Afrikids, an NGO based in the Northern Regions of Ghana, has recently launched their ‘Foundation for Life’ project in the Upper West Region with their local implementing partners. As this project replicates the Fast – track Transformational Teacher Training (FTTT) programme that Sabre has helped to develop in the Central and Western Regions, our Western Region team was thrilled to recently host a delegation of representatives from Afrikids and their partners Tumu College of Education and the Ghana Education Service district offices of Sisala East and Sisala West.

The delegates were able to see how the FTTT programme is functioning on the ground by visiting kindergarten classrooms, Holy Child College of Education and the Shama District Education Office. They observed children, teachers and head teachers in action and, as Top Up Training on storytelling coincided with their visit, they were also able to observe a training workshop.

The Afrikids team had plenty of opportunities to talk with children, teachers, student teachers, teaching assistants, head teachers, circuit supervisors and other Ghana Education Service officers (including Mr Charles Ngumah, Shama District Director of Education) during their visit. They were thrilled to be able to interact with representatives of almost all of the project’s key stakeholder groups.

These interactions, as well as presentations delivered by the Sabre team, enabled the delegates to gain insight into the varied aspects of the programme and what their roles in the ‘Foundation for Life’ project are likely to involve. They were also able to start reflecting upon the ways in which their project might differ from the Central and Western Region projects, taking into account different circumstances on the ground in the Upper West Region.

Since the visit, Afrikids, in consultation with their partners, has been working on their action plan for the coming months and years. The immediate next steps include selecting trainers and schools and conducting a baseline survey. After that, training will start and that’s where Sabre Trust will come in again to support Afrikids. We wish Afrikids and their partners well in their current preparatory phase prior to the start of implementation in September 2016.

To find out more about Afrikids, please visit their website http://www.afrikids.org/