2010 One Big Thing

This morning I awakened with the thought......"more likely to do a million small things than one big thing." Is this a challenge? It is. So this year I will start one big thing...Oh, my big mouth!!!

Happy New Year!

2010, To God be the glory. Last year saw me at two great conferences, one in Barcelona and the other in Ghana where I presented on Oral literature with short performances. In both places, I got to meet interesting people whose work I intend to follow. I spent several months editing my YA novel, sheduled for publication this year. My hope is to see this released in the first quarter or third of this year. No wonder I am looking forward to this year and this decade.

There are other projects which I hope will sprout up...a medical mission? And I'm hoping to put on a show or may be, two with new stories I have developed for oral telling. In the back of my mind is the furtherance of the work began at the Kibi Elememtary School two years ago and featured on this blog. Here in Guelph, I look forward to the work of the two committees I serve on.
2009 introduced me to the phenomenon of facebook and reconnection with my childhood friends and associates.

2010...Promises to bring my past to catch up with my present for a future of Vision, Mission, Heart, Family, Capacity, Opportunity, and the confluence of my worlds.
Don't be surprised to see posts from the past and the present, from this continent and another, from one sphere of life and another.

DANCING FOR BOOKS

I remember this day at Centennial CVI when I taught an African dance workshop for a donation of books for the Kyebi school library. Here are the students who exchanged books for a dance class. Centennial was my son's high school.

The Story of the Books

My dad, Professor K. Twum-Barima died in November 1998. He was a thoughtful man, an avid reader and a supporter of education for all. During his career, he developed to a large extent the undergrad. program of the KNUST Faculty of Agriculture, when the university first opened. He also assisted in developing educational programs in other West African countries. He was a member of the board of UNESCO for several years. He also donated substantially to the building of a dormitory for the Abuakwa State College with his friend, the late, Mr. Duah-Sakyi.

Giving his love for learning and his great interest and passion for Kyebi, Akyem-Abuakwa, Ghana, I wondered in what small way to remember him. I knew he wasn't one for funerals and sit-downs and great laments and so I thought a modest project like this one would just about do it. The problem was that while I have raised money for projects at home and overseas before, I hadn't done a hands-on project across seas. This was to be my first try.

The first part of the challenge was in Guelph, organizing myself and the project. Finding and selecting books and shipping the books. The second part of the project was in Kibi, involving my family and people I didn't know and hundreds of school kids. Well it was not a breeze but many people helped and the project is well on its way. You can read the various posts to see what happened.

Support for the Kibi Book Project....

Many people contributed to the Kyebi/Kibi school library project by donating in books, cash and time. To name a few: my Afroculture students, a highschool class, friends and friends of friends, Naresh Thevathasan, River of Life International Church and the staff at the Guelph Public Library. My friend Maureen Madill was chief supporter from the beginning, and to her, I owe much thanks, particularly because she believes in me.

Fule and the Books

I get all these ideas, and the Kyebi school library is one of them. But hardly anything happens unless I have Fule's support. Here he is, taping boxes shut and preparing to drive them to Toronto, to the shipper.

Adwoa and the Books...

This is the back of our trusty blue Dodge Grandcaravan packed with books for Kyebi or Kibi, Ghana, a project began earlier in the spring of 2008. On this day the books are travelling to Toronto to be sent by sea to Ghana.

Is there life beyond Coca Cola?

At the end of the afternoon celebrating the students, the birth of a library and my Dad, my sister Ama and my nephew Duke sit side by side preparing to eat a late lunch pushed down with a bottle of coke.

A little something to eat before we leave...

Everyone else is having lunch too.

Jimmy Twum-Barima

The younger ones of our next generation came to celebrate a great grand dad.

The top half of our next generation...

The grandchildren of the Prof, my nieces who worked hard to serve almost 400 students.

Going Home

God be with you till we meet again....

"Nyame ne wo nantew kosi se ye be hyia bio."

"Kwaheri, kwaheri mpenzi kwaheri."

The generations

Many Handshakes

It is always about the present and the future. Sankofa says, it doesn't hurt to reach into the past to impact the future.

Family and community

All in a day's work! Mr Sintim replies graciously to our speech and pre-donation.

Applause!

Who will despise the day of small beginnings?

The Handshake seals the deal

Delivering a speech in honour of the late K. Twum-Barima, and on behalf of his wife and children and grandchildren, the Guelph friends of Adwoa Badoe and the staff of the Guelph Public Library, all on one handshake.

Have a look at Jazlyn J!

So I opened the suitcases and showed him the books. The one in my hand is a Jazlyn J book, donated by the author, Renna Bruce, no less!

The Pre-Donation

The thirty or so boxes of books were still on the high seas but I had travelled with two suitcases chock-packed with books, This was the pre-donation until the ship came in to dock.

The big kids are singing, too...

Big kids make neater lines.