers, stabilizers, extra breakfast food.
• Johnson: meet at police station on Oct 29, 2011, discuss with Officer Johnson and Station Officer who agree that the terms are lenient, but that since we have gone this route it is a civil case, not a criminal case. If not paying we can take Johnson to court for enforcement. Or, could recind the agreement and make it a criminal case. The officer who helped us on May 2011 didn’t do a good job in advising us. Johnson tried to plead abeyance, but he eventually paid the equivalent of 25ghs up through Nov 30, 2011. Lennie has 100ghs to deposit to the bank from Johnson's restitution payments. 
• Speak to Patricia Greeves about having the kids be more involved with making their own uniforms. Patricia start safari suits for Andy.
• Speak to Mrs Keita about the soap. Understand that she has 64ghs/month for supplies to make soap for the Home with the kids as monthly practicals.
• Agree with Victor to go to Aburi with Foday and Prince on an arts apprenticeship with Ben, Kattah’s brother.
• Speak to Janet Momo about Watter and Blama. First she said she wouldn’t give her UNID # b/c grandmother and other family doesn’t agree that Blama should go to Liberia. I said then both kids need to be living with her starting now. She responded later that day saying the extended family agreed to let Blama go, and that they also want Watter to go. I said this back and forth is unacceptable when we're dealing with the future of a child. If she wants the kids to be with AHP she needs to go to the DSW and officially turn over her parental rights and turn them over to the gov’t to decide what to do. She agreed to do this, but it didn’t happen before I left. I told her I didn’t agree with their decision; that it was best for the kids to be with their family members, even if they are poor.
• Gave Rufus a donated cell phone from Deja for more effective communication, and gave him 130ghs to pay for his wife’s emergency DandC due to miscarriage of fetus.

Sustainable Livelihoods for Cultural Artisans

• GHANA:
• Meet with Kattah, Nana, Kofi on Oct 24th to see progress of order for WholesaleAfricanDrums.com. Very limited progress, far behind schedule. Instruct them about the importance of deadlines, and the concern I have about their situation. It is an emergency, and this is the last chance to try to make this relationship work.
• The largest problem seems to be the wood supply. Emma lied about frames being already delivered to Aburi, and about the quantity of wood he had in stock for the order. He admitted his fault, defended self that he has never not delivered, eventually. Waiting for Rafiu to return from bush with wood to complete this order and be prepared for the next.
• Asked them to sign the frames
• Discussed rings tighter, and sound holes for ngoma. 
• Delivered laptop to Kattah for Rafiu. 260ghs value (125 USD = 200ghs + 60ghs customs). Stick drums value of 12ghs each, complete odum drum value is 36ghs each. Items must be delivered to Aburi prior to taking the laptop.
• Talked to Kattah about possibly moving into an as-needed project manager to oversee the cultural artisans. We’ll see how things end up with 10.1/10.2 then decide. Kattah has completed his job on time with good quality and communication.
• James completed the bala order on time and is benefitting greatly from his relationship with Africa Heartwood Project.
• Gilbert completed order for Kattah one time with good quality and following instructions. New items are good quality, done correctly.
• Plan for 3 Liberians to come and do an apprenticeship. They want 500ghs to start the apprenticeship, and will arrange for apartment (20-25ghs/mo), and supplies (about 50ghs per boy), food will be about 1ghs/day/person.
• Meet with Sam to see progress of his Nigerian Thornwood nativity set order for WorldNativity.com. Behind schedule, but picked up what was completed for delviery go Garrick, paid part of funds due.
• LIBERIA;
• Pick up nativity sets from Phillip via Janet and from Calvin, + 11 sets from Calvin - for WorldNativity.com - as a fundraising opportunity for Africa Heartwood Project.
• Meet with Emmanuel Barclay 3 times about starting drum production with the assistance of AHP:
• 3 wood attempts: first one money lost, 2nd one wood was bad, 3rd one didn’t have enough money to complete. Gave him money to bring the wood from bush, enough for 15-20 drums.
• Sourced goat skins, rope, coconut oil, and determined the cost of the drums. Gave him enough money as micro-loan to cover all remaining costs to complete his first drums, to be paid back when he is able to successfully export the drums to a client.
• Taught him how to do good quality, and how to determine good skins, bearing edge, rings, rope, etc…
• Donated a cell phone to him from Deja for better communication about his struggling but growing micro-enterprise.

The Move to Liberia - Refugee Orphan Home

• Meet Tuesday Oct 25th at GRB offices in Dzorwulu, 2pm scheduled, actual 3.45-5pm.
• Present: GRB Chairman Kenneth Dzirisah; UNHCR Protection Office Veton Orana; GRB Program Coordinator Tetteh Padi; AHP Dir Andy Jones, GRB guy, no name. Angie Lavela of the Liberian Embassy was a no show.
• Presented AHP, the Home, and our needs. GRB/UNHCR expressed concern about how it was set up without their express consent (we attempted contact but got no response, and we were not aware of their procedures since we received no feedback from the contacts we had at the time). Said gov’t should do their own assessments to determine needs, then AHP placement, then Ghana , then Liberia. Said non-Liberians cannot go to Liberia. GRB requested an official letter informing of activities and requesting participation.
• Provided 33 page packet to Camp Manager on Monday Oct 31, with copy for GRB. Also gave packet to DSW @ Buduburam.
• Dir. Barnes of LRRRC suggested that if UNHCR couldn’t help with transportation possibly the IOM could.
• DSW: On Monday Oct 31 Andy met with Oscar and Dorothy at DSW offices at Buduburam. They claim no knowledge of our activities at BRC since 2008 mtgs with Camp Manager and DSW, in which they said we cannot become a registered orphanage as such. To me this meant that we cannot become an orphanage, but as a shelter or home for orphans. While a visit was paid to the Home in late 2008 or early 2009 by Oscar, they still claim to have no knowledge of us until the UNHCR requested that they research our institution on Friday Oct 22nd. They said we should register the NGO with the local DSW district in which we operate now and in the future.
• On Friday Oct 22 DSW @ BRC visited the Home and requested a roster of children and prior guardians. They were given the roster and copy of each OPS on Monday Oct 31st, along with the GRB packet.
• DSW said they will act within their own field on next steps in determining viability of AHP and needs of the children.
• LRRRC: On Wednesday Oct 27 Andy met with Kojoe Ross in Monrovia to update on meetings with GRB. He said that if the GRB and UNHCR don’t follow through there may be other ways to proceed through working with the Embassy. He said he would provide me with a list of the dates of contact with UNHCR and GRB concerning AHP to help me show that they were given information early.
• Next Steps: follow up with DSW on their investigations. Follow up with GRB about what they want to do. Follow up with Camp Manager to see if he has any questions through Charles York, Asst Mgr.

Robertsport, Liberia

• Visted Robertsport on Thursday Oct 28th with Bestman and 2 construction managers. They spent 5 hours surveying the culture center to give a price quote for basic rehabilitation.
• Sup. Katherine extended her welcome for us to come to Robertsport but suggested there may be other towns or sites more suitable for an orphanage.
• She gave a handwritten letter of recommendation to visit her other counties.
• She said that the county doesn’t own any land of itself in Robertsport, so it cannot be donated; all land is in family ownership.
• She said the culture center couldn’t be used except if permission was obtained from the Archives and Min. of Info, Culture, and Tourism.
• Ass. Super. Harris Karneh and the Mayor were very willing to help us find a suitable location, and had already started to put together a list of land and buildings to try to find out their owners.
• Gave Gabriel 15 USD gift.
• Determined the value of labor, construction, rent in Liberia in USD
• 2-3/day casual, 6-8/day unskilled, 10-15/day skilled. Gabriel gets 100 USD/mo for security and manual labor. Bestman gets 300-400 USD/mo with a truck for FT PF mgmt for church.
• 3 bd house rent 120-250/mo Monrovia. 2 bd apt 60-80 USD/mo.
• Build small 2 bd house 2-3k, build 4-5bd mid size, 5-7k. concrete/mud block with concrete plaster. 3-6 months to complete.
• Picked up nativity sets from Bestman from Phillip and Calvin. Also got 11 additional sets from Calvin. For WorldNativity.com as fund raiser for the Refugee Orphan Home.
• Delivered laptop to Henry for Penelope of Niapele Project.
• Delivered cooking stove to Strongheart House.

Deaf Student Vocational Training

• Visited the school on Tuesday Nov 1st for 1 hour. Delivered laptop to Grace for the Deaf School. Value of 250ghs, to be repaid in batiks. Picked up batiks of AHP log and for Garrick that were all done incorrectly again. Gave instructions on what to do to fix the errors. She will complete them and take them to Aburi for drum shipment by Friday. She has not heard from Annalisa since her visit, wants to have follow up.

Village Water Projects

• Met Gladys Yamoah on Sunday from 1.30-4.30pm. Visited 4 communities who received bore holes in early 2011 to see progress and do video interviews with beneficiaries.
• Benefits are reported by villagers:
• no more sickness,
• kids go to school on time,
• less time hauling water leaves more time for farming and studying,
• clean water used for commercial production of palm oil and palm kernel oil and foods like banku and stew, which are sold for additional profits because they are known to be made with pure water,
• additional community cooperation through raising funds to maintain the wells (such as community harvests, household taxes, or pay per use),
• vegetable gardening using water for irrigation during the dry season (tomatoe, okra, onion).
• Water tastes better than surface water
• Life is more convenient
• Ogyenhewano bore hole works well during rainy and regular season, but in dry season the volume is too low to service the complete needs of both communities.
• Kofi and Yeboah didn’t follow through on fixing this problem identified in June 2011. They said it would be done the following week. Yeboah may have tried to get the pipes from another village, but they wouldn’t give it to him without first hearing from Gladys or Kofi, and no attempt was made to communicate or get permission.
• Was supposed to meet with Kofi on Monday but I was not available. Kofi said we needed to talk about the price of additional training and follow up. This was discussed in June 2010, and the price was increased from 6k to 6.5k for this very purpose.
• No follow up was made about the land from Chief Darko or from Kofi’s friend.
• Paid Gladys 40ghs for her time, and the taxi 40ghs.
• Gladys says there are other communities who have requested assistance with a bore hole, but we didn’t have time to visit them.
• I expressed to Gladys my desire to have quality, in-depth research done regarding the real need for and benefits of a bore hole in a village. Possibly contact the U of Ghana for participation.

Other

• Motorcycle: I rented a moto from Kofi in Aburi for 50ghs/day + gas. Travel time to Budu from airport taken from 2.5-4 hours down to 1 hour. Travel time from Accra to Aburi taken from 2-3 hours down to 50 minutes. I spent about 15 hours on the bike, which resulting in saving between 30-40 hours in trotro time, for a net savings of 15-20 hours, or 1-2 days of working time in 7 days in Ghana.
• Computers: Brought 6 laptops for distribution, 5 of which were detained by customs upon entry at the airport.
• Valuation was 200 USD each + 20ghs freight, for a total duty bill of about 1800ghs. They wouldn’t not budge, so they were sent to the State Warehouse in Aviance.
• Spent hours trying to get an exemption from DSW, but the office of the Dept. Min. was uncooperative since I didn’t  have an AWB or B/L. Finally Daniel, Director of Policy at DSW said he would get it done. Docs were delivered Friday to Min. of Finance for exemption. By Wednesday nothing was done so I went to customs detainment warehouse to see what could be done. Ended up going through the sub-system and paying 92ghs official duty, + 65ghs in tips. May still get exemption.
• This was a good learning experience to know the process for how to clear items duty free, using the formal and informal system. Need to provide invoice, letters of donation, distribution list, NGO docs, copy of B/L, and request to Mis of Soc Welf, who will then go through a process to get items exempted.
• North African boy in red shirt: looked for him as passing through circle but didn’t see him.
• Grace Massak: gave Jessie’s 600ghs to them to use at their discretion, which was used to buy 4 bundles of 12-20 sheets of aluminum to roof their new classroom buildings. Photos were taken. 2 grandmother’s at the boarding school, at least 30 kids.
• Abraham: fraud investigation, Tony donated 50 USD to AHP paypal, gave 75ghs to Rufus to give to Abraham to use at his discretion. No follow up required. Was tendered on Tues Nov 1st.

Service Report May 18-June 8, 2011 – Ghana and Liberia

Refugee Orphan Home at Buduburam

• Administrative Staff Restructuring
• Replace Director
• Jonathan Johnson was dismissed as Director due to financial mismanagement and non-performance of duty.
• Rufus Doe was promoted to Director, labor divided between Lennie (Patron) and Rufus and Esther (Matron).
• The children and the community all mentioned that Johnson was not fit to be director, and that Rufus has shown himself to be dedicated to the well-being of the children and success of the Refugee Orphan Home.
• Investigate Johnson and Plan for Restitution
• Research financial activities, gather evidence of fraud and embezzlement, and present case to police and camp authorities.
• Define a plan for restitution, including confession and restitution of misappropriated funds
• Johnson apologetic, accepts responsibility, says he has no money, but will be required to make payments or he will be arrested.
• Restructure financial management
• Add Lennie Mayr, Patron at the ROH, as signatory to the account, with checks to be kept by Rufus.
• Remove Johnson, Isaac Tedeku, and Jana Capps as signatories
• Train on use of Monthly Ledger, receipt management, and 2 by 2 financial handling.
• Needs Assessment
• Define current needs at the Home, plan to meet needs where necessary
• Block benches, mosquito nets, water buckets, television, modesty, scholarship, fenced boundary, child management, VTC attendance records, revised food budgets, monthly reporting training, and establish monthly performance outing.
• Orphan History Investigations
• Andy personally interview most prior guardians
• Reunited with family: Isaac Sarpong, James Jallah, Watta Sheriff (part-time)
• Removed from Home by prior guardians prior to Andy arrival: Beauty Sneh, Rannecia Quiah, Jackerline Peters.
• Determined remaining to be orphans or abandoned by parents unfit for custody of the child
• Update Orphan Profile records with new information
• Video Documentation
• Record performance by the Liberian Orphan Culture Troupe at Teshie, Accra
• Record kids saying name and Africa Heartwood Project.org
• Document VTC classes and interview VTC teachers
• Donated package clearance
• Package donated by Bekkah Petree shipped to Ghana, attempted customs clearance for 2+ weeks with no success upon departure
• Micro-loan Follow Up
• John Manburg and Eugene Whyee tried cold meat business, claim to fail, used remaining funds to travel to Nigeria to work. Made money, John returned for Resettlement that was bogus, Eugene stayed in Nigeria. Will return soon.
• Committed to repaying loan upon Eugene return.
• John wanted more loan but not given due to non-payment of first loan
• Didn’t meet Emmanuel Gipley who received loan for BCE exam fees

Village Water Projects

• Commission New Bore Holes
• Commission four bore holes after successfull installations in prior 1-4 months:
• Adarkrom (The Herrod Foundation). 2000+ people with broken bore hole. Formal reception. Received a goat and produce as thanks, and Kente cloth. Bore hole and WATSAN committees fully functional.
• Sethokai (The Herrod Foundation). 1200+ people with one hand-dug well that is not clean or plentiful enough to supply community, no water in dry season. Bore hole and WATSAN committees fully functional.
• Ogyenhewano/Akromakwaa (Wildcat Water Project). 75+ people, bore hole not deep enough to provide all needs of both communities, will deepen pipe and undertake hydro-fracture if needed to improve water supply to serve the people.
• Kofi Tabrikrom (Angelic Connection Water Project). 1000+ community, previously using unclean surface water, unavailable in dry season, then walking to unclean river. Bore hole and WATSAN committees fully functional.
• Network with Glady’s new NGO and local Agona East and West District Assembly representatives.
• Visit land promised by a woman for AHP use near Kofi Forson’s home in Kwanyaku. 15+ acres overlooking river. Would need to fence and development the land and use it for a charitable purpose to meet the expectations of the donor.

Deaf Student Vocational Training

• Project development
• VTC structure progress, now will be a 2 story building with classrooms above VTC classrooms. Boachie will get a price quote for the project  and submit to AHP.
• Profits from batik sales and donated funds are being used to purchase new equipment and improve educational facility for the batik students.
• Product development
• New AHP batik designs. Quality control discussions.
• Video Documentation
• Interview staff and students on batik process, benefits, etc.

Cultural Artisan Support

• Video interviews
• Most shakers producers were interviewed on camera to show their craft and introduce themselves to end-consumers.
• New products
• Identify new products artisans can make, including tuned water drums, round frame drums, and more.
• Brand all shakers with AHP stamp
• Quality control training
• Remove handle from caxixi, fix sistrums to they don’t come undone. No skin patches.
• Profit/Loss training
• Kwaku and Nana COGS training, profit loss on each drum, revise product prices so all items show profit plus 5%. Importance of paying themselves as they work.
• Apprenticeship Arrangements
• Foday Sesay and Prince Appeton will apprentice with Aburi and Okurase artisans for 6-12 months to learn the craft of drum building. Establish expectations, costs, etc…
• Future Expansion
• Move Aburi workshop to village near Okurase to facilitate logistics and reduce overhead.

Liberia

• Cultural Artisans and Revitalization of Cultural Arts
• Train Emmanuel Barclay on djembe building. Pay for first drum of 100 USD, and extend advance of 270 USD to start production.
• Video interview Emmanuel
• Meet with Ministry of Culture to notify of our intent and solicit their support
• Research availability of handicrafts in Liberia
• Identify location for Orphan Home and AHP headquarters in Liberia
• Visit Robertsport. Historic center for cultural arts in Liberia, beautiful location, likely to get community support, current home of Strongheart House.
• Speak to municipal gov’t representative (Superintendent), who expressed support, land, etc…
• Building available for cultural arts, needs to be renovated.
• Research bore hole industry in Liberia
• Meet with financial controller for ZOA, Sweden’s bilateral aid agency. Bore hole is 12-15K USD, hand-dug well is 2-3K, man-power drill is 3-5K. No standardized way to define communities using municipal gov’t. Site inspections only.

Ghana and Liberia, March 2010
Travels, Activities, and Reflections

Village Water Projects

• Visit Ogyenhewanu & Akromakwaa, and Kewsibudu, selected for bore hole assistance by Greg in Feb 2010, to check status of preparation and meet with elders. Look at sites for possible bore hole installation.
• Kwesibudu claims to not have the money, and asked that we come to do our work anyway. We cannot come until they have done their part.
• O&A are more progressive, and have already saved some money.
• Site check Alantaso and Krobidasiwakyi, received bore holes in June 2009, to verify proper use of bore hole, maintenance of hand pump, community and economic development, health improvement, and to train on how to more effectively use the water source as a means of greater community development. Reconnect with the people who are benefiting.
• Alantaso is fully using bore hole, are open to ideas of further community development, but as of yet have not done anything of their own initiative; they need training.
• Krobidasiwakyi mostly using bore hole; some won’t drink it because they can afford satchet water.
• Both villages reported improved health, increased disposable or productive time, and loose bowel in transition from drinking surface water to ground water. This causes some to not want to drink the water. They claim the water tastes salty, but it is more of a mineral taste.
• Consider other villages as possibilities for 3rd bore hole this spring. Arhenkwaa has hand dug well that could be cleaned, deepend, and sealed, and hand pump installed. Others visited already have, or don’t qualify.
• One village has bore hole/pump, but many still drink from the swamp far away, because the water is sweeter (and it is what they are used to).
• Meet with District Assembly leaders, and Gladys, the local representative.
• Meet with Chief Darko, to discuss the new projects, and to talk about land.
• Chief Darko showed us a plot of land he is willing to give to Africa Heartwood Project, on the outskirts of a large village, about 6 acres. On new road to Accra.
• Meet with Kofi and Yeboa, our contractor and vendor, on these projects. Discuss pricing, timing, terms, etc… Price is $6,000 USD per bore hole, all inclusive. Try for $6,500 USD for future projects, which allows for additional follow up and training.

Sustainable Livelihoods for Drum Builders

• Meet with Aburi and Okurase group, discuss current orders, check quality, distribute tips, talk about their needs.
• They wanted a loan for household consumption items, so they can be “free”. I taught them about debt and money management, and how that wouldn’t be in their best interest.
• They want a loan for a motorcycle, so transportation is much more convenient.
• Ras will take over the contract on small percussion and bells.
• Emma wants a loan to complete a storage building he has already started, to keep drums from cracking and being sold to somebody else.
• Meet with members of the National Culture Troup of Liberia and members of Ballet Zoebanjay, to drum, talk about the state of culture in Liberia today, and discuss the possibility of helping them with sustainable income through drum production and export.
• Liberia has not tourism to speak of, and the gov’t doesn’t support the arts. Emmanuel Barclay and others of the National Ballet are struggling greatly due to the demolition of the culture center, Kendeja, sold to a private investor who put up a resort hotel. They are living in shacks outside the walls of the new resort.
• Ballet Zoebanjay is living in the slums of Point 4, doing small local performances for the community, trying to support themselves with their art.
• The drums available are extremely low quality. Both groups want to have a chance to export, and will begin the research needed to know if it is possible. 2 drums were selected as models, one from Guinea, and one from The Gambia. A micro-loan will be made when the cost research has been done.

Refugee Orphan Home (Ghana)
Health.

• Tell each child the results of their blood tests done by Greg in February 2010, and educate them about Malaria, Typhoid, and HIV.
• Establish a treatment program for those with Malaria, Typoid, and HIV, secure medications, and begin treatment.
• Establish a Health Coordinator and Health Educator for the Home, including weekly classes on general health and hygiene, weekly health visits, and inside connections at Korle-Bu, the best hospital in Ghana.

Education

• Get Student ID cards for each child from their schools.
• Meet with administrators about our policy of no corporal punishment for our orphan children, and to make clear that our children are not to be denied entry into class for petty reasons such as lack of belt or hair being too long.
• Establish our Vocational Training Center, including:
• Physical set up: renting a building, painting it and installing electricity and locks, purchasing supplies such as sewing machines, oven, gas tank, soap making supplies, and more.
• Schedule: work out a schedule for required and elective classes, and break all 40 kids into appropriate rotating groups.
• Staff: find teachers willing to donate their time or work for small stipend for transport, for sewing, agriculture, cooking, baking, art, beauty, soap making, craft making, instrument making, pre-vocational, and more.
• Re-establish the culture class, new contract with teachers, new vision for preparing for international tour, and local income-generating performances.
• 1 class/week for 3 hours. 1 public performance/month required. All children required to participate. Costumes will be provided.

Home Management

• Revisit Home rules, update, add clear consequences for disobedience to major rules.
• Establish policies and procedures for staff so they know what my expectations are, and how they are to behave with the children at the Home.
• Work out any logistical and management problems we’ve been having.
• Create Parent History Information form, and Foster Guardian Consent Form, and get filled out by prior guardians or those who knew the parents of the children.

Relocate the Refugee Orphan Home to Liberia

• Meet with Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Liberian Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Committee, Ministry of Planning (NGO), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Liberian Embassy in Ghana, and other gov’t departments regarding the documentation and relocation of our orphan kids from Ghana to Liberia.
• Find temporary location for the Orphanage, and look at long term locations to build a facility.
• Visit the Rafiki Foundation’s Orphanage on Marshall Highway.
• Visit Orphan Relief and Rescue in Monrovia, go to orphanage with them.
• Meet with the Niapele Project and Vision Awake Africa for Development, NGOs in Monrovia, to discuss partnership and best practice in Liberia. Visit Caroline A Miller School, Happy Family Home, etc…
• Establish office space in Monrovia for AHP, set up local staff, bank account, and register the NGO legally in Liberia.