We are proud to announce Dadwen Spot as the February Spot of the Month! In an interview held by Kofi Antwi, Peer Mentor for the Catalyst Leadership Programme and Bonomanso Spot Lead, the Dadwen team have shared with us what this accomplishment means to them, offering retrospective insight into their successes over the course of the month.
Dadwen Spot joined the EduSpots network in 2024. During the interview, Daniel Manso, Spot Lead, shares that Dadwen is a farming community that predominantly harvests rubber, located in the Nzema East Municipal, Western region, Ghana. The team were inspired to create new teaching opportunities for young learners to help boost performance in literacy and reading subjects during the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). With collaboration from members both within and outside of Dadwen, the Catalysts formed a school-based Spot, working hard to create solid ties with the local community along the way.
After establishing the Spot, the Catalysts have seen a significant increase in the confidence levels of learners, “Sparks.” By observing the needs of learners from their own community, these Catalysts were able to create a real impact through a collaborative and playful learning environment.
Dadwen is run by five hard-working Catalysts who help keep the Spot doors open both during and after school hours. As the Spot was originally established with a focus on improving learners’ literacy skills, it is unsurprising that one of its key Strands is DigiLit. This has been extremely successful and well-received, with parents providing positive feedback on the improved performance that they can see within the Sparks. Alongside this, with the help of Monica, the EduKidz Strand Lead, Dadwen has also been able to successfully run the EduKidz Strand to further focus on early childhood literacy. These Strands are overseen by the Spot team, consisting of Catalysts and school management. This team works together to host regular committee meetings. As a result, the Sparks engage in a variety of activities, including role play, dance and poetry, on top of completing the challenges sent out to the entire network each month.
As part of the February Spot Lead challenge, the team successfully reached out to stakeholders and the community, managing to secure over 50 pieces of furniture from the traditional council. This result reflects Dadwen’s dedication to establishing foundational relationships with the wider community and stakeholders. Their efforts were rewarded as they succeeded in being runners-up in the monthly challenge.
Daniel reveals that the secret to “win the heart of most stakeholders” is to openly share the successes of the Spot and allow the Sparks themselves to demonstrate the impact through videos and in-person programmes. This reflects the value of constantly observing the impact of your actions when instigating change, as this can be extremely encouraging and inspirational.
Describing Dadwen in one sentence, Monica responds: “Dadwen Spot is one in a million, we work as a team, and the stakeholders are always ready to assist us any time we need.” The huge growth of the Dadwen Spot within this community is truly inspirational, and the Catalysts’ transparency around the Spot’s impact reflects their true persistence and dedication to lead change within the community through education. The Dadwen team is an inspiration, striving to maintain the EduSpots values of collaboration and community engagement, “shaking the whole network with the amazing work at the Spot.”