“As you grow older, you’ll realise you have two hands – one for helping yourself,  the other for helping others.”

                                      – Audrey Hepburn

 

At EduSpots, we never miss a chance to celebrate the amazing people that make up our network – our volunteers. This celebration is not because we want to make noise and be known, but because we understand that without them, we’d be nothing.

Gentle readers, this author is pleased to share that this month’s conversation is with volunteers who are advancing their Spots with dedication, perseverance, stoicism and grit.  Here’s a recount of our interview with Ibrahim Adam from Savelugu Spot in the Northern region of Ghana and John Bosco Galley from Metsrikasa/ Atsata Bame Spot in the Volta region of Ghana.

Grab your seats because we’re about to spill the tea.

Welcome Ibrahim and John Bosco. Thank you for deciding to sit with us on this session.

I & JB: Thank you

1. Could you  kindly tell us your full names?

JB: My official name is Galley John Bosco.

I: and I’m Adam Ibrahim

2. Tell us a little about your background. How did you grow up. What was your experience with education?

JB: I was born on January 21st, 1994 to Mr. Galley Michael and Miss Kwami Mabel. I was born into a family of four (2 boys and 2 girls) and I happened to be the second child. My father is from Weta in the Ketu-North Municipality and my mother is from Tokokoe in the Ho municipality. So I will say I am half an Anlo and half Ewedome. I grew up in Tokokoe where I started my basic education and later moved to Lolobi -Kumasi in the Oti region to continue my basic education. I again moved to Ziope to continue my primary 5 to JHS education. After my JHS education, I gained admissions into Awudome Senior High School (AWUSCO) in 2010. I was a dining hall prefect when I was at AWUSCO. I completed senior high school in 2013 and gained admissions into Peki Government College (Govco) in 2014 and completed in 2017. I later became a professional teacher and was posted to Akatsi North District and Atsata Bame D.A Basic School to be precise. I attended different basic schools because I grew up with my aunt who was a teacher. I also occupied different leadership positions from primary school to college. Just to mention a few,
I was once a compound overseer, dining hall prefect, NCCE group research coordinator, hall project officer, organiser to a religious group among others. I like to occupy leadership positions to serve because I believe in things being done the right way.

I: Well, for me, growing up my parents had no intentions of sending me to school.  Their mindset was to only give me an Arabic education but luckily for me, the school I attended was an E/A school that’s Arabic and English school and so I used to dodge to attend school classes until I completed the Quran after which I was given  the opportunity to go to school. From there I left to join a Roman Catholic school from my primary to junior high school.

3. What do you do?

I :I read B.Ed. Basic education at University of Education, Winneba and had my National service at the school mentioned above and currently I’m a volunteer teacher at the school

JB: I am a professional teacher.

4. How did you hear about EduSpots and what inspired you to join/collaborate with EduSpots?

JB: Mr. Abdul Rauf Mohammed was my first point of contact with EduSpots. I chanced on him when I saw and witnessed how instrumental he was in trying to impact knowledge by opening the Spot at Metsrikasa. I discussed with him the first challenge I met when I was posted to my school which was lack of reading materials. He told me about EduSpots. He later sent me a volunteer link and I signed up. I later sent series of emails to Miss Cat expressing my desires in having a Spot in my community. I was only presented with the option to become a volunteer at Metsrikasa since they (EduSpots) were not opening new Spots at the time. I have been volunteering at Metsrikasa since 2019. I applied for a Spot to be located in my community when the organization opened its doors for new Spots last year. My Spot was shortlisted and an interview was later conducted and I was later informed that Atata Bame was privileged to have been chosen as a Spot under probation. At the time I was volunteering at Metsrikasa Spot, so I discussed how beneficial the Spot operations were with some of my colleagues at work. I had this discussion with colleagues who shared a common goal with me in getting things done. I sold the idea to Mr Ahondo Cephas, Miss Edna Agbelengor, Mr. Ameshi, Godwin Sedudzi Kwabla, Mr Gabriel Katabo, and Mr Elikem Letsah ( a former student) who have signed on as volunteers. I am currently working with a relatively small size of volunteers because I want our good deeds to motivate others to join after they realize the impacts we are making.

I: I heard about EduSpots from Nimatu Abdul Rahman. While undertaking my national service at the school, I used to see her occasionally and I was interested in the kind of activities she came to do. She eventually approached me and introduced me to EduSpots.

5. Was it your dream to be in education? Or something else led to it?

I: When I joined the Roman Catholic school, it took me only one term to become the class monitor/ class rep or class secretary and this was through appointment from our class teacher. I considered it a welcome blessing to me  because from primary 3 to 5, I was the monitor until I got to primary 6 and became the Senior Prefect at the same time the class monitor. Then from primary 6 the role of class monitor continued and most of the teachers used to give me notes to copy on board for my colleagues to copy so our integrated science teacher fell for my writings on the board and advised me to read education since he saw me to be a natural teacher. This is where my educational dream started.

Interviewer – That’s interesting. What of you John?

JB: I would say, yes ,because right after SHS, I had the chance to join nurses training college. I bought both forms; college of education and nurses training college. I must admit that I was forced to buy the NTC form so I decided
to proceed to College of Education when I was left between the two options. I derive my motivation from my basic school teachers. I admired from childhood how teachers operate therefore I took teachers as my role models. Frankly speaking, teaching job must be pursued based on passion not the incentives.

6. What do you do when you are free?

JB: Aside doing anything relating to books, I am an active sportsman. I play football and volleyball. I serve as  captained Metsrikasa Soccer Readers to place third in the just-ended Akatsi North Division 3 Football League. I am the Sports Secretary in my school, interim executive member to Akatsi North Football Association, Media officer to Diligent Sporting Club, a division 2 football team and head coach to Metsrikasa Soccer Babies Football Club ( under 17 football team). I really love football.

I: I like sports a lot especially playing football or volleyball and so most the time I spent my free time watching or playing of any of these games.

Interviewer – It’s safe to say you two are football fanatics.

7. Describe yourself in three words

JB: Versatile, humble and unique.

I: Free, fair but firm in the discharge of my duties because I hate defeat.

8.What’s your philosophy of life?

JB: Everybody can be a game changer. Use what you have to cause positive changes around you.

I: To always put smile’s on peoples or to be a role model to others.

9. What drives/ motivates you?

I: Determination and hard work

JB: I’m motivated by the desire to be an agent of positive change.

10.Mention one fun fact about you

JB: I tell people facts that they need to know but do not want to hear in plain language.

I: I’m unpredictable

11. What are your future aspirations?

JB: I will continue to work within the educational space and will like to open a Spot within every community
I will be posted to. I believe in leaving a mark behind.

I:To be successful in life so that I can give back to society.

12. Give a general overview of your Spot and the activities you do.

JB: Initially I thought EduSpots was all about building libraries. My experience with EduSpots has taught me that I can even operate EduSpots activities in my bedroom; leading change. We are currently operating as a Spot under probation but we have all the strands running in my spot. We have all the clubs functioning very well. I believe once we are acknowledged as a fully operational Spot, we will become the talk of EduSpots.

I: Here at BECL (Savelugu spot) we made it a point that nothing is impossible and learning is our primary focus hence the activities we do are as follows; EcoSTEM takes place every Friday night at 8:00 pm to 10:30pm and Sunday mornings after church that’s 11: 00am to 2:00pm. Ignite girls club meets every Saturday mornings at 10: 30 am to 2:00 pm and Sunday afternoon at 12:00pm to 2:30pm. As you can see that there is a clash of sessions and so we sometimes used the school ICT lab or even sit outside the library. EduKidz sessions take place every Saturday morning at 8:30am to 10:30am and Sundays 2:30pm to 4:30pm and Edulit sessions every evening .

13. What do you love about your Spot?

JB: The greatest love I have for my Spot is for the volunteers. They are hardworking and committed.

I: Everyone is ready to work or determined to make a positive impact towards our collective future dream.

There you have it folks! All too soon the session has come to an end. Ibrahim and John Bosco, your dedication to service I must say is admirable. It is great to know the minds of the next generation of leaders are being shaped by you both. Thank you for extending helping hands to the children in your Spot. Keep up the good work!

 

Pictures of Ibrahim (right) and John Bosco (left) at the National Project Leaders Conference held in December 2022

 

Special Thanks (Volunteers of the month of June, UK)

We express our most profound gratitude to Anna Tarasheva and Delaney Kim, our volunteers of the month of June (UK) who have been supporting the Edulit programme for the past few years in the areas of design work for literacy resources, fundraising and the publication of the EduSpots Kwame’s Adventure series. Although they couldn’t make it for this interview, we appreciate them and wish them all the best in their endeavours.

Anna and Delaney, we are proud our your contributions to EduSpots! Thank you for your investments.