Since world vision programs and activities in these communities were started long ago and is on-going, my contribution for the time was to join the program managers in supervising the project already in progress.
Most of our visitations to these communities were in connection with a project which was critically to the development of the communities. The project was the community disaster preparedness plan (CDPP). The program was structured to educate and make the community people aware of how they can prevent and control disasters in their own way. It was a requirement for every community world vision operates in to have the plan.
The program itself was started by gathering information based on an instrument outlined by world vision and a nine-member committee to provide a detailed analysis and accurate information.
Another activity was the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership project [CCPP]. With this, Cadbury as their social responsibility wants to help cocoa production communities because of the cocoa beans they provide them for their various cocoa products. Cadbury partnered World Vision to get some information from the farmers themselves to help in this project.
Other activities I did for the service was visitations to some sponsored children in these communities where we delivered parcels to some children from their sponsors and all other duties and assignments coupled with it. There was also a celebration on the African Union day of the child where about five communities came together to celebrate. Various activities were done on the day. It was a successful program.
2. HOW MY WORK HELPED THE COMMUNITIES.
As it was stated earlier, World Vision Activities and programs have long term effects on the development of the communities. Therefore my contribution in the service at the time is included in the total achievement of World Visions goals as far as those activities I took part in are concerned. I never worked in isolation for these communities. It is a fact that World Vision activities are satisfactory and praiseworthy. The work was to serve the neediest people of the earth; to relieve their suffering and to promote the transformation of their condition of life. The people in these communities even attested to this on the day of the African Union celebration that World Vision has brought transformational development to the area. I must say that I am very proud to have worked with them.
3. WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The concept of sustainable development simply means societies depending more on themselves where as development is maintained for a long time. A sustained community is one which looks more within themselves than relying on outside. By sustainable development, world vision tries to train the people in the community, educate and orient them on various means of developing their communities from within. This comes in forms such as checking erosion, planting trees and putting all other measures in place to reduce the occurrence of disasters. Child participation is also encouraged. All these help the Communities to provide the resourced persons they will need themselves to improve upon their condition of living. This experience especially has taught me it is possible for an institution or group of persons to be responsive to life-threatening emergencies where their involvement is needed appropriate for the development of others. Even deep-seated and often complex economic and social deprivation can call for sustainable development. This is exactly what I have experienced in this community service with World Vision.
4. WHAT I HAVE LEARNTT ABOUT LIFE FROM THIS EXPERIENCE
I have learnt that in life I must grab every opportunity to offer the best that I can to whoever will need my service. No two persons are equal. That is, some are in a better position to help and serve the less privileged ones. Life in itself is a gift, opportunity and a challenge. We must be grateful for the gift of life and live as if that is all there is for us. We must also make the most of every opportunity that comes our way, and the challenge is to use what we have to support those who need it most. It has given me the passion to also offer myself for service to others and to use my resources to help others too.
5. HOW I SHARE A STORY ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE.
To me the community service experience will remain one of the memorable events of my life. It was a great time getting close to the people in the community, knowing their needs and providing something beneficial to these deprived communities. On one occasion, we got stacked in the middle of a bad road and spent over an hour trying to give the vehicle a push while it was heavily raining. The experience has opened my eyes to certain realities in life I couldn’t have known without this experience. It is a great learning process for me having interactions with them. They convinced themselves that they have people who are conscious of their oppression and depravity. I believe the relationship between world vision and the communities is a friendly and harmonious one. For me personally, it is a realization of an ambition. I have the passion for that service and I am glad I took part in it. I was satisfied and fulfilled within myself to have taken part in World Vision’s activities for this short period. I cannot think of a better satisfaction and fulfillment than to be used as a means of providing what humanity needs. The satisfaction is most important.
I would like to first commend World Vision International, their support offices and all their local offices in Ghana as well as those offices in other African countries. From the overflowing abundance of the love of God they find their call to ministry. They desire Jesus Christ to be central in their individual and corporate life. I have no doubt that they are really serving humankind. They seek to facilitate an engagement between the poor and affluent that opens both to transformation. I like any activity that provides equal opportunity to all. I believe no work gives so much satisfaction to recipients than to provide their basic needs and that is exactly what World vision does. It’s a true humanitarian venture they are undertaking. They are true to their core values and whatever they are doing reflects their core values. The core values define their character they are indeed the vision of the world which hopes to create a better environment for children and people to live in. By providing the best they can offer to their focus group, they do so for the society at large. I admire their commitment and the passion they have for their work.
To this far, I think World Vision has its objectives and goals to achieve. It seeks to achieve stated goals within a stipulated time frame. I’m confident and glad to say they are on the right direction. For me to say what World Vision could do to improve its work, I would rather just say there is more room for improvement as according to their stated goals and objectives for providing what people need. They know what they started, where they are heading toward and how to get there. All Nations should be proud to be partners in their work and achievements. I am hopeful that their aims will be achieved.
APPRECIATION
My first thanks to All Nations Education Program for making this participation in community service possible. I am grateful to all members of this foundation and their sponsors in the programs and activities they are pursuing.
I also appreciate the effort by World Vision Ghana for their consent and agreement to this service with them, and especially to the manager and staff of MWE/ADP for the reception they gave us and cooperation whiles we were with them during the service. We will grab every opportunity to work with them again whenever necessary. Thanks to all who have contributed directly or otherwise to the success of this arrangement. May they all look forward to a better reward from God who has called them to service to humanity.
