On the 14th October Ascension Trust (AT) from the United Kingdom arrived in Ghana for their annual visit to Ghana and the second consecutive to the non-denominational Christian village of Breman Fawomanyo. This second visit was with a higher number of volunteers as well as professionals to bless and serve our people. In the team were medical Doctors, Senior Nurses, Pastors, Educationists and other professionals who travel around the world to preach the gospel of Christ through service, hospitality and to lead people to Christ. The team leader was Rev. Les Isaac, a passionate and anointed servant of God. The lead organizer for the group was Minister Christine Bongo.
The team paid a courtesy call on Nana Kwadwo Tanno II at his residence in Accra ont he day of travel from Accra to Breman Fawomanyo. The purpose was to greet him and share the purpose of their visit to his community. Nana knowing about their visit also made arrangements to go with the team and offer the necessary support while serving the people. Nana’s team therefore joined with the AT team for the trip. In Breman Essiam Nana Tanno II led the AT team to pay a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief, Odeefo Afankwa III. Odeefo gave them a warm welcome and commended the team for their love, time and resource expended for such a noble course.
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- AT team takes an All-ladies picture with Nana Kwadwo Tanno II
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- The AT team pays a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief, Odeefo Afankwa III
Though exhausted, the team proceeded to take a reconnaissance visit to the village before retiring for the day. At the village, the Ascension Trust team together with Nana Kwadwo Tanno II met the elders in the village to brief them about the purpose of the visit by the Ascension Trust. The elders pledged their full support to the team for a successful mission.
The AT team meets a farmer on the arrival day who hunted this python from his farm
The schedule for the outreach is as follows:
TUESDAY 15TH OCTOBER
- Arrival in Breman Essiam
- Courtesy call on Paramount Chief Odeefo Afankwa III
- Welcome by Nana Kwadwo Tanno II with Village Elders and Familiarization tour of Breman Fawomanyo
WEDNESDAY 16TH OCTOBER
- Meetings with District Health Directorate – Essiam
- Meeting with District Education Directorate – Ajumako
- Opening of Programme – School and Community
- Health Screening for various medical issues
- Breast Screening Awareness
- Blood Pressure checks
- Physical Therapy
- Antenatal Checks
- Distribution of Medications
- Engagement with the Basic School
- Engagement with Staff
- Engagement with pupils (Classrooms and Games)
- Non-Denominational Evening Crusade and Service
THURSDAY 17TH OCTOBER
- Health Screening
- Engagement with the School
- Non-Denominational Evening Crusade and Service
FRIDAY 18TH OCTOBER
- Health Screening
- Engagement with the School
- Donations
- Non-Denominational Evening Crusade and Service
Each day started with a devotion by the joint team before they set forth into the community. The devotion times were very revealing the spiritual as that prepared the team to give their best and pour their lives to serve the people. The team on arrival breaks into the various groups; Educational, Health, Counselling and the physiological and mental development team. The team takes a late afternoon break and returns for an evening crusade which have been impacting.
Before the commencement of the programme on the first day, Nana Kwadwo Tanno II assembled the entire community. He introduced the team to the community and informed them about the purpose of their visit, detailing the activities that would take place while the team was in the village. The team leader, Rev Les Isaac was given the opportunity to address the community and explain their mission and what God wants to do in their lives. Nana prayed for the team and community for a successful mission.
Nana introduce Ascension Trust to Community (Click to watch the video snippet)
Health Education, Screening and Counselling
The Health team consisted of Ps. Dr. Joan Myers, a recognised and experienced medical practitioner who has conducted several outreaches around Africa and the world, Dr. Chi-Chi Ekhator , a General practitioner with great passion to serve especially the vulnerable in society, midwife Marcia Ogunji and physiotherapist Sarah Williams who were all of tremendous blessing to the community. The Ascension Trust team was supported by the Ajumako District Health Directorate, who volunteered some nurses and medical assistants to support the team. The local team benefited from the international expertise while the Ascension Trust team also benefited from the local knowledge and handling of the indigenous people.
About half of the community visited the health team for various forms of health issues and were treated. The cases that was reported and treated include, but not limited to malaria, skin conditions, hypertension, gynaecological cases and optical issues. There were people who benefited from physiotherapy by one of the team members.
Nana Kwadwo Tanno II provided free medication for some of the conditions, including malaria and others. The medication was the excess from the Festival of Praise and Testimonies earlier in the year. All the medications that were used in both events were provided for by Amponsah Effah Pharmaceuticals. One of the medical team wrote a report and published it online. The link to her report is https://www.nursinginpractice.com/professional/my-mission-ghana-%E2%80%98-mother-was-filled-joy-healthy-heartbeat%E2%80%99.
After an individual of family has gone through their health treatment and or screening, they came to Rev. Les Isaac who interacted and prayed for them. This arrangement indeed blessed the community to give them a holistic health care.
Education and Development
The educational team made up of (Julaine Headman, Vida Heanh and Roshni Verghese) interacted with the District Education Directorate, the teachers in the community as well as the pupils. Brighter and Brighter, an NGO into technology training of school children, teaching coding among others, and partners to the River Island Village Foundation was in the district to meet with the District Educational Directorate. The Ascension Trust team visited the education directorate and also shared some insight with the heads. The founder of Brighter and Brighter Foundation, Rev. Benjamin Quansah, made a presentation on the use of technology through skills like coding training that greatly impact and revolutionise learning by the pupils in the district. Nana Kwadwo Tanno II was always part of these meeting both at the Assembly and the community anytime the team was going out.
In the village, the team met with the teachers and share their experiences with them. With the team comprising of retired and experienced educationists, the knowledge imparted was definitely going to improve the delivery of lessons and the overall development of the pupils.
The educational team also interacted with the pupils after a quiz competition was organised by the District Education Directorate. It gave the team an opportunity to appreciate the areas of need and how they can be of assistance in the near future. The Ascension Trust team made a donation of some educational items to the school.
Physiological and Mental Development Team
For a complete development of the pupils the AT team had among them a team that engaged them out of class on the field. The team was made up of Mary Bridget, Wayne Evans, Mahali Isaac and Christine Bongo. The pupils had the opportunity to play with the AT team including, young and old. They were introduced to new games. This part of the mission was to boost the physiological development, social interaction enhancement and learning through playing. Some of the games were hand ball among others. This action was well patronised as almost the entire school and some community people came to participate. It was particularly patronised also because there were some white British on that team which drew a lot of attention from the community. The AT team made a donation of all the items they used in their games and also new ones that the pupils will use for some time.
Non-Denominational Evening Crusade and Service
Rev, Benjamin Quansah leading souls unto Christ at one of the crusades
The crusades started generally slow on the first day and the AT team almost gave up that the people would not come out of their homes to participate. However after some prayers, worship and praises, some of which was led by minister Christine drew a lot of people from their homes to the school park where the programme was held. Both representatives from the AT team and Nana’s team preached and souls were saved into the kingdom. There were about 40 souls in all the days that gave thier lives to Christ.
Closing and Departure
On the last day of the visit, the team made a donation to the school. Nana Kwadwo Tanno II made the elders receive the items on behalf of the school. Nana prayed for the team and laid hands on the Team leader, declaring him an Ambassador for the community in the UK.
It was all joy and great ecstasy as the community came out in their numbers to express their appreciation with good will and some plantain, cassava and coconut for the AT team. Amidst hugs and thank you, the team departed for Cape Coast with a lot of waving from the community. They were hopeful that the AT team would visit in the coming year.
The remainder of the drugs were donated to the nearest health centre, located in Breman Essiam, where volunteers came to assist the AT medical team. They were very appreciative for gesture by Nana Tanno II and Amponsah Effah Phamaceuticals Company, who offered the drugs for the occasion.
Hey, the team is doing great. Keep it up
MO MO MO – WELLDONE
GOD BLESS YOU