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AFRICAN FOOTPRINT INTERNATIONAL
PROGRAMS WITHIN AFRICAN FOOTPRINT INTERNATIONAL

AFRICAN FOOTPRINT INTERNATIONAL
PROGRAMS WITHIN AFRICAN FOOTPRINT INTERNATIONAL

BACKGROUND
For a long time the world has been at a stage where its resources are unequally divided. The imbalance between the ones who have resources and those who do not have determines the possibilities and lives of all human beings in this world. For the well-off and advantaged, it means wealth and access to a wide range of possibilities, whereas it means to those with few or even no resources a life only watching possibilities without having access to them.

The gap between the financially strong and those who are financially weak is a comprehensive challenge of today’s world while at the same time; the world is facing other inequalities. Today’s world is left with thousands of people who are not acknowledged for who they are. Many disadvantaged people are never listened to, as there seems to be a tendency to focus on those who can stage themselves – an act that takes financial resources and therefore only few advantaged people are able to make it.

The world is, however, not only fighting the gap between rich and poor, but is at the same time confronted with other imbalances such as the gap between the disabled and able people. In most developing countries, the disabled people are suffering from a thorough categorisation from their surrounding societies. A categorisation that determines what is possible and what is not possible in the lives of the disabled. This mental structure has, therefore, doomed thousands of people who are already fighting poverty and poorer living conditions.

The imbalances of the world of today and the lack of basic acknowledgement of resources and talents of the physically challenged and thousands of lives is the basic and motivational factor for African Footprint International to start working. The basic and forcing idea behind the whole project is to reduce the gap between the privileged and less privileged people as well as the gap between the disabled and the able people. The idea is based on a simple but important understanding of the importance of acknowledgement of personal resources and talent. An understanding, which both works as the idea of the project and at the same time constitutes the approach and working methods for the project.

African Footprint International has the vision to bridge gaps between the privileged and the less privileged ones, the physically challenged and the able people. This need has inspired the organization to start different activities that will enable it realize its aims and objectives. These activities have been drawn from the basic dreams of the organization to assemble the less privileged and the physically challenged people and bring them up to the door-step of those privileged and the abled groups in the society.
The chosen disciplines include the following:

1. SEWING CENTRE
In order to ensure realistic achievement, African Footprint International has envisioned to create a platform where the gap between the privileged and the less privileged ones could be narrowed through the medium of learning a trade which the organization thinks is possible to raise hopes among the under privileged. The sewing Centre is now under construction in Pebi which shares limited facilities with the Footprint Child Development Centre. It is expected that in due time when resources are available and are also enough, the sewing centre shall have a separate block and facility to operate within.

Pebi is a village under Kuntu in the Saltpond District in the Central Region of Ghana. Even though Saltpond is one of the oldest and important towns since the Gold Coast epoch, as it is full of political and other historical profiles of Ghana, the community has been deserted. Nothing good can be written home about this town in terms of development, rendering its surrounding communities to absolute poverty. Communities under this district have, over the decades suffered potable water, electrification and motorable network.

African Footprint found this place to be under privileged. The situation in the Saltpond communities therefore, apparently, falls under our dream and vision to draw the less-privileged closer to the privileged and put life and smiles in them. Thus, this situation could be dealt with in such a way to draw inhabitants of these communities closer to their privileged counterparts through trade and self-building confidence. This idea aims at instilling confidence in the local people to enable them to see themselves as having the ability to sustain and to actively take part in developing their own communities; thus empowering the youth through education and other capacity building programmes; this has, therefore, warranted the organisation’s desire to start this project.

It is envisaged that stakeholders, committed individuals and students will be drawn from the various affected communities such as Kuntu, Ankaful, Hini and other neighboring communities for routine capacity building courses to equip them with requisite knowledge to further enlighten and enhance them on their ability to dealing with their environment and the challenges that confront them. It is also expected that the course will be arranged in such a way that students can start from a beginner’s point to the advanced level to allow others the opportunity to also enroll on.

2. CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
The aim of this project is to develop children through pedagogical way of learning and learning through structured play with the aim of developing their intelligence for the next academic stage. The children in this area have not before had the privilege to attend any kind of formal schooling. The project, therefore, is intended to prepare the children to be able to integrate with their fellow kids in the formal system. The vision of this project consists of the following: (i) to bridge the gap between the privileged and the less privileged ones through better educational foundation and
(ii) sustaining and developing the foundation for the coming generations to acquire the ability and the vision of bridging gaps.

The child development centre is already in progress with an enrolment of 40 children with 2 attendants. The project has room for volunteers and other benevolent organizations who may desire to lend a helping hand in any field of endeavour as there is always more to be done.

3. MUSIC & DANCE GROUP
The music and dance group in African Footprint International is a crucial department which tries to reach people to disseminate information in whatever we are doing. The organization has adopted traditional and contemporary African music and dance as a means of attracting and assembling people as music and dance forms an integral part of the traditional African societies. This segment is considered the hub of the organization as it holds and adds a lot of meaning to what we are doing.

The music and dance group consists of both deaf and hearing members. Membership is open to all-and-sundry irrespective of gender, race, age and status. The organization admits and trains interested local and foreign artistes as well as other individuals who wish to develop their artistic talents on drumming and dancing and other disciplines of the performing arts through our music academy in a professional procedure where students are graduated after going through a complete course. Most of these graduates eventually tend to become members of the Footprint Dance Ensemble which is one of the solid bases of African Footprint International.

This group travels abroad giving performances and showcasing what the organization has to offer the world. The group also develops members to become professional artistes and teachers, artistic directors and performers.

4. MUSIC ACADEMY
African Footprint Music Academy is designed to take care of people who are waiting for their turn to learn to become Musicians, music teachers and experience African traditional music, dance, history and drumming.

This music academy has the vision that any student who will study under this academy can develop the talent to become an African traditional music, dance and drumming teacher if they desire to be so. Thus after completion, they are expected to have acquired ample skills in directing, performing and teaching in both theoretical and practical aspects.

The academy opens its doors to both the physically challenged (with particular respect to the deaf) and hearing counterparts. The school admits both Ghanaians as well as foreigners. The aim of this school is also in accordance to bridging gaps between the physically challenged, able people, privileged and the less privileged members of the today’s fast growing contemporary society. It emphasizes the usage of the African traditional music, drumming and dance as a way to bridge cultural gaps and other related gaps within our global village.

The Footprint Music Academy just got started. We are in the process of registering members and students. This exercise started on 1^st March, 2008 and the first semester course will commence on 2^nd April, 2008.

5. SIGN LANGUAGE SCHOOL
The Sign Language school was initially organized for members of the organization but management later reviewed its decision and made it open to all-and-sundry in order to make room for all members of the community to interact with the deaf freely and easily. We also thought it was, perhaps, a good idea to make open to all so that individuals and the general public who may have the interest in learning the sign language to have free access since no relevant institutions are offering such opportunities to the public in Cape Coast. This is anticipated to make communication between the deaf and members of the society as well as between them and their parents easier and more cordial.

The Sign language class will be embedded in the music academy and most of our educated programs. Sign language is compulsory for every member of African Footprint International worldwide.

6. COMPUTER CLASS
The computer class is designed to take care of African Footprint members in the music and dance group. Most of the members who register for the music and dance have little or no knowledge in the use of computer. The world is gradually becoming a Global Village where the only key to it is the acquisition of information. And this can only be assessed and understood well when one is able to access information. Therefore, the need to abreast our members with the information technology to enable them reach far both locally and internationally.

The Computer class will be extended to all our club centers. It is also open to the community with the aim of bridging a gap that nobody has been thinking of in the areas of getting closer to globalization.

7. DEAF CLUBS
The Deaf Clubs will be formed in all deaf schools. This will enable Footprint to gain access to the hearing impaired by extending Footprints activities to them as a way of preparing them for life when they finish school. Activities like music, dance, drumming, computing and other educative programs will be the package for this club. It is also designed to send the message and hope that ‘’Disability is not Inability’’ and that until one learns, that’s when people will refer to them as disabled people.

The activities in the clubs will include computing, sign language, relevant educative programs, music, dance, drumming and environmental awareness. Footprint welcomes volunteers to work on this project.

8. HEARING SCHOOL CLUBS
The hearing clubs are designed to prepare the students through structured activities to enable them understand the vision, objectives, aims and purpose of Footprint. The clubs will be formed in different institutions, schools and organizations that may have the wish to start a branch. Already one club is formed and functioning. Members from African Footprint will be delegated to go and start the club. It is hoped that the clubs will be self sustaining and carry on their own operations and strategies through a board formed by students.

9. ENVIRONMENTAL CLUBS
The environmental clubs will be formed under all clubs that Footprint will start. Footprint will associate the environmental clubs to any environmental awareness bodies that are in operation already hoping this cooperation will strengthen Footprint to disseminate information concerning the environment through its activities.

CONCLUSION
The AFI program is described as activity based but the activities are more than just activities as they are a way to meet people where they are and then give them more than they expected. We are taking about the inbuilt general learning component, the AFI approach. All activities will involve a general learning component where the participants will discuss what we call life skills, which is for instance HIV&Aids information, how and why to organize people as NGOs Community Based Organizations CBO, leadership, situational leadership skills and others.

This also to prevent the young boys and girls from leaving their communities to seek for greener pastures in the bigger cities which will most often end in a life on the streets.

How many dancing groups use their time to sit down and discuss visions for the group and the developmental potential it has? Most groups only meet to dance. That is what is causing the difference.

The Growth and sustenance of AFI has been through the music and dance which has been able to bring different cultures to meet different types of people with different backgrounds including the physically challenged to inform and showcased to them what works in every situation, information dissemination and creating awareness. Therefore the setting of Music academy and the dancing group is expected to sustain the whole project African Footprint International, hoping that this department will also hold and bring the other departments to function to deliver.

Kweku Addison