Celebration

We had the celebration this morning and before I get into telling about it, I want to point out a couple of things:

• no matter what someone says about the start time being 9:00 a.m., the start time is when the chief of Kwahu Praso shows up - which would be more like 9:30;
• “short statement” on the agenda really means about 10 minutes per speaker and there were 6 with comments from the moderator of the celebration.  We concluded at like 11:15 a.m.

The celebration was fabulous.  It was attended by the chief of Kwahu Praso, Nana Kwahu Praso Hene, the chief’s mother, and multiple elders from Kwahu Praso.  The IMC (Independent Management Council made up of village elders) attended, along with all the participants in the installation.  The Chairperson for the Asante Akeem Presby, Rev Dr. Anokye Nkansah along with Rev Alex Kesse, GM of the district hospital in Agogo were present.  The celebration also included about 50 children from the Presby and Gov’t grade schools.

In a previous blog post I wrote about the children that attended the 102 health & hygiene session on Wednesday.  Turned out that the 102 had a full room and a lot of fun learning and sharing health & hygiene information.  The children left Wednesday with the home work to teach all their classmates the songs from the education session.  So when we starting arriving this morning to the celebration area, the children were singing all the songs they learned and then taught their classmates.

The short version of the celebration is that everyone gave thanks for the new water treatment system.  Probably the two points in all the addresses that stuck with me were:

• Mr. Kesse informing everyone in his statements that the clinic in Kwahu Praso sees 4,500 patients a quarter;
• The chief telling every one that health and water is a big concern because the water that is being delivered and sold in Kwahu Praso is tainted or has problems and his people are getting sick....yes there was a translator as the chief spoke in the native language of Kwahu Praso.

As the celebration went on more people from Kwahu Praso and the surrounding area showed up - the chief invited a bunch of people!

As the celebration ceremony lengthened in time, the crowd grew.  I suspect that by the end of the celebration and dedication of the water room, there were over 200 people gathered.

I think it’s a big positive that not only is the PCG behind this water treatment system and education at Kwahu Praso, but so is the chief, his elders, the district hospital and the IMC.

I think it’s worth saying that those in attendance today were not all Christians.  There were Muslims, Christians, non-believers and others.  The IMC is made up of the demographics of Kwahu Praso - so Muslims, Christians, non-believers, etc.

So we leave Kwahu Praso and make the 3 hour journey back to Accra.  I think this system is in good hands.  Hands and hearts that understand need in the community and what pure water could mean toward the need.