Ghana: in Sunyani to celebrate 25 years of Salesians presence
Sunyani - Don Bosco smile is right on the right side of the gate just outside the town of Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region in Ghana. Surrounded by tropical trees a red strip leads the visitor to an amazing land characterized by a series of different sized buildings. Dormitories, classes, warehouses, bungalows, canteens, a church and in between, large pitch to practice sports and fields and greenhouses where tomatoes and other greener grow in an attempt to rich the best bio-product possible in this area. At the sound of the local drums people from the surroundings, dignitaries from Accra and Kumasi, local chiefs, and landowners, volunteers from Germany, Italy, Poland and Austria are greeted with plenty of "Akwabaa", the local word for "welcome". Today everybody gathered here to celebrate the 25 years of Salesian presence in Ghana. The Salesian Provinces of Germany and Austria founded the Mission in Ghana in 1992, but it was the year 1996 when, with the consent of the local chiefs, the Salesians settled in the rural area of Odumase, near Sunyani, where today we stand between youngsters dancing and giving their testimony as for past students. Here, with the help of an Italian Construction Manager, Stefano Ramella Pezza, the today vice-Consul of Italy in Kumasi and a successful entrepreneur in the field of construction building, the first signboard was posted after a road was cleared in the bush and the first brick put. Of the first five Salesians in Ghana, Michael Karikunnel from India, Michael Schmitz and Ivan Stojanovic from Croatia, are all standing here, attending the celebration together with the Bishop of Sunyani Diocese, Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the Italian Ambassador, Giovanni Favilli, the local chief who donated the land, Giampaolo Gullotta, Vis Regional Manager for West Africa, and volunteers from Italy, Austria and Germany.
"The moving stories of your former students made our trip from Accra meaningful. Here you can give people the reason to stay instead of looking outside to find greener pastures that never deliver what they promise" is what the Italian Ambassador says to the people attending the event. Construction of this community began with the first home for street boys, three bungalows and a vocational training center that consists of an office wing, a classroom wing, various workshops, the auditorium, the canteen and several sports venues. A hostel was built between 1999 and 2001 for girls who are in training but without families with whom they can board. Between 2003 and 2007 a boys' hostel consisting of various round huts was built on the school grounds. Besides the work with underprivileged kids, one of the first things the Salesians did in each village in which they worked in the area, was to dig a well to ensure clean drinking water, the second task undertaken was to construct a school. At present approximately 90% of all village children go to school. Upon request of the local people, the third task undertaken by the Salesians was to build chapels in some of the villages.
These chapels are also used as meeting halls for the villagers and as playrooms for the children during inclement weather. During the holidays, summer camps are organized for the children in Sunyani, Odumase, and Adentia. Volunteers come from Italy, Poland, Germany and other countries for several weeks to work with the Ghanaian youth. It was 1996 as well when the first Salesians arrived in Ashaiman, on the coast near Tema, 30 km far from the capital Accra. Initially, they lived in the house of St. Francis, which was made available to them by the Archbishop of Accra. They acquired a property on the road of Akosombo, where they built a Vocational Training Center. Career development courses in Bookeeping, Office Administration, Computer Technology, and Electronic are taught there. Then a Boys Hostel and a Sports Center and an auto workshop to train car mechanics were constructed. Over the last few years, a large Child Protection Center was constructed for needy children. This center houses kids who were picked up by the Police because they were trafficked or at risk either in their family situation or because they were living on the streets.
These children are cared for by Salesians as well as trained social workers. Most recently, in 2016 a new Don Bosco branch was established on the Northwestern border with Togo, Tatale. "Twenty-five years Don Bosco in Ghana means 25 years of support from Germany, England, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Croatia, Poland, Spain, and the USA. Without this support, the work we have done would not have been possible. Further support will be necessary for the future to help young people in Ghana on a sustainable basis" are the words of P. Michael Karikunnel the Provincial Superior Salesians of Don Bosco West Africa. "This is necessary so that the young people will want to live in a country which provides its youth with an education to which they themselves contribute and in which Ghana continues to develop into a politically and financially stable country", he concludes.