WEDG is Canterbury's development education centre and the local On-the-Line project provided ten schools with ideas and resources including a box of Ghanaian artefacts.
This contained a variety of items reflecting traditional and modern life in Ghana. WEDG ran a staff development day called 'Global Citizenship - Ghana Connections', mounted the 'Sankofa' exhibition, open to the public, with jewellery, textiles, games, musical instruments, sculptures and household items, and arranged residencies for a Ghanaian musician.
WEDG is one of forty-five local development education centres in the UK which can help support schools in their work in geography, global citizenship and other subject areas.
For a complete list of local development education centre contact details see the Development Education Association website at www.dea.org.uk
Ann Foat, a teacher from Clarendon House Grammar School, Ramsgate, reports on her involvement in this nationwide project. We have been On-the-Line during the year 2000 and are looking forward to staying there in 2001. The Junior Geography Club turned our thoughts towards chocolate and West Africa when they took part in the 'Give it up for Ghana' with Oxfam. We thoroughly enjoyed our activities, gave up things ranging from television, to talking, to sweets and discovered Divine, the fair trade chocolate.
A package was put together for the school in Ghana. All pupils in Year 8 wrote letters to the Ghanaian pupils and the Junior Geography Club prepared material about the school and the area. Some requests for data involving topics ranging from climate to food and family size were prepared. A large pack was sent to Ghana and after a long wait a package of letters came back. These have been eagerly read and those lucky enough to have an individual reply are hoping to gain a pen-friend. We have needed a lot of patience but so far it has been worthwhile. The English department staff have read some African literature and are preparing to use some in the curriculum next year. The music department is planning some African music next year. The Year 7, in a maths lesson, compared Ghanaian food prices with British ones gained from the internet. We are hoping to use some Ghanaian recipes in the future.
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