Akwaaba (Welcome) Charles,
I'm glad to see that someone besides myself grew up on SchoolHouse Rock. That jazzy cartoon guy with the trumpet was a part time band leader on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and he was seen in another tv show of his own. I can still recall the picture of a girl skating a figure 8 that turns into infinity (on its side), and the popular conjunction junction - what's your function?- train. They must have had a lot of fun putting that stuff together.

Thanks for your interest. We are looking at topics that are typical to the lives of the players, i.e:
Showing respect, (to themselves, other players, adults, family)
Not littering (there is so much litter as a result of the bag water, and other plastics, that most people use and throw on the ground, this is a problem all over Ghana, not only in the camp),
Malaria (How to clean up the environment to get rid of hiding places for mosquitos and help to keep them away, how to use nets. Malaria doesn't play! Some of the heartiest individuals are brought down by malaria, and they are often going to the hospital because of it, people of all ages. But the mosquito itself is not really taken as a serious threat, as it should be.),
Studying is fun (How they should study and make good grades, before playing),
These are a few of the ideas that we have agreed on.

There is a teacher who has a computer school called 1st Step, at the camp. He teaches current computer skills to all ages. He really loves teaching and especially, the younger guys, and he is also on board with what we are doing. I must admit, that I'm a bit shy about the reaching out for the financing part, but we are doing that, somehow. Meanwhile, others with video and editing skills are volunteering to help us. Some, will depend on financing some will not.

Akwaaba (Welcome) Charles,
I'm glad to see that someone besides myself grew up on SchoolHouse Rock. That jazzy cartoon guy with the trumpet was a part time band leader on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and he was seen in another tv show of his own. I can still recall the picture of a girl skating a figure 8 that turns into infinity (on its side), and the popular conjunction junction - what's your function?- train. They must have had a lot of fun putting that stuff together.

Thanks for your interest. We are looking at topics that are typical to the lives of the players, i.e:
Showing respect, (to themselves, other players, adults, family)
Not littering (there is so much litter as a result of the bag water, and other plastics, that most people use and throw on the ground, this is a problem all over Ghana, not only in the camp),
Malaria (How to clean up the environment to get rid of hiding places for mosquitos and help to keep them away, how to use nets. Malaria doesn't play! Some of the heartiest individuals are brought down by malaria, and they are often going to the hospital because of it, people of all ages. But the mosquito itself is not really taken as a serious threat, as it should be.),
Studying is fun (How they should study and make good grades, before playing),
These are a few of the ideas that we have agreed on.

There is a teacher who has a computer school called 1st Step, at the camp. He teaches current computer skills to all ages. He really loves teaching and especially, the younger guys, and he is also on board with what we are doing. I must admit, that I'm a bit shy about the reaching out for the financing part, but we are doing that, somehow. Meanwhile, others with video and editing skills are volunteering to help us. Some, will depend on financing some will not. lady a

Thanks Daniel,
The support is still coming on board, so yes, promising seems to be the correct description at this point. I've found that you have to have more than promises to get things to happen. So, we've been doing what we can to see that these promises will come to pass. We are just beginning to get involved with media partners, - we're still talking. We would love to meet you guys in Ghana as you pass thru to the South.

As far as the wake up call goes, I'm not so sure that many people are aware of just how many refugees and refugee camps that there are in the world, and what that condition brings about in individuals, in the landscape, in the morale and conscience of the individuals, both in and out of the camps. I was once told by a friend in the camp, that when people heard that the UN might be leaving, the next day, a landlord took the roof off of her neighbor's house, to force the neighbor to leave the house, so he could rent it to someone else. That Sunday, a few days later, I heard that the same thing happened to another man. Refugees have few rights, and that feeling of instability is always present. The host nation's residents are not always so hospitable, when nobody's looking, and this is when and where conflict often arises again and again, as a result. Refugees are often taken advantage of by people, like in the case of the orphans that were kidnapped to be sent to Europe. If people don't check this, we're going to have nations that have lost too many of their own indigenous people, people without homes in foreign lands, and unresolved dispersion and displacement of people. This doesn't lend itself very well to sustaining peace. The videos could show that these places do exist. On the positive, people can move on when we work together.
lady a

Hi Eli,
Nice to meet you. We are presently paying photographers to shoot the videos. We are looking to change that situation, as we move along. They shoot, and we process and edit the film. Its an evolving process, but for right now, it's what works. The guys had a game last week that they shot film of, and we're in the process of seeing how we can use it as a prototype for the video teaching tool. We're deciding the themes with the players and coaches, and enlisting them to use their own imagination to help to bring out the points that we feel are easiest to "see".

Distribution is another issue that is down the line.

The website that I can refer you to is a link.
It's http//www.bavehost.pcoh.com

This is the orphanage that the soccer team Future Stars originates from. They have a girl's kickball team also.

Thanks
lady a

Hi Ziba,
Yes, I have heard of the Refugee All-Stars, though I have not heard them personally. I have seen that they are doing well. I understand they have a documentary out, also. Thanks for the reference.

Right now, we are partnering with 2 main groups located at the camp.
One group helps in family counseling, and they have musical connections, and the other group is at www.pcoh.bravehost.com. They have a soccer team, and they work strongly within the community, as well. Things are coming together as we speak.

Thanks for the interest.

Marvita

Hi again, Andrew,

I just got off the phone with the liaison and events coordinator manager for CAN 2008. He told me to tell you to go ahead and give them a call or email.

Please refer to your email message that I sent you to the Spirit of Football website. That has all the contact information. They're pretty busy right now, but I'm sure that they will be willing to talk with you.

Please let me know how things go.

lady a

I can inquire beyond the young men that I know. They are a family, and that is the attractive quality. They are also leaders and teachers in their own ways, so they are already able to do different things.

Are you doing anything for The African Nations Cup. Even if it's an appearance of sorts.

to be determined. I was looking at the networks doing the distribution. Though I am open to any ideas.