A SCHOOL FOR ORPHANS, DROP-Outs, ILLITERATE AND VERY NEEDY In the Central Region the poverty is very high. Most families are farmers and they depend on a good harvest. But even then most families can't spare any money. They can´t pay for their children`s education. |
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In the morning when all children should be in school, you still see them out on the streets of many villages. Often they have to help their families: they fetch water, collect firewood, sell products on the streets or they do physically exhausting jobs such as helping in the production of the local alcohols or helping at the flourmills. Other children must work on the fields. There they either help their families or earn hardly any money. |
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Education in dignity Together we decided, that we don´t punish our students with a cane as it is normally done in almost all schools and families. The principles of the school are to appreciate good behavior, to talk about problems and to make up for mistakes by working for the community. Regularly all teachers meet to discuss and improve their way of teaching. |
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Where will it lead to ... 2011 – What has happened so far? At the moment the Baobab School has 80 students. Most of them attend our school since one year. Our first students, 16 seniors, will finish their Baobab education this year. |
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Seniors 16 students joined Baobab about five years ago and this March they will attend the public NVTI Level 2 exams in their practical courses. They have seen Baobab change from a small place where they could spend their afternoons to big school. Until fall they will stay at Baobab and work with us and study for their NVTI Level 1 Exams in September. In October they will have completed their Baobab education. The graduation ceremony will take place during Babobab`s 10th anniversary in October. |
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Baobab Students – their first 2 years at Baobab Last year 64 new students joined Baobab. They are doing great in practical training as well as in academics! They will stay with us for some more time. Another project we are planning is to enable “physically challenged” students to attend our school as well. Many physically challenged Ghanaians had polio as a child and need crutches or a wheelchair today. The inclusion of physically challenged students may make it possible for our school to register as an NVTI school. And then maybe we will get a financial support of the Ghanaian government. |
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A craft village A dream of ours is to establish a craft village where our former Students can live, work and sell. A small Guesthouse with a restaurant shall complete the Baobab craft village. The location near the highway to Takoradi will be perfect for travelers. In cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism hopefully both tourists and locals will be able to visit our site. You will be able to see how traditional Ghanaian arts such as Kente weaving, batik, rattan furniture, etc. are produced and you can buy them directly from the producers. |
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History of the Baobab School How it all started: In September 2004 Baobab was a place for children and youths to come to to get help, live and learn. In the beginning the children didn´t come regularly, but soon they noticed that this was a place to escape all their problems in their families or their work on the street. They started to come early in the morning and they left when it became dark. The children were members of different gangs and the staff had to settle many arguments and teach them manners and a respectful way to behave with other people. Only a few weeks later the children weren´t recognizable anymore: every morning they came clean, with washed clothes and a big smile on their faces. |
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Now the time had come that actual teaching could begin. We started to look for teachers and soon we found a retired teacher who taught, together with volunteers, our students every morning for two hours. Practical teachers were found quickly as well.
15. November 2004 the school under the mango trees was opened for 22 children. 14 boys and 8 girls at the age of 12 to 21 years. |
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How did it go on? 2005 was an orientation year. We tried to find subjects we wanted to teach and a way to organize the school. Most children were illiterate and they came with very different backgrounds. After a while many of our first students didn´t come anymore because they couldn´t accept a life with rules and systems. They couldn´t start facing the future and they rather returned to their old life where they would live every day without facing the next. But as old students went, new students came. And 2006 we founded “Baobab School for Traditions and Traditional Arts” officially. Until 2008 the LANDESSTIFTUNG Baden-Württemberg in Germany paid for all running costs. And many private persons started to donate for Baobab. And end of 2006 we could extent our organic farm. Now our own farm can produce vegetables for the school meals. Vegetables, especially mushrooms, and the results of practical teaching are being sold at the Baobab House in Cape Coast. |
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2011 the school will be registered with NVTI and our students are going through an NVTI examination. We have started to include in our school the physically challenged youth.
The students will be creative and versatile. They will be able to read We hope that our students learn to bear responsibility for their doings and pass on their knowledge to their surroundings. We wish that they can live a proud and independent life.
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