Meeting Recap - Train/Retrain/Repeat

 We met yesterday at the PCG HQ in the OSU part of Accra located on the street Kukuhill Circle.

At the meeting were Teiko, Rev Amfo-Akonnor, Rev Asante, Regina, Rose, Michael, Chalmers, Rev Daniel Opong-Wereko, and Rev Samuel Nyampong.  Rev Nyampong attend Clean Water U over 10 years ago and is a big supporter as well as engaged in what LWW is doing in Ghana.  Rev Nyampong was clerk of the PCG for many years, as well.  Rev Opong-Wereko was Director of Development and Social Services prior to Rev Asante.  I met Daniel on my first trip to Ghana.

Training

As we learned in 2019 at the LWW Operator’s Conference here in Ghana, training is at the top of the list for sustainability practices.  The sites are more effective than I would have believed in keeping the water rooms clean, organized and working along with making sure they water rooms have inventory of filters and common parts.  Again - every water room operator has a direct line to to Michael - how…because before Michael leaves the installation/build of the water room he writes his phone number on the wall with a big fat sharpie!

Health education and retraining of new administration persons are in need of a break through process change.  The good news is that Rose and Regina have settled into their role as In- Country Educators (ICE).  This is a role we identified in 2019 as important and during the pandemic the Ghanaian team worked on getting this role staffed with the two best people around.  This week of (re)training sessions really demonstrated the power of the education and uses for the treated water.

We identified two strategies that the Ghanaian team is going to work on: 1) a productive format for conferences going forward - such as maybe an operator & educator conference and then an admin conference with locations like Presbyterian Women’s Center (Abokobi), Ramser Training Center (Abitifi), College of Education (Akropong), etc.  This would make the meetings smaller, but more accessible with higher participation. 2) It’s time for Regina, Rose, & Michael to find/train other Reginas, Roses, and Michaels (***see post on Michael and malaria).

The Ghanaian team is going to step back and see what is possible to move training to the top of the sustainability pyramid and keep it there.