Alberts Corner

The Peace of Christ at Hand in Hand
(28th December 2010)

Finally the moment has arrived! After months of preparations for the important Christmas play, after many practices of the choir with volunteers and caregivers, trying to learn the Christmas carols and after extensive deliberations about the Christmas programme the great moment is there:
Christmas 2010 has arrived!
All activities around Christmas, New Year's Eve and 1st January are without any doubt the climax height of the year for our Community, there are many very special happenings from 24th December on until 1st January. After 3 day of cleaning, clearing and decorating, at Christmas Eve the compound really looks marvellous. The whole PCC family is present, including Ineke and Bob in their new status of grandmother and grandfather of the Community and everyone is looking forward to all that is coming.

Traditionally at Christmas Eve the Frafra singers and dancers will visit us, they are people from a tribe in the North of Ghana with a special, very energetic and sparkling performance. Everyone is very enthusiastic, even though they came more than one hour late and all are in particular moved by the performance of their youngest dancer, a girl of about three years, the rhythm of Africa is deep inside her blood. At this night all residents of PCC will get their new festive clothes, to enable them to wear these with Christmas. During the past weeks skilled hands have made these clothes to size (more or less) for everyone. It all together looks very colourful and special. And then, only then it's really Christmas! In the afternoon of Christmas day Father Christmas is visiting us, this time it's Daniel (who has made a fast career here!), assisted by his big friend (or better: everyone's friend) Bright! There is great happiness with the presents Father Christmas brought for everyone (yes, even for our guests!) and it all becomes even more wonderful with some biscuits and a lollipop for all children and even a bottle of minerals! Waauww!
By the way, the goats, who were walking around near the kitchen in the morning, have also contributed in a very special way to the fun this evening, though not fully voluntarily ……….
That evening we also witness the world premiere of the PCC Choir and everyone enjoys the beautiful and pleasant performance.

All this however is just a prelude, the absolute climax will be the Christmas play of all children at the afternoon of Boxing day. Various friends and guests from Nkoranza town are invited, to enable them to be present at the unique performance of the Hand in Hand Christmas play, with the - not so surprising - title: "The birth of Jesus". The story of the play is well known, but let's be fair, is it not the same for the story of Christmas, told in all churches all over the world? And yet these churches are full up every year again with people, who apparently all like to hear and experience again and again the story of Peace and Hope for all Mankind. And so it is in our Community!
All residents of PCC are playing a role in the Christmas play and those children, who are having the role of sheep, have been practising for weeks to learn their very important text: "Bèèèè". That text is indeed well known and it sounds great and the audience is very pleased and enthusiastic!
It's about time now that I relief the tension of all loyal readers of this column. Definitely they like to know who was allowed to play to role of Baby Jesus in the Christmas play?!
Was it Kwame Ayim, may be Kwame Addai or was it again last year's star of the play, John Papa?? Well, the winner of this heavy competition is……………… John Papa!!
And he didn't disappoint us, his enthusiasm was again truly greatly and his glamorous performance showed a great Joy, a joy that really fits well into the Christmas atmosphere at PCC. The same applies to the wonderful performance of all children, e.g. for the sparkling Christmas star Philomena, for the Christmas angel with the beautiful smile Yaw Balloon, for the wise and happy King Herod Kojo Evans, for the affable smiling subchief Paa Yaw etc. etc.
Those who were present will agree with us: the Peace of Christ Community is carrying its name not in vain! During this Christmas play the Peace of Christ was almost visible and tangible, for the well-being of all men!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for everyone!

Show boy John Papa
(13th December 2010)

For John Papa these weeks are very tense. The Hand in Hand Christmas play comes closer and closer and no Christmas play without Jesus. Last year John Papa was allowed to have the role of Jesus and he performed with much liveliness and great enthusiasm in a wonderful interaction with all players and spectators. The more response he got from the audience, the more he enjoyed it all and the better he played, especially when he was carried around as baby Jesus. May be his performance was not in all aspects fully in accordance to the Bible (for example he did not lay down in the manger all the time), but it was definitely a very special experience.
Given his performance during Christmas 2009, John Papa stands a good chance of getting the role of baby Jesus again this year, but of course he is facing heavy competition of two other young residents. Both of them came this year to PCC: Kwame Ayim, with his splendid smile and Kwaku Jacob, with his pleasing facial expression. And don't forget Kwame Addai, who made a big hit already as baby Jesus during the Christmas play of 2008. The bets on who will win this heavy competition are already open.......! In this Corner you can read later on who became the winner!

John Papa is a lovely dynamic little chap, of whom nobody can imagine that parents would ever consider to abandon this boy and nevertheless that is what happened to him. When he was approximately 2 years old, he was left behind on the market of Koforidua. At the end of a market day he was sitting there and nobody knew who he was or where he came from. He came to Hand in Hand from Osu Childrens home in Accra in the beginning of 2009, so almost years 2 ago.
He has a very typical appearance, always his mouth a bit open and frequently with large, apparently easily frightened eyes. Ineke Bosman called this in 2009 a "be alert and flight" look. Nowadays his expression has become much more naughty, a sign of increased self-confidence and the flight element has fully disappeared!

John Papa in 2009	John Papa as baby Jezus	John Papa in 2010

For some time he once in a while had the inclination to bite others if he felt that it was necessary and because of this he is now carrying a firm rubber ring, which he can use for biting during an eventual aggressive moment without troubling others. But we are happy that by now his biting has strongly diminished and he is more and more positive, going his own way.
Until recently he was playing most of the time with Kwame Addai, his fellow from the same age group and a beautiful little chap as well. Since the arrival of Kwame Ayim and Kwaku Jacob in August 2010 we can now witness the playing together of these 4 young residents, all approximately around the same age and belief me, it is really great to see them growing up together.
John Papa unfortunately does not talk, but he produces his own stammering sound, in particular when he is somehow excited, for whatever reason. If so, then he will also move with his arms in the same, stammering rhythm. At such a moment he is either angry or just glad and excited. Often this is not fully clear, but for bystanders it is mainly a comical view. Sometimes he will run at full speed towards you and then push against you with both his hands (frequently still rather dirty after eating…). Undoubtedly this is a way of asking attention and…. it works!

Most of the time he is a very sweet boy, always happy with personal contact, he feels great for example when carried around in your arms,  then he will wave with his little arm, full of happiness and excitement. And by saying this we have returned to the beginning of this column, because in this way he gave a very personal interpretation to the role of baby Jesus during Christmas 2009.
It's possible that he might claim the role of baby Jesus this year, because he has been baptised in July 2010 and he behaved very well during that special church service. That day he was looking really beautiful, just see his picture with the golden hair ribbon!
John Papa, in fact I have no idea why they ever gave him Papa as a nickname. Josephine, his caregiver, often calls him a show boy and for sure, he is a show boy! Just look to his eyes, which are checking very well if he gets enough of your attention.
John Papa, once abandoned, nowadays an entrancing show boy in Hand in Hand, things can take a turn!

Kwame Evans
(1st December)

In this column the spotlight is on Kwame Evans, a very kind young adult who has been living in the Hand in Hand Community for 3 years now. He is approximately 19 years old and he lives semi-independently in his own little house.
Kwame Evans (no relative of Kojo Evans) suffers from brain damage. He is partially paralysed on his left side, this has also affected his speech, which makes it difficult to understand him when he is speaking.
In contrast with nearly all other children, we know a little of Kwame Evans past. He is from Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo region, which is near the border with Ivory Coast. Coincidentally Jeannette and I lived in the past in that town for six years! Kwame is his mother's eleventh (!) child, his father passed away years ago.

Evans handles his disabilities very well, when he was very young he even attended primary school for a couple of years! When he was 16 his mother brought him to the sheltered workshop, where of course he was very welcome. Unfortunately, we have not seen his mother or other relatives since then. Apparently they confide in our good care and think Evans is well off in our hands.
Kwame Evans is a very friendly and thoughtful boy, his smile makes your heart melt and he is one of the best workers in the sheltered workshop. He does not only thread hip strings, but also necklaces, bracelets and key-ring pendants and more importantly he contributes to the good atmosphere in the bead hall!

Despite his disability Evans eagerly joins the football game each morning. It is a joy to see him run fanatically after the ball and cheer with each goal which is made.
He also loves looking after plants and flowers and he considers it his special task to take care of the plants and flowers in Ineke and Bob's garden. They will certainly enjoy the abundance of flowers around their house with Christmas.
Sometimes Evans goes to town to go to church, preferably a Roman Catholic church, where he can sing along because he knows the Roman Catholic mass by heart. It cannot be but his mother must have taken him to a Roman Catholic Church very often when he was young.

Some time ago Kwame was a little sad, because word got around that he had fallen in love with Bernice, which is not a surprise, really, because we also agree that Bernice is a dear girl. Some residents (except Bernice of course, because she likes Evans in return) teased him a little about this - like people do all over the world - and he obviously did not like that at all. This event is, however, an example of one of the problems that occur in our Community of aging children. In this we do not differ from other places where mentally disabled children with quite natural feelings are living together. Luckily we were able to console Evans soon and explain to him and Bernice that being in love in PCC can sometimes be a bit complicated.

Evans is a very sociable person and he is very kind to both younger and older children. He appears to be very capable of drumming with his right hand, that is why he is most happy to be part of Kofi Asare's Music Group. When he is busy drumming he really smiles from ear to ear!
What's more, he regularly surprises us by washing our car without being asked, he polishes the car for hours on end, until it is clean and shining brightly. Also then he shows a wonderful smile, as if he is saying: "Look, what I have been doing especially for you!"

Evans is also an example of a boy with particular limitations and who is very lovable, but whose parents or relatives are unable - or do not want - to look after him themselves for whatever reason. Fortunately for him there is the Hand in Hand Community, where we have welcomed this pleasant personality in our midst. Those who are treated to Kwame's beautiful smile will certainly feel energetic for the rest of the day because of this. Hopefully you as a reader will experience the same thing after having read this column and after having seen the pictures of Kwame Evans!

In Memoriam: Innocencia
(20 November 2010)

Earlier this week our Community was heavily shocked after receiving a very sad message. During the night from Sunday 14 till Monday 15 November unfortunately Innocencia died, after a short admission of three days in the hospital of Nkoranza. For some time she was already a little bit quiet and less active than normal, for example she was no longer singing at moments that she normally used to sing. But nobody expected her to die so unexpectedly, so suddenly. Therefore there is now a lot of sadness and many tears in the eyes of residents and caregivers in the Community.
Innocencia lived already for more than 13 years with us in Hand in Hand. She had come as far back as May 1997, when she was approximately 6 years old and with that she was one of the residents, who stayed longest in PCC. She came to us from the Mental Hospital in Accra and when you know that hospital, then you know that by no means this is a pleasant place to be for small children.
Inno, as she was often called caressing, had serious and multiple disabilities during her whole life and she also suffered from epilepsy. Her legs and one side of her body were paralysed. Therefore nearly always Inno was sitting in a wheelchair or was laying down on some soft plastic pillow, looking on to the activities of others.

Innocencia was often showing different states of mood. Sometimes she felt well, when showing her beautiful smile, at other moments she apparently felt annoyed and she would then beat her head out of frustration against the wheel chair or even the floor, while she burst out in some kind of prehistoric shouting. Then you could feel her pain and rage and may be also her anger, because of her incapacity to communicate.
It took some time before we were able to find a good caregiver for Innocencia, in the beginning people were frightened because of her many epileptic fits, which she still got despite her medication. Also because she frequently cried and could not laugh or even make eye contact with people. Until years ago Joyce decided to care for Inno herself. Since then Inno had flourished and with her splendid laugh she gave something back in return for the love she received. Early 2010 Patricia had taken over the care for Inno from Joyce, because in the mean time Inno had become too heavy for (the back of) Joyce.
When Inno was in a good mood, she could sing or hum in a very affecting way, either in a group or in special attention with volunteers.
The singing of Inno was a traditional aspect of the parties on PCC. At some moment she drove to the middle of the group with Joyce and together they would then sing, in a touching way, the song Hallelujah - praise the lord. And then it would not last long or the whole Community would join in singing: Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
In spite of her paralysis frequently Joyce and Patricia made some attempts to go for walking with Inno, which demanded a lot from their back and their endurance. But it was a part of the daily morning routine in PCC. Whilst all other residents were passing her by left and right, a heavily supported Inno each time made a small step, while her heavy and rough voice would join in singing with the song that was sung for her by Joyce or Patricia.
Definitely the life of Inno has not been easy, as a result of her heavy handicaps and her incapacity for good communication. The sometimes a bit surly facial expression on her face may be was an expression of the fact that she did not experience life always as pleasant. Ah, who can say which ideas or feelings would all develop in Inno's head? Fortunately most of her life she could enjoy a lot of good care, sincere attention and warm, human immediacy in Hand in Hand. We are glad and proud that we were able to give Innocencia lots of love and a good home for so many years.

The singing of Inno will no longer be heard in Hand in Hand. On the info DVD made earlier this year about PCC Inno is the last resident of Hand in Hand who can be seen and heard in this film, whilst she sings the Hallelujah in a splendid and moving way.
The suffering of Innocencia has now come to an end, her life on this earth full of difficulties and restrictions is over. We believe that she is now singing for the Almighty God in heaven and hope that her Hallelujah sounds well in the choir of the celestial angels. May she rest in peace, in the arms of the Lord, who she praised so often.

The story of Daniel
(12th November 2010)

"When I came with my mother to the market, she told me to go and buy some rice. After I did so, I walked back to my mother, but she had disappeared. I waited the whole afternoon for her and at night I went to sleep at a bench at the bus station, just like I saw other people doing".
Daniel can still tell very well how his mother left him more than 4 years ago. He also knows why: "Because I was always very troublesome".
On the 10th April 2006 Daniel was brought by the Police of Suhum to Social Welfare and on the 3rd May of that year he was transferred to the Osu Children's Home in Accra. After staying there for more than 4 years, he came to Hand in Hand on 10th August 2010, we estimated him at that moment to be about 10 - 11 years old. He has a slight intellectual handicap and moreover he is suffering from epilepsy. Special about that is that he frequently gets a light attack of epilepsy, when he stands right up and remains standing up. Immediately afterwards he walks on as if nothing has happened.
The first six weeks in PCC were rather difficult for him. He misses his previous house, well-known to him and he initially has difficulties to cope with the structure here. Therefore he prefers to go his own way. In the four years in Osu apparently he has been able to develop his own behaviour with a lot of free moving around, without having any structure offered and without much correction on his behaviour. And now suddenly he is here, in Hand in Hand, in a new and strange surrounding, where everyone wants him to do something. He hardly accepts authority, is sometimes bored and does things which are not permitted, such as destroying the newly made bricks for the construction project or climbing over walls and on roofs and he also beats other children regularly. Thereby Daniel is a busy little boy who can't sit quietly very well.

Daniël with Jeannette in Osu Children's Home	Daniël with his new PCC father Ebenezer	Life is often very nice here!

Some caregivers in fact do find this newcomer rather stubborn and also disturbing for the Community. Initially they have difficulties in handling him, for he doesn't listen very well. However, when it becomes clear that he likes to be invited to perform some easy tasks, then they try to give him some tasks and hurray, it seems Daniel is then better doing better.
Until he does not get what he wants …. Then he becomes unreasonably angry and at such moments he falls back into its old, stubborn behaviour: he will then make a high monotonous sound, ignores everyone, is pushing and beating and is no longer accessible.
If you speak to him later on, when he is quiet again, then you will see a child that feels insecure, looking for security and friendship, security that he didn't have in any case for the last 4 years and perhaps he never had. "Why did you act so annoying"? we asked him when he is quiet again and then he explains that sometimes he becomes "crazy" in his head and when so, he will do annoying things. It is really touching that he can describe this and explain it all to us so very well.
At first he also got some slightly confusing signs on PCC. He was invited to be one of the bigger boys when he was allowed to participate in playing soccer and he really loves to do so, even fanatically, on the other side he was also asked to rest in the afternoon for some time with the smaller children in the siesta room and for that he felt himself clearly much too big.
After six weeks in PCC we decide to make better appointments with him and with his caregiver Ebenezer, about how we expect him to show a better behaviour and also, what we are able to offer him. Because it seems this boy seems to possess much more talent than only for hanging around.
He likes the swimming pool very much, every afternoon again he enjoys this beautiful addition to his life, certainly since Jeannette gave him a beautiful and appropriate swimming trunks. He walks around as a proud boy, the same happens when he gets new shoes to be used for school!

His functioning indeed improves when he is given some clear tasks and he is able to carry out these well and as a result of this he feels more valuable and appreciated. Fortunately he goes along with Bright and Charity very well, he finds the restaurant also very interesting. As a result of that, it does not last a long time before one night we get our food served by Daniel, who smiles proudly when brings the plates to our table. Some moments later he sits down with Charity and Josephine, relaxing themselves at the kitchen by singing some well-known songs. And of course he likes to join Bright, when it comes to eating the leftovers. At these moments we can see a positive and very sweet Daniel and this strengthens our confidence that in PCC we will have much more pleasure from and with Daniel.

For Daniel the departure from Accra and the changeover to the world of PCC, a world that he didn't know before, was a bit like once the pace of the biblical Daniel to the lion's den, a pace with a lot of fear and threat. Fortunately also this time, just like in the olden days, there is a happy end and it appears that the lion and the lamb can lie peacefully together on the beautiful compound of Hand in Hand.
Daniel, please know that you are very welcome in Hand in Hand!

Sharing dinner in Hand in Hand
(2nd November 2010)

Earlier this year, in May to be precise, I wrote a column about Janet, our Queen of the Kitchen, this time I would like to write about what happens after cooking has finished. Picture an eventful dinner of our children.
Mealtimes are strict in the Community, they are important anchors during the day. Breakfast is at 8 o'clock, lunch is around half past 12 and dinner takes place at about 5 o'clock. These times are strictly kept in a non-African way: no "African time" when it is about food.
Like everywhere else in the world the children of our community do not always feel like doing something or walking somewhere, but when meals are at stake they are always there and in time. Shortly before dinner everybody gathers in the centre of the Community and takes place at an open-air table or under a sheltered roof. Eight to ten residents usually sit together, but some prefer a quiet spot of their own, like Abena, Yaw Balloon and recently Aisha.
The relative peace and quietness during dinner is striking, because more than 60 mentally handicapped children share their food together. One would have expected some squabbling and nudging at the table, however nothing of the sort happens. Everyone takes his or her own seat at the table in quiet expectance of the bowls with food. Except for Kojo Joseph, he finds it very difficult to wait for his food, which has resulted in some loud protesting lately. Fortunately, he has been better now.
When the bell sounds all bowls are surprisingly rapidly brought from the kitchen to the first table and from there on to the next. Serving dinner is done by the caregivers and volunteers and sometimes also by some of the young adults of the community.
For an outsider all bowls look the same, although it seems confusing, but the local specialists know exactly which bowl belongs to whom. Nobody ever takes somebody else's bowl and everybody waits patiently until his or her bowl is put onto the table.
Porridge is eaten with a spoon, everything else is eaten, as is common in Africa, by just using the (right) hand, it makes one lick his fingers!
While all children are eating, the chickens and sometimes even the donkeys come in great numbers, because they know that some food is always spilled on the ground and they like to make use of the opportunity.

waiting for the food to come	all bowls are full with delicious fufu!	Kojo Joseph eats, while chicken are waiting for spillage

After dinner has been served, it is quiet for some time, everybody is enjoying his or her meal, whether or not assisted by a caregiver, until Michael – nearly always – gets bored by his own food and decides to give his leftovers to some other kid (which is always much appreciated). Unfortunately, this is not long before Michael gets unusually interested in other children's food. Especially those children who get rice instead of porridge should be careful that Michael does not grab a part of their food. There is a well-known pattern in his behaviour and when Michael does not get his own way, he expresses himself in a loud fit of crying.
Theresa is next to Michael at the same table, she has suffered from malnutrition in the past and is still very thin. She eats great quantities of food without talking and when she has finished her bowl she also scurries the tables in search of leftovers.
Everybody has to be cautious at this point of time - especially slow eaters - because also Pakor and Kwaku Chairman are enthusiastically on the search for extra food when they have finished their own bowls. Sometimes the caregivers and the volunteers have to intervene because not all children can resist this kind of behaviour.
It depends on the food whether all children will finish their bowls, some like "banku" more and others prefer rice, however, "fufu" is liked by everyone. There are always candidates for leftovers, for instance Ayuba or John Fabeson of Pakor. Especially Ayuba's tummy shows clear traces of an insatiable appetite and he smiles en nods understandingly when you point it out to him . . . , but meanwhile he finishes all leftovers.

We have given the quality of the food considerable attention lately and, taking into account the reactions of the children, we know that they like the alterations. They prefer "Tom Brown" porridge with peanuts and beans over the universally known corn meal porridge.

Although Lazarus is approximately 18, he is still being fed by a caregiver. Considering the fact that he often tries to grab some extra food from the bowl of his neighbour Wumpini, this seems a little odd. Maybe this is a sign that we should teach Lazarus to eat his food without the help of others? A good thought, however, we have not been very successful at it up till now.

At the end of each dinner Kofi Asare fetches the drum and he sings a beautiful Ghanaian song followed by a prayer by Mr Robert, which is, unfortunately more or less unintelligible, but to everybody's relief the final "Amen" can be read from his lips.

Sharing dinner at the Peace of Christ Community, it's probably too much when saying it's all so peaceful, but luckily enough there is good company, it is pleasant to be there and last but not least it is nourishing.
Enjoy your meal!

Groningen in Ghana
(21st October 2010)

They as well as we have been looking forward to this trip for more than one year and finally the moment was there: 12 sensible, sober people from Groningen and Drenthe (2 provinces in the North of the Netherlands) made a big journey last week from Holland to tropical Africa, to the midst of Ghana. The day after their arrival in Accra they travelled straight to Nkoranza, for they have big plans, a mission!
The leader of this group of 8 men and 4 women is the experienced Bernard Meier, all other members of the G 8 group are new to tropical Africa. For almost 18 months they all have been very active with all kind of fundraising activities, to raise sufficient money to enable them to pay for building various new constructions for PCC, including the new Education Centre, the bridge coming from the Hospital compound and some rainwater gutters. In total they were able to raise more than Euro 24.000,00 (!) to pay for all buildings, an impressive amount!! In addition to their donation, they are now coming to Hand in Hand for more than 2 weeks, to work here as volunteers. They will also construct the major part of all the new buildings themselves! For your information: more or less in line with the World Servants formula.
It's great to witness, this confrontation between the quiet soberness of Groningen and the extrovert, at many points also (somehow) more chaotic Ghanaians. The result is quite a cultural shock for most persons from Groningen, but they are managing well to pulling through and they really enjoy this trip. They are indeed beautiful people, these people from Groningen in Ghana.

We gave them a great welcome on the night of their arrival, with the beautiful music and dances of our children. As it needs to be in Ghana, at the end of the party there was a heavy tropical rain shower, as a sign of a Blessing from Heaven. It's not only the people from Groningen who are so often astonished about so many things in Ghana, also our children are staring their eyes out to all these strange obruni's. By example, Kofi Asare, our Music Master, can all the time be seen at the building site. As all builders are always doing in Holland, the music is on the whole day and Kofi really loves this!

The plane to Ghana must have been flying a bit one side up as a result of all the heavy luggage of this group. They really took a lot of materials along, both for the construction work as well as for the children, really unbelievable!
After two days there was the first extra surprise: on Saturday morning all children were invited to get a nice facial painting, a big success. The children who came first, M'Afia Harriet, Philomena and Dede, were still a bit shy, for how could they know what these strange ladies wanted to put on their faces? But very soon the enthusiasm of the children was unstoppable! Even Boadu, Lazarus, Innocentia, Ntiamoah, Lisa and Alice had no objections when receiving their facial painting and they really looked beautiful, just like all other children and even quite some of the Caregivers. You can have a look to some of the special pictures of that morning, see Regina, Alice and Lisa!

In the mean time the people from Groningen are here already for one week and it is really impressive to see the progressing of all their activities. They are hardworking, motivated and enthusiastic workers, who are giving their best for Hand in Hand.
It's only now that I fully understand the Dutch expression: There is nothing above Groningen. And so it is, it also applies to these people from Groningen in Ghana. Thanks, G 8 group, it is great to have you as our visitors, you are doing a great job here!

Kwame Agagi
(12th October 2010)

Today the beautiful story of a child with a very rigid body, who is still able, despite his rigidness, to radiate a smooth rhythm all the time.
A column about "big" Kwame (big to distinguish him from the small Kwame Addai and the even smaller Kwame Ayim), one of the children of PCC, who is not attracting attention so much at a first glance. Kwame is often called by his nickname "Agagi".
Agagi is living here in PCC since 1998, that means already for 12 years (!) and with that he is one of the children staying here longest. Kwame came to us via the Osu Children's Home in Accra, when he was around 5 or 6, zo Kwame must be about 17 or 18 years now, but he has the size of a 12 year old boy.
Agagi attracts attention, when he goes around, because only few parts of his body are straight and flexible, he walks nearly always with bended knees and arms plus a slightly curved back and he also has a somewhat jolting or skipping way of walking. His movements are rigid, his motoric system is rather disturbed and running is no option for him. Kwame is, apart from his mental disability, also suffering from epilepsy and despite his medication, he regularly gets epileptic fits. After such a fit he is quiet for some time and also a little bit dizzy, but soon after that he will just go on, very special to witness.
He has a rather wide and rigid face, but we are very happy that a various moments he is quite able to show off his laugh en that laugh is very infectious and touching!

Agagi hardly talks, but he might yell once in a while, if he doesn't agree with something happening or he is clapping his hands, if he is very happy. However, he can express almost continuously different rhythms with his whole body. Whenever he hears a rhythm, he starts to hum for himself and soon after that this will be followed by an appropriate rhythmic movement of his whole body. His arm starts to swing almost automatically the rhythm in the air and with his hand he will perform some very good drumming movements. For he is a great drummer!
Therefore it will be no surprise that Kofi Asare, our Music master, is his great role model. Once in a while these two do walk together during the early morning walking hour, a great couple, when you see them walking and moving together! Both of them have difficulties in walking, but together they show a perfect harmony! Once somebody felt it would be a good idea to present his own drum to Agagi and you can't give him a more beautiful present. Very early every morning, around 4.30 AM, he would start drumming, until finally everybody became fed up with this and they decided to place the drum out of his reach for the early mornings.
During day time Kwame will go to the Shalom special school, but the finest moments for Agagi are the occasions when music is played in Hand in Hand and luckily enough that is rather often. Despite his limited movements he will see to it that his place is guaranteed in our music group and he will play the drum enthusiastically, as a professional djembe player, which in fact he is!
His body, despite all disabilities, seems to be made especially for playing the drums very well, he can on playing for hours and enjoys it a lot! And of course all of us also enjoy his playing and his great dedication to the drum.
Kwame Agagi: In various ways PCC has brought music in his life again, Hallelujah!

Back in PCC again!
(2nd October 2010)

It has taken some time, but here it is, another column in Alberts Corner, this time from Nkoranza again, where Jeannette and I arrived safely last Tuesday. It has now become a new routine in our life, to switch just like that from our "normal" life in the Netherlands to our "other life", here in Ghana in this very special place, the wonderful Hand in Hand Community.
Before we were able to drive on to the compound of Hand in Hand it appeared that the very last part of the road to PCC (for those who now the place: the last part of the road over the Hospital compound) was partly flushed away as a result of the heavy rainfall during this rainy season. Luckily enough the road has been repaired temporarily, so we were able, though with some troubles, to reach PCC. And for the concern over the "bridge" over the last rainwater gutter on that road we say: we are very happy that the G 8 group is coming soon, for repair is really very necessary!
Anyway, since our arrival here we hardly experienced any serious rain, but we guess that this might be just a coincidence.

Our reunion with all the children and the caregivers was very cordial and warm, as always. This time Ahmed was the first one who came running towards us, with his always present happiness and enthusiasm and after that many other children and caregivers came to welcome us, it was a great feeling meeting everybody again and hearing all kind of stories.
The skin rashes I told you about last time, are now treated and it seems everybody is responding well to this therapy. Of course we were also very curious to meet our 4 new residents, they are the children that we had seen in Accra by the end of July and were accepted as new members of our Community already some weeks ago. We are very happy to see that they are all doing well and especially the 2 small boys, Kwame Ayim and Kwaku Jacob, are very "sweet", according to the Caregivers

The total number of permanent residents has now passed the 60 (!) and there are also 15 semi permanent residents in the workshop besides all caregivers and volunteers, so we can easily conclude that there are enough persons, who can live here hand in hand everyday again. And what a privilege for us that we are able to join them on their journey through life.
The end of the school holidays has com an that means that gradually all youngsters form the workshop are returning one by one. It's beautiful to see how enthusiastic they are received by their fellow residents and how happy they are to be back in "their Community"!
On the side of the caregivers we met some new faces, as Andrews and Augustina left us last month to further their education. So welcome to Vida and Hannah!

An aspect that has attracted our attention this time in particular is the conclusion that children with a mental disability also can have a very good memory. Kwame Addai sees us for the first time in 8 weeks and immediately he makes a movement with his hand over the floor, like playing with a small car, because he remembers that he got such a car from us last time.
Kofi Asare joins me the next morning for our usual walking, starting to sing the same song, that he and I have been practising in July. And John Ambrose Faberson comes to me and moves his hand in front of his mouth, for he requested before we left that we would bring him a mouth organ, just like the one that Kofi Asare is using. And the next morning we made hem a very happy young man, when he got his own mouth organ.
M'Afia and Dede immediately start to sing "Row, row, row the boat" with Jeannette, that is a part of their normal morning rituals. And we might go on like this for some time. Yes, their memories can function quite well!

In short, we are back in town and it feels very familiar and very good.
We really feel like privileged people, having the opportunity to enjoy in our life "the best of 2 worlds"!

Information in brief
(20th September 2010)

This time I'm informing you in brief through this column about a number of rather different topics, meant to keep everybody well informed about various developments in and around the Hand in Hand Community.

Internet site
At the moment our website is under reconstruction for renovation, may be you have noticed this already. The main Menu has already been changed quite a lot, but it will take some more time before all pages in the Submenus will have been updated and changed. This reconstruction is a rather big job, but in good cooperation with our webmaster beyond praise Douwe Akkersma, it will work out fine!
We do hope that at the end our site will be more conveniently arranged and more attractive, both for the faithful readers as well as for new visitors.
Do you know that every day again not less than around 150 people are visiting our website? That really underlines the need for and importance of a well organised and up-to-date website!

Borehole
Some time ago (see the 6th July Alberts Corner) we informed you about the great importance for Hand in Hand of having a continuous and very reliable supply of water. Meanwhile the new borehole has been drilled and water from deep under the surface of the earth is pumped up. We are very happy that pure water flows abundantly from this source! Good news indeed, we are very grateful to the Dutch foundation Christian aid to the youth from Leiden. Earlier this year they already donated some money for the drilling of this borehole!

An annoying skin disease
Unfortunately during the past weeks many children and caregivers of Hand in Hand attracted a contagious skin disease, which also goes with a lot of itching, almost everybody is affected. Not dramatic of course, but very annoying. It's a fact that this type of contagious diseases do occur more often in communities, where many people are living in a rather close contact. Together with the doctors of the Nkoranza Hospital we are now trying our best to give everybody good treatment and also to take more preventive actions.

A very special engagement ring
Andrew and Naomi from the United Kingdom are already good friends of Hand in Hand for some years, after their visit some time ago to the Community, working as volunteers in the workshop. Moreover they are already a couple for some years now and recently Andrew came to the conclusion that it was about time for him to propose marriage to Naomi. He therefore approached us some months ago (of course without informing Naomi) and asked if we could create a very special, one should say even a unique, engagement ring(!) in our workshop for his planned proposal. And with good commitment and a lot of creativity that also succeeded.
Two weeks ago the big moment was there: Andrew made his proposal, offered the splendid ring from Hand in Hand to Naomi and ................ happily enough, Naomi said "Yes" (clever thinking, Andrew, who could possibly say "No" to something so beautiful and original?)!!! Hurrah! The marriage will take place in December and already we like to wish Andrew and Naomi lots of luck and blessings.

Education Centre
Only a couple of weeks more and then the G 8 construction group from the Netherlands with as much as 12 persons (8 men and 4 women) will come to Hand in Hand to build the new Education Centre. Very nice and ........... even better is the fact that they themselves also collected all the necessary funds for the construction of this centre as well as for some other building activities! For this they organised all kind of fundraising activities for more than one year.



In the new Education Centre all activities, aimed for the further shaping, training and personal development of our children, will be concentrated, partly even with computer support. A volunteer and expert from Germany will support this programme for a year.

Bob Maram now resident in the Netherlands
Already since March/April of this year Ineke Bosman and Bob Maram are staying in the Netherlands, at the end of this year they will comes for 3 months to PCC as grandparents. This week we received the delighting news that Bob Maram (a US citizen) has now got a permanent residence permit for the Netherlands. That is of course very good news for Ineke and Bob and so we like to congratulate Bob with this important "promotion"!

Travelling to Hand in Hand again
After our previous stay in PCC during the month of July Jeannette and I are setting off in one week's time once more to Hand in Hand. It has become a new rhythm in our life, the regular travelling to Ghana and Hand in Hand. And every time again it is a wonderful prospect to know that we will meet everybody there and that we will be incorporated like before in the unique atmosphere of Hand in Hand, the Spirit of PCC!

Little children do grow up
(8th September 2010)

Today’s subject is “little children do grow up” and I like to write about this topic by telling you a bit more about Yaa Yaa, a young woman, who lives already for 10 years in Hand in Hand.
Yaa Yaa is born around 1990, unfortunately no detail of her background and her early youth is known. She came to Hand in Hand from the Mental Hospital in Accra in the year 2000 and who ever visited that hospital will understand that this was a major change for Yaa Yaa.

Yaa Yaa has a mental handicap, moreover she is deaf-mute and is also suffering  of epilepsy. Despite this, we really can’t understand, looking to her way of functioning in Hand in Hand, why some people ever decided to place her into the Mental Hospital, may be this just happened as a result of embarrassment or by lack of better opportunities? In any case it’s not a good place for a young and disabled child. Since she came to PCC our Community is caring for her with lots of love and is doing so for more than 10 years. During the last 3 years Dorcas is her caregiver and it seems these two go along together very well. They do use only little gesture language during their contacts, but it appears to be good enough. Just look to their beautiful photograph on the homepage!

Yaa Yaa is formally called Yaa Yaa Evelyn, but that last name is never used here, perhaps only once, when she was baptised? Yaa means “a girl, born on Thursday” and in fact I can’t think of a good reason why she is called 2 x Yaa, as most people are born only once (for now I leave discussions about the possibility of being Born Again out of consideration .......), but anyway, this is how she is called.

Though Yaa Yaa is deaf-mute, she is definitely present. Regularly she might come and stand in front of you and she then will look at you for some time, with her typical smile and special eye rise. These are the moments you would love to know what she is actually thinking. Sometimes (or even better: frequently!) this is a way of Yaa Yaa to try and grip for your attention, it is clear that she like to play the game “try to get me… “. She can run around for quite some time, for example with Paul from the workshop, all the time looking back to find out if you are still running behind her and she really enjoys this a lot, showing you a beautiful and radiating face expression!

If she wants to walk with you hand in hand in the morning, she is very much prepared to push away a smaller child that already might hold your hand, she has clearly learned to stand up for herself ...... And for one or the other reason she often finds it very necessary to chase away all the chicken, looking for some food during dinnertime. Also the dogs and the donkeys should not come close to her food!

Already for some time Yaa Yaa is no little girl anymore, she has now grown into a firm young woman of 20 years. That’s why in this column she stands symbol for the common knowledge “little children do grow up”. When she came to PCC 10 years ago, she was still young and small, just like many of the other children when they come to Hand in Hand. But when children do receive good food, are feeling well and remain healthy, they more or less automatically become big, an adult. It has gone this way since the Creation and so it is for most of children of Hand in Hand. It also means that we have to face the challenge not only caring well for the smaller children, but also and even more and more for those youngsters, who gradually do become an adult. The children, who came to this place to become a resident of Hand in Hand, will probably stay here for the rest of their life and that means that at the long-term not only or even mainly children will live here, but also more and more adults with a mental restriction.

What this might mean for Hand in Hand itself in the future is not yet entirely clear, but that this development can be noticed, is obvious. Fortunately an important wisdom from the Bible is: we all should become like little children. Well, one thing is sure for our residents: they always will remain a little bit like a child. Though Yaa Yaa is now a big young woman, she is at the same time often just as sweet and lovely as a small child.
Therefore Yaa Yaa, and all of us with her, do have great faith in the future of Hand in Hand!

Quinten Special
(27th August 2010)

We are very happy that every time again many volunteers are prepared to come and work in our Community, this year alone we could welcome volunteers from Belgium, Canada, England, Germany, Holland and Switzerland. They often do come for a period of 3 – 6 months and, when here, they are supporting the care for our children in all kind of ways. This is probably seen most during the 1 to 1 - Special Attention Programme, whereby all volunteers every day again will give some extra attention to those children, who really benefit from this extra time.
In this part of the voluntary work all volunteers are able to give a lot of themselves and to show their love for children needing care. Of course, after some time, many of them do have their own favourite child(ren), that is just human nature and surprisingly often Quinten is one of these favourites. At first sight he is, as a result of his physical and mentally disabilities, not a very striking resident of Hand in Hand, but it’s remarkable to see how this changes after working with him for some time and so some very beautiful and touching relations between him and volunteers develop.
Earlier this year (Anne-) Fleur de Ruiter from Holland was a volunteer in PCC. She too developed a very special relation with Quinten and she likes to tell all of us how this happened. So I am happy to give her the opportunity to inform us in this Fleur about Quinten. All pictures in this column are also made by Fleur!

Fleur:
“Quinten is a 12 year old mentally handicapped boy. He also can’t see, can’t hear or walk proper. That makes him unable to walk to some place independently or to do something on his own. He doesn’t focus on the world outside him a lot, but there are moments when he opens up to the world and looks around him. You can provoke these moments by tickling his head. He will then look up, just to see who is doing that.
If you are able to make contact with him, he can give you the sweetest smile on earth that makes your heart melt. Especially in this period, when he is changing his teeth. Maybe he can’t see very well, but he is able to recognize you from a small distance. And when he sees you, he will give a little scream of enjoyment and he can’t wait till you come close to him and whisper his name in his ear.
Quinten knows very well what he wants and has his ways of making that clear to you. Sometimes he really wants to walk and he will show this to you by jumping up and down and by giving you that sweet, sweet smile again. But when he doesn’t feel like it, don’t bother to try. He will just lie down on the ground and you can almost hear him saying “forget about it”.

Every Tuesday again Quinten will make clear to you that he really doesn’t like yam with palm oil. He probably doesn’t like it because of the hard chunks in it, so he spits it out straight away. When I was feeding him he was lucky, because on Tuesday I would take some bread with me from the volunteers house and give it to him, to enable him to eat something at least.
Unfortunately Quinten often gets fits during dinner. The cause of it? The noisy sound of the empty plates that are getting collected by the other children. But how can you explain this to the children?
Quinten is a real African boy. He likes the nice weather and the hot sun. If he could choose, he would wear three big sweaters during the rainy season, because it is way too cold for him. Then swimming in the afternoon isn’t his favorite activity too. He would like to skip it but he can’t, because he needs the refreshment, but after a dip, he wants to come out as quick as possible and sit in your lap with a big warm towel covering him.
Quinten’s caregiver is Ema Donkor (papa Ema). The connection those two have is indescribable beautiful. Ema knows exactly what Quinten wants and needs. Quinten will always save his sweetest smile for Ema and if you can be a witness of that beautiful moment, it really makes your day.
For a short time, I was part of that perfect and happy family. It was papa Ema, mama Fleur and baby Quinten. Just like a real family!”

Fleur, thanks very much for your love for Quinten and for all others in PCC and of course also for your wonderful story about Quinten.

Four new children for PCC!!
(18th August 2010)

Jeannette and I are visiting the Osu Childrens Home (OCH), a large shelter for abandoned, orphaned and neglected children in the metropolis of Accra. It is our first visit to this Home, though we know the name already many years. In the past often children with “special needs” (that’s how they call them here) were transferred from this OCH to our Community.
In the Board of PCC we recently concluded that we have some extra capacity at the moment to accept a couple of new children and therefore we travel to OCH, looking for children, who can profit most from a transfer to PCC.
There are about 10 children here with special needs (in all 250 children are staying here!) and the management of OCH is very honest when telling us that they are not sufficiently equipped for the care and development of these children. Before we came to OCH we had the idea: may be better girls then boys and when possible also some smaller children, taking into consideration the preferred balance in Hand in Hand.
All smaller and bigger children are watching us with their big eyes (though some don’t look at all), children who do not understand what we are coming to do. Some children are seriously physically disabled and do show signs of probably many years of neglecting, others are mostly very passive or there is no clear picture about their mental disability. How can we make a choice? Who would benefit most? We would like to offer all these children a wonderful home in PCC, but the extra opportunities we do have are of course limited.
We are happy to meet some caregivers from OCH, who are working here already for many years and who are asking us: “how is Regina doing, what about Ayuba and Kwame Addai, M’Afia Harriet or M’Adwoa, etc? It shows their involvement and it helps us to make a quick connection, as a result of that we easily receive some more information about the various children here, about their handicaps, their behaviour and, when known, their background.

Daniel	Ayim	Aisha	Jacob

At the end, after much weighing and even deeper reflections we finally can come to a choice. First of all 2 nice little boys of about 4 years, who are also getting on very well with each other, Kwame Ayim and Kwaku Moses (in the meantime he is already called Kwaku Jacob in Nkoranza, otherwise it becomes too confusing with all the same names….), also a rather quiet little girl, Aisha, a girl of about 8 years who was loitering in Accra, and finally a nice, talkative and social boy of around 10 years with epilepsy, called Daniel.
Kwaku Jacob is the only survivor of a serious car accident and Kwame Ayim was recently abandoned, not far from here. Daniel lives already for 4 years in OCH and Aisha just for some months.

A bit more than a week later Carlijn Willems, our volunteers coordinator in the Netherlands, who is on a visit to Nkoranza for some weeks, picks up these 4 children and brings them to Hand in Hand. Carlijn is making the trip to Accra and back to PCC in just one day(!), a very tiring journey, but she is really proud that she can accompany these children and bring them safely to PCC. What a celebration on arrival, everybody is there to welcome these new members of the Community warmly and especially the 2 small boys are immediately cherished and pampered by all caregivers.

Ayim with Beatrice	Jacob and Aisha with Patricia	Daniel with Ebenezer

An addition for our Community and a splendid new home for 4 children, who definitely will benefit from their transfer. By the way, these 4 children are all still looking very much for one or more sponsors ..... (sponsors@operationhandinhand.nl)

By now they are already more than one week in Hand in Hand and they really enjoy all the attention and tender care, the eating and the swimming pool, playing soccer and swinging in the playing-garden and especially the loving atmosphere in the Community.
Feel very welcome Daniel, Aisha, Jacob and Ayim, enjoy your new life in Hand in Hand!

Baptising and “addition to the family”
(27th July 2010)

The Peace of Christ / Hand in Hand Community is founded in 1992 as an ecumenical community. Therefore there is no formal connection to one church in particular, but looking to the history of PCC the most important contact has always been with the RC Church
Take for example the fact that up till now all our children are always baptised by a RC priest, the last time was in October 2008.
That also means that it is high time now to have the children baptised, who came during the past 2 years to this place, to live in PCC. This time their number is 6.
For most of our children, we really have no knowledge about their past, that means that we also don’t know if may be they were ever baptised before. As we have no means of knowing this, for convenience’s sake we take it that those who come to live with us, have never been baptised before, with the philosophy: better baptised 2 times than never, isn’t it?
As a true-minded Presbyterian of course I was wondering for just a moment if it has to continue like this, that all children are “automatically” baptised in the RC Church. However, I soon came to the conclusion that being baptised does not mean a choice for a particular church, and it’s also true that the RC fathers have given the most attention to our children over the years, so the decision is taken easily: also in the case of these 6 children we will invite the RC father to baptise them.

And so it happened recently, on the 10th of July. The R.C chaplain of the Hospital, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Benneh (though he doesn’t really look like a Benjamin…..) came to our wonderful open-air Rock church, together with the Youth choir of the RC parish. The church is decorated beautifully and it seems as if all children really do feel that today’s service is not just a normal one, like every Sunday’s service, no, they actually seem to feel that today there will be a very special Church service.
The children to baptise this time are: Aaron, Kwame Addai, John Papa, M’Afia Harriet, Yaw Hillal and Abigail, the latter one is a girl from our sheltered workshop. She still has got her family and therefore she is the only one who is really baptised on request of her parents. All 6 children are first of all beautifully dressed and then they all walk together to the church.

NB: The baptising the children creates also an unexpected special occasion for Jeannette and me. As all children are expected to have a father and mother when they are baptised, as a matter of fact Ineke Bosman and Bob Maram were up till 2008 always looked upon as the mother and father of the children to be baptised. The logical consequence of this policy is, according to everybody here, that from this time on Jeannette and I will act as mother and father. And so, at the end of this beautiful Saturday morning, we do have 6 extra baptised children as can be seen in the administration of the RC Church.
You see, connecting ourselves to PCC leads to so many surprises. Just like that there are 6 children, who are now even more connected to us through their baptism.
Look, the baptismal testimonial really looks nice, isn’t it?

Click on photo for enlargement

Rev. Benneh understands very well that this is a special service and he therefore succeeds perfectly in coming very close to the children. The baptismal RC church service is filled with a lot of symbolism and with beautiful songs and Rev. Benneh also gives a nice sermon about the Good News that we are all children of God, that God loves all of us and that through the baptism God accepts us as his children, it doesn’t matter if we are “normal” or if we are “special”.

With close attention the 6 children to be baptised, e.g. the small John Papa and Kwame Addai, are looking on when they are called one by one by their names in the church, after which they receive an anointment and of course the baptism. And after their baptism they are also allowed to light a special candle. The 6 children are very quiet, they are completely fascinated! And after all this, for the first time in their life, they are also receiving the Holy Communion, though for example Yaw Hillal first has to taste what Rev. Fr. Benneh is offering him, before he finally decides to accept the host and eat it..!

Because today is very special, the music group and the choir are playing and singing a very happy closing hymn and after that all children do receive some delicious cookies and also a lollipop. And in addition the Rev. Fr. presents all children with a very nice devotional picture and those baptised even are presented a very nice religious medallion!
Who would dare to say that being baptised is not a great party? Without doubt the children of PCC would like to be baptised every week, but that seems to be a difficult topic, at least from religious point of view……...
And so it is, Amen!

The PCC Movie Stars
(18th July 2010)

Sunday evening, around 6 PM, the TV room of Hand in Hand / PCC.
As all children are used to watch TV or a movie almost every night before sleeping, they are all sitting on a chair or mostly on the floor of the TV room, waiting for any picture to be seen, but unfortunately……. there is no electricity (yet), so there is nothing to be seen.
But after an hour of waiting patiently, whilst darkness has already come, there is a big cheer, for suddenly there is light again. And then….. then finally the moment is there. Tonight they are not just watching any available movie, no, tonight is the first time ever of watching a very special movie, the PCC Movie!!! In April, moviemaker Martin visited us for a whole week and he registered many aspects of Hand in Hand on tape, to enable him on base of all pictures to edit a beautiful information movie about our Community.
However, this very first version of the PCC Movie is made in particular for all residents of Hand in Hand, Martin really tried to include in this movie as much as possible shots of most if not all residents and caregivers and he surely succeeded.

Before showing the PCC Movie we first watched a special DVD showing our Charity when she is singing 3 Christian songs in a beautiful and expressive way, songs that also used as background music for the PCC Movie. And where and when possible the whole Community joins the singing of Charity. Everybody is very enthusiastic, for now Charity is really famous, for she has been on TV!
This enthusiasm though is nothing compared to the cheering, the jumping and the enthusiasm that erupts when after this the PCC Movie is shown. The various aspects of the daily life in Hand in Hand are passing by one after the other, from the early morning walking to the church service on Sunday, from the various departments of the workshop to the donkey car, from the Day care to the feeding, from the chickens to a real party and even more.
All is passing by and every time someone is recognised, everybody jumps high, then points to the TV and start cheering. And only 10 seconds later the same happens with the next resident, who can be seen in another new shot. Never before a movie has seen such a grateful and enthusiastic audience, the singing of Charity can hardly be heard because of all shouting of the children and frequently a child jumps in front of the TV, just to show everybody somebody or something. And you should not think that only the children are reacting this way, also the caregivers become very enthusiastic during the various shots, where they can be seen.
And we, we enjoyed not just the movie, but most of all the reactions of the children during this very special movie.

Most beautiful is the latter part of the movie, that shows a longer shot of one of our party’s. The drumming, the music, the walking around while dancing, this is so well known to everybody and now all is seen on TV and that is so wonderful!
For example there is the special song of Innocentia, the Hallelujah, for years already an nice element of every party. Everybody joins Inno (who seems not to react herself ….) also this time when she is seen singing on TV, this is really a very beautiful and touching moment.
And still the movie has not ended, we can also enjoy the drumming of Kofi Asare and Kwame Agagi, the dancing of Bright and Yaw Johnson, also from Mabel and Abigail and last but not least from the small Kwame Addai. Especially the dance of Kwame is beautiful and very surprising, the whole TV room admires this part very much.
Soon after that, after nearly 30 minutes, the movie finally comes to an end and all join in a big cheering and a good round of applause.
The PCC Movie Stars do react very enthusiastic to their TV performance and there was no way out the next day, we had to play this movie again and this happened a few times more in the next week.
The Movie Stars from Hand in Hand are all very happy and proud. We are sure that this movie will lead to lot of positive reactions also outside our Community.
Martin, you have done well. Thanks very much!!

Water and electricity not for granted
(6th July 2010)

Last week Jeannette and I have returned to Hand and Hand once again. Meeting everybody again was really great as always and also heart warming. It’s very stimulating for us to see and feel that fortunately the Community continues to function very well during our absence, of course with much gratitude to and appreciation for persons like Baffo, Joe Ema and Paul. It is obvious that many normal patterns have now become a firm part of the daily routine in PCC and these patterns keep functioning also when we are not there.

This time, just like in April, so much happened during our first days here.
For example, on the day after our arrival it appeared that a borehole (= a drilled pipe connection to a water stream under the surface of the earth) that was constructed last year, doesn’t function very well. Together with some (Ghanaian and Dutch) experts we tried to meet during that day to find out what would be the best possible way to solve this problem. You will understand that to be assured of a continuous supply of safe drinking water of course is very important for our Community.

Anyway, the Ghanaian experts do have a very special, almost magical method to examine the situation. From some branches of a tree they create a kind of “water finder” and with this “instrument” they walk around the whole compound. If according to them, there might be a underground water stream (even at 80m. depth), than apparently they can feel it and the divining rod spontaneously turns downwards. When we also tried to do this later on, unfortunately it showed not to work in our hands (as yet). According to expert Sammy we still have to develop the very sensitive feeling for the power of attraction of water, deep down the surface of the earth……..

But when you watch this method, it really looks very impressive and magical and soon we will know if their feeling for the deep water stream has really developed sufficiently, as they will come and drill a new, well functioning borehole that will enable us to get always a sufficient supply of water. To be continued!

To enable them to drill this new borehole, one of the smaller trees on the compound needed to be felled, so Patrick started this job enthusiastically on the next day with the help of an axe and a rope. The latter was there to pull the falling tree into the right direction.
After some time we heard a lot of noise. Unfortunately, unfortunately, the rope proved to be not strong enough to pull the tree into the preferred direction. And so the tree felt exactly on top of the wires of our electricity grid and most wires could not bear this……..!!
Result: the whole Community was without electricity during that Saturday (and later on it also proved to be like that the next Sunday). The repairmen of the electricity company just came after quite some phone calls and they only started to do their job somewhere in the afternoon, after some encouragements and thanks to a good meal, but the damage was just too big to enable them to repair all in just one day.
At the end: no electricity, no functioning water pump and therefore also no water supply any more. This is Ghana!
Sunday of course is a day of rest for everybody, also in Ghana, but at the end fortunately the repairman showed up, after again some phone calls and after another good meal (“an engine doesn’t work without petrol” they said, “and so we can’t do our work with an empty stomach…….”) they continued to do their job. The work really looks like an acrobatic circus act, it’s a kind of trapeze artist, when we look to the way the man was hanging for hours in the electricity pylons.

Thanks to hours of hard work the job could finally be completed around the falling of the night. Huge cheers when suddenly all bulbs started to work again. During that night we really enjoyed the availability of electricity and in particular a very, very special movie with all residents and caregivers, a movie that we could show after all. But that will be the subject of the next column in Alberts Corner, so please wait a bit……!

Water and electricity, it seems so normal in many places in the world, but as we know there are also many other places where it is not yet like that. It’s good to experience this once again ourselves.
That gives us also enough reason to spend energy and resources to guarantee a reliable supply of water and electricity in PCC as much as possible. So there is still some work to be done.

Football is the sport of Africa
(27th June 2010)

Is there a better moment to write about Football and the residents of PCC than today, just after Ghana qualified for the quarter final of the World Cup in South Africa ? I don’t think so!
Incredibly, what a simple football game can do for the pride of a whole nation. All Ghanaians experience once more that they really belong to each other, despite the different tribes they are really one people. They all enjoyed the wonderful victory of the Ghana Black Stars over the USA football team. This is already much more than just a sports game, this is like manna from heaven for all Ghanaians!

Even in the Hand in Hand/PCC Community, where the number of TV’s is still very limited, everybody really enjoys the WC football. Mr. Robert just listens, as he always does, in his wheelchair to the radio and he really enjoys this, as most of us did in the past when international matches were broadcasted. Almost all others come together in front of the few TV’s present to watch the matches of Ghana and every time that Ghana moves the ball to the side of the opponent, the encouragements become more and more, with a lot of jumping and waving. A great experience! And what a big party and so much happiness when Ghana scores, even Quinten, who is always so quiet, is now excited and smiles a lot when seeing the Ghanaian football team (or would it simply be the warmth of collective enthusiasm that makes him so happy)!?

Football is the sport of Africa, Nelson Mandela once said and (of course) he is right. For a game of football you don’t need much more than a rough and more or less horizontal field, two simple goals which should preferably be about the same size and a football, which doesn’t need to be very beautiful and round. Everywhere in Africa and therefore also in Ghana you will find these small fields and on all these fields children (boys and girls) are often playing soccer enthusiastically, and another advantage is: Ghana has no winter stop!
And so it is in PCC. Every morning at 07.00 the bigger boys are gathering under the guidance of Patrick and Ebenezer on the football field and there they play a game for a half hour and belief me, they often play very fanatic. For who wants to loose just like that or wants to miss a good chance?

Not only Ghana, but also PCC has got its own football stars! Look at these two splendid team pictures!

Piedu for example is a boy who can enjoy playing football a lot and Kwame Evans, in spite of his restrictions, is surprisingly fast and skilful when playing the ball with his feet. John Ambrose Fabeson might not be the fastest player, but he is present and strong. And Latif always chooses to be the goalkeeper, preferably on the church side, at least if that goal area is not occupied by one of the donkeys ............

And beside the field the smaller boys are standing, like Kwame and Moses, and you can imagine they are watching and thinking: when will I finally be big enough to be allowed to participate? In any case they do practise already a lot with another ball at another place, because one day ...........

Workshop children also like to go to the football field during their morning break and then it’s not only the children, but also the Caregivers, who are fully enjoying themselves, including Paul, Stephen, Ema Donkor and even Juliana and Augustina.

Football is of all times and places, but we agree with Mandela:
Football is the sport of Africa, also of PCC!

Joyce, a Joy for the Community
(16th June 2010)

A beautiful aspect of Hand in Hand is the fact that children with all kinds of restrictions, mainly mental, but often also physical restrictions, do form all together a very special Community, each member in this group has his or her own place and role. Our policy is not to look to the restrictions of the children, but we try rather to explore and develop whatever capacities and qualities they have. Especially here in the Community children should be able to be as they are and they should be able to live in a way they feel best.
That also applies to one of our children, whom I would like to highlight in my column this time, though she is someone who does not like to be a central person in the daily life of the Community. It’s one of the older children, Joyce, a very quiet person, literally and figuratively.

Joyce is about 17 years old and she has lived in Hand in Hand since 2003. Before that she stayed in the Osu Childrens Home in Accra, unfortunately nothing is known of her history before she arrived with us. Already for some years Dorcas is her capable Caregiver.
Joyce is most often a sweet girl with a charming smile. At the same time she is rather introverted, it is not someone with whom you can make contact easily. She is always present at the many activities in the Community, but likes to choose a position at the side, often first of all just observing. However, if she has examined the situation well and feels safe, then she gladly walks up to the middle or in fact through the middle. She then walks in the direction of the music group, along somebody speaking during a party or just moves to someone, who is praying in front of the group. She then follows her own path and walks most of the time through the middle again to another side. She certainly does not stay in the middle to catch everybody’s attention, that’s not how Joyce is.
Characteristic for her is a spontaneous, broad smile, which is frequently accompanied by loud clapping of her hands. If you hear that sound, then you know Joyce must be around! She also claps her hands when she is a bit nervous, apparently it is a way of dealing with her emotions. Her smile is mainly reserved for the pleasant moments, she shows it when she feels safe and happy.

Joyce doesn’t talk very much, but from time to time you can hear a typical cry of Joyce. She often approaches you spontaneously, will stand still just in front of you and will then look at you for some time in her special way. But at the moment you think you can make contact with her, may be by inviting her to give you a hand, then you can see her thinking for some time, after which in general she decides to walk on and go her own way.

Joyce is not a very “motherly” type of person, she normally just does what she likes to do, but on and off she walks with some of the other children. However, after some time and without a clear reason she can easily decide to go on again and start to do something completely different.

And nevertheless, Joyce really belongs to the Hand in Hand Community, with her beautiful, thoughtful and slightly introverted glance in the eyes, with her typical shouts of joy and with some special Joyce-steps, while clapping in her hands at the same.  
Joyce clearly feels at home in the Hand in Hand Community and fortunately she is hardly ever angry. So we can say rightly:
Joyce is a Joy for the Community and the Community is also really a Joy for Joyce!

Shalomina, a foundling found a new home!
(6th June 2010)

December 2008, just before Christmas. A child is left behind at the gate of the Shalom school, just beside the entrance of Hand in Hand. It proves to be a little girl of may be 7 or 8 years, with a physical handicap (a paralysis on the left side of the body with a fixed left foot) and moreover also a mental disability. After some discussion she is in the Community, was there any other choice, so close to Christmas?
Some investigations were done to trace her parents or the one who left her behind as a foundling, but that leaded to nothing. So she will stay in the Community and she is called Shalomina, after the place where she was found.

Shalomina initially often looked a bit worried and sometimes even frightened and she also speaks very little, but she seems to notice her surroundings very well. Anyway, it must be quite a shock for a child to be left behind just like that and to lose everyone and everything in just one moment, everything that was familiar.
She had a rather low weight when she arrived, but nowadays that is definitely quite different!
The first period Joyce was caring for her, later Christiana took over. Initially she received an old wheelchair for her mobility, but with the assistance of physiotherapists from the Netherlands she soon got her very impressive own wheelchair.

Shalomina feels more and more at ease, from time to time she will shout “Hey” if she wants your attention and she has a very ingratiating smile.
This year an exercise rack of bamboo has been made and especially Aaron and Shalomina are using it (and also the donkeys, because they like to rub their skin against the end of the bamboo sticks….).
Shalomina stands there early in the morning like a queen, with one hand on the bamboo stick, waving with the other one and a melting smile plus from time to time a clear call for attention.
I write: stands, in fact that should be: stood. Because last February Shalomina has been operated on her left foot (that happened only after strong insisting of Ineke, the doctors initially did not want to help Shalomina, because “she is disabled, isn’t she??” .....) and in March she has gone to Nsawam, accompanied by Christiana, to the orthopaedic rehabilitation centre (OTC) over there. Meanwhile she is there already for 3 months and she does very well, but the exercising will take her some more time, because her left arm is also rather weak.
By the way, I do have much appreciation for Christiana, who is already 3 months away from home, away from her familiar surroundings and from all her friends in Nkoranza. During these 3 months she has been caring continuously for Shalomina in Nsawam! Recently we had the opportunity to go and visit Christiana and Shalomina and it was heart-warming to meet them again. Shalomina has now got two legs in a POP and she tries to learn how to walk on the exercise racks.
Apparently the OTC stimulates her a lot, because she is now talking much more than before.
In Nsawam we also met a real celebrity, the 84 years old Rev. brother Tarcisius, who founded this OTC 50 years ago and over the years he created a rehabilitation centre, well known all over Ghana.

You don’t feel happy if you walk around in the OTC and you see all the people with serious handicaps, after amputation of 1 or sometimes even 2 arms or legs, or with other restrictions. But you become very happy when you experience the atmosphere and the entourage over there! The patients surely are very positive about the fact that they can work on their rehabilitation here, with professional assistance and many expert tools. They often also receive simple prostheses. Sometimes this means a World of Difference for them, the difference between going through life either walking or crawling!
And we, we became very happy from meeting Shalomina, she was definitely very glad when she saw us and very proud on her POP. Let’s hope that the goals set (to learn how to walk) can be reached by her rather soon.
Shalomina, a very sweet child, a foundling, who has found a new home in PCC!

Queen of the Kitchen
(19th May 2010)

Most visitors of Hand in Hand will know the ladies working in the restaurant very well, especially Charity. Almost all visitors are very pleased with the quality of the delicious meals they can enjoy every day in our restaurant.
But what about all the residents of the hand in Hand Community? How do all our children and the young adult residents, including the Caregivers, get their daily food? All together that is a group of about 80 – 100 persons, many mouths that need to be fed a few times every day. That’s really a major job, so we are very happy that we are able to feed everybody every day again through the very simple Community kitchen, managed by our wonderful cook Janet. Some extra attention for Janet and her kitchen is more than deserved, so here we are!

Janet is serving the Community already since 1998, she is a real Senior. Apart from cook, she is also Caregiver, first she took care of John Adzo for some years, for the last few years she cares for Ayuba and Bright. However, her main task without any doubt is to see to it that everybody gets enough and good food and she performs this task with great dedication and lots of energy. Very early in the morning, between 4 and 5, her working day starts with preparing the breakfast, the corn porridge and only in the evening after dinnertime her task ends. Janet is really always present, apart from Saturdays, then she goes to Church (she is a member of the SDA), but except this, she is always to be seen in and around the kitchen.
The word Kitchen in fact is a big word for the very simple working area of Janet: a small area with some poles and lots of wire netting in between, to keep the animals (and the children) outside the kitchen and on top some roofing sheets, that’s all.
Since some time Janet is able to use a few gas burners (with gas from some gas bottles), but most food in our kitchen is prepared traditionally on a big wood fire, burning under various very big pots, it’s the type of pots where (in cartoons) white men in Africa always end up when travelling…….

As a result of the wood fire, it’s very hot in the kitchen (and Africa is already very warm…….) and often there is also a lot of smoke, so much smoke that your eyes will start to tear. But Janet is very happy and she is doing all kind of things here: peeling yams or plantain, boiling rice, heating the palm oil, processing vegetables and meat, cleaning the dishes and so on, all in big quantities, the people of Hand in Hand like to eat a lot!

In 1998 Hand in Hand had may be as much as 20 residents, nowadays it’s about 3 x more and because of that the job in the kitchen is much heavier than before!
During the last years Christiana Amissah, one of the other Caregivers, is assisting Janet regularly in the kitchen, but at the moment Christy is staying already for some months in Nsawam (taking care of Shalominah, who is there for revalidation), so Janet has to do it all by herself, luckily enough she gets help from some of the adult residents, like Zacharias, John, Bernice and Latif, they all have a task to perform in the kitchen, that’s part of living in a Community!
The fire wood is brought to Hand in Hand regularly by lorry and all food products are also bought or ordered by Janet, that’s also a considerable task.

It so beautiful that, despite the tough job in the kitchen, Janet is always a very positive woman, fond of laughing with a good sense of humour. For no gold we would like to miss her! You will understand the message: she is a true pillar of the Community. If you would ask her if she, after so many years of working in the kitchen, would not like to do some other work, she would tell you, from the bottom of her heart: I love my job in the kitchen!
And we, we do love Janet! We are very proud of all she is doing and very grateful for her continuous power of work and her art of cooking.

No Mercy
(9th May, 2010)

Once upon a time only a few years ago, in August 2006 to be precise, two twin sisters did post an application for a post as Caregiver in our Community and (may be you guessed already), both were employed! Beautiful and happy girls, at that time 21 years old and listening to the wonderful names of Grace and Mercy. Grace left us already in December 2008, soon after that she got married, but we were very happy that Mercy decided to stay with us and many of you will have met her during the past years as the charming right-hand of the also very charming Charity, our hostess. Both are cooperating nicely in our restaurant and when busy for the guests in our guesthouses. Mercy nearly always has a smile on her face and she knows exactly how to deal with the many foreign visitors, especially the many Dutch guests. By saying (in Dutch): ‘Enjoy your meal, Sleep well, So beautiful, Was the food delicious?’ and so on, accompanied by her disarming smile, she surprises all our (Dutch) visitors. In this way she also contributes substantially to the, often praised, friendly and hospitable impression that our Community is giving to visitors.

Besides that Mercy is also for almost 4 years a very good Caregiver, the proud ‘mother’ of Ahmed and Aaron. It might be a coincidence or not, but both Ahmed and Aaron are also very positive children, despite their handicaps and they really love their mother. Apart from the tasks already mentioned, Mercy also runs the shop of our Community, where the beautiful products from our sheltered workshop are sold, nice memories of our Community and visitors from all over he world love to buy these items. Mercy is also a very good and dynamic dancer, she is the type of person that can bring a party on a higher level on her own, when she starts to dance nobody can stay aside. Her whole body reflects the rhythm of Africa. Not so long ago Mercy suddenly was in tears and when we asked for the reason, it appeared that her sister Grace was admitted in the Hospital in Techiman and even before she got a phone message about this, she knew already something was wrong with her twin sister, that how it goes with twins, it seems! And then there is no other solution for Mercy then to go and visit her sister in the hospital as quickly as possible. Soon after that Grace recovered and was discharged from the hospital and so Mercy smiles again as always!

But this column is called ‘No Mercy’ and so you might understand that unfortunately something is going to happen. Indeed, Mercy announced her departure from PCC in April as per 15th May and so our Community, after first loosing Grace, will now also loose Mercy. Of course we do understand that she wants to go on with her life, she told us that she is going to follow a training on how to use a computer for 6 months. We have also understood that somewhere on the background there is a very nice young man (and we really want her to be happy), but all the same we will really miss her very, very much. So there we are: No Grace, No Mercy any more. Luckily enough Peace and Innocence are still with us in Hand and Hand. And Josephine is going to take over from Mercy in the Restaurant and in the Shop, here you can see both ladies during the introduction of Josephine in the shop.

Thanks very much, Mercy, for all you did for Hand in Hand. We wish you all the best and good luck for the rest of you life! May God bless you.

Local leaders of the Hand in Hand Community
(27th April 2010)

Of course everybody knows that Ineke Bosman was the leader of the Hand in Hand Community for many years, since 1997 she was supported in this work by her husband Bob Maram. Probably you will also know that Jeannette and I took over the leadership for PCC from Ineke and Bob by the end of 2009. We are doing so, not through a continuous presence in Ghana, but by travelling to PCC frequently, we are there every quarter of the year. Also last month we were present in PCC.
However, you might not know the other, local leaders of Hand in Hand in Ghana, so it’s about time that we do present them to you through this Alberts Corner. In fact, they are all very important to Hand in Hand and they are having the day to day responsibility for the various parts of PCC.

First of all there is Mr. Samuel Baffo, the man who “regulates” everything for our Community. He is already connected to PCC since 1995 and his contribution is without any doubt of great value. He is supervising the guesthouses and the internet café and apart from that he also supervises all building- and maintenance activities as well as the good functioning of facilities like the electricity and water supply.



Baffo is our liaison officer with the various local authorities as well as with the banks and he also takes care of all kind of necessary documents and supplies, from a pump for the borehole to an NGO certificate, in short he is really a very essential person for us and he has proven his big value for PCC already many, many times.

Also very important, but in a totally different way, is Mr. Joe Emma or Emmanuel Daasebre, the care coordinator. Ema is also with us for already quite some time, since 1999, he started to serve PCC as a Caregiver. He did this job so well and with so much overview, that he later became the coordinator for the care for all children. He is now responsible for the supervision on the around 20 (Ghanaian) caregivers + the 3 to 5 (European) volunteers.



Ema shows great dedication and has a lot of knowledge of all facts and aspects concerning the care in PCC, nothing escapes him when he is looking around, he knows everything of all children by heart. Wonderful!
During the past year he went elsewhere to get a training for his other job in the Hospital, but we are very lucky that he has succeeded recently, now he is fully available every day again for his important task for PCC. Ema might seem to be a very modest man when you meet him first and speak to him, but don’t get a wrong impression, he is really a VIP!
Baffo and Ema are also serving with me on the Board of PCC.

The third local leader, that I would like to introduce to you, is Mr. Paul Agyapong. Paul is still very young, only 26 years, and he joined PCC just 1½ year ago. He suddenly appeared on our compound, to the surprise of so many, to do his 1 year compulsory National Service here after completing his studies for Fashion Sciences(!). He then started to work in the Sheltered Workshop under Mr. Steven Phillips, brother of the SMA society, who supervised and leaded the workshop well until July 2009. Paul has since then taken over this task from Steven, his National Service developed smoothly into a service for and appointment with PCC, where he is now performing very well as coordinator for our Sheltered Workshop.

Ema and Paul are both very often participating in the drumming group under the leadership of Kofi Asare. No Ghanaian will ever feel punished when you ask him or her to play music and joining the music group during one of the many musical hours in our Community is definitely very pleasant, just look to Paul and Ema when they are playing.

We need everybody in our Hand in Hand Community and we are very proud on our three local leaders. That’s why we are giving them today special attention in this column! Please, meet our Ghanaian staff!

Just a weekend
(13th April 2010)

This first weekend after Easter is a nice opportunity to tell you a bit more about the weekend life of the Hand in Hand Community. All weekdays do follow a very structured pattern, from early in the morning (already before 6 AM!) until the evening, when the children go to sleep, around 8 PM. This fixed and structure day programme is one of the successful fundaments for the good functioning of our Community, it is very clear and creates security for the children. However, in the weekends the pattern is slightly changed. Saturday, for instance, is the “big washing day” for most of the Caregivers. This time the prelude for the weekend comes in the form of some very heavy tropical rain showers, which are preceded by the swelling wind and after that the rain showers are coming down with strong force. It’s always impressive and fascinating to witness, these tropical rain showers, the whole public life then comes practically to a standstill, everybody quietly waits on a dry spot until the rain stops.

It seems this Saturday morning the time has come to harvest the cashew nuts, which are growing in some trees on our “farm”. The fruits, which are carrying the nuts, are very tasty. The nuts do not yet look like the cashew nuts as you buy them in Europe or the US, but they already do have a certain value here. So all bigger boys, lead by caregiver Patrick, are searching for these nuts enthusiastically.

Talking about fruits, at the moment the mango season is also on its summit, it seems, this means that most children and especially the bigger boys are trying hard to gather as many ripe mango’s as they can find to eat ……… or to share with the smaller children, this happens surprisingly spontaneous and liberal! Everywhere on the compound you will find the mango stones and almost all children are walking around with a yellow colour around their mouth. What a luxury, all these tropical fruits. This Saturday morning, most smaller children are sitting down in and around the physio area, whilst Ayuba, Mabel, Kwame and Yaw Johnson are playing the drums in a rather slow rhythm for a few hours (!), creating a very pleasant African rhythm and gradually everybody, like Dede, starts to move along with this rhythm.

Ema Donkor is sitting separate with Quinten, who just had an epileptic fit. It is very touching and also charming, the way Ema is caring for the very helpless Quinten, it’s really impressive. Between 2 and 3 PM Jeannette goes into the pool for some exercises with Kofi Asare, this time together with Kwame Evans and Bright and Kojo Joseph “Runaway” is also participating on and off until he makes clear again why he had got his nickname! This is an existing ritual, started by Ineke Bosman with Kofi Asare, and so Kofi tells Jeannette exactly what kind of exercises she “has to do” with him and Jeannette added some new ones as well. Kofi enjoys this tremendously, he is such a positive man, this Music master of our Community. Sunday morning, as you will know since last weeks column in Alberts Corner, is the time to go to our own church and Sunday afternoon all children will go to the pool one hour earlier than on other days, so 3 PM, and after that they all patiently are waiting for a delicious meal of fufu, this is the meal most appreciated by nearly all our children. Under the leadership of the one and only Janet, who is running so well our simple, but very effective kitchen, the fufu is pounded by all male caregivers and as we have about 100 persons who like to eat the fufu, including the caregivers themselves, this means a big job that takes hours of heavy work. Today we eat fufu with chicken and groundnut soup, delicious. You are invited!

Easter
(4th April 2010)

Today the whole Christian World celebrates Easter and so does the Peace of Christ / Hand in Hand Community. Last Friday it was Good Friday, today it’s Easter and on both days all residents gathered here in the church of our Community. For those of you, who have never visited the compound of our Community, I like to tell you a bit more about our very special church area, recently renovated with the help of a donation of some enthusiastic visitors. It is really an extraordinary and sacred space with a unique radiation, despite or perhaps thanks to its simplicity.
In between some rock formations, each about 5 – 10 meters high, and under some beautiful mango trees, just behind the football playground, there is our marvellous open-air church.



The church has a long sitting bench along the wall on one side and in the middle, opposite the long bench, recently another and lower bench was created. A beautiful table, made of stone, is serving as altar table and the holes in the concrete flour have all been repaired. On one side of the more or less round church hall the music group is situated, of course under the leadership of music master Kofi Asare, on the other side close to and behind the altar table there is some place for the wheelers, those coming to church in a wheelchair.
This church is really a church for and from the residents of our Community, they play a central role during the whole church service. They are playing the music, they are also leading the prayers, but most of all they like to sing and dance here together to praise the Lord.
It’s really wonderful to see how some of the residents have picked up particular manifestations from church members in other churches. There is M’Afia, walking with her hands high in a Hallelujah mood and on other moments many residents, like Latif and Bernice, will cover their face with their hands during prayers, until an enthousiastic “Amen” is heard, which is then responded with a very loud “Amen” by all others.



At another moment Kofi Asare pretends to be a dedicated TV pastor, who suddenly determined an evil spirit in Bright. Though Bright is not aware of any evil spirit, he plays his part without hesitation and starts to move wildly until he falls down on the floor at the end. It’s only then that Kofi Asare can chase the evil spirit away, of course with the support of all the very enthusiastic church visitors. Praise the Lord, Hallelujah, Amen and a lot of drumming as well. Then Bright walks back to his seat, fully healed and with a big smile on his face!
Time is not an issue in this church nor in any other church in Ghana, there is always sufficient time and opportunity for the special Ghanaian “worship and Songs of Praise”.
The Bible says: “When 2 or 3 are gathering in My name, I will also be present there”. Those of you who ever attended a church service here in PCC will have had the same experience: our residents might be mentally and often also physically handicapped persons, but here, in the church of our Community, in front of God’s face, they are just as everybody else, they are also children of God. Without any doubt His Spirit is also very present here.



Who, for example, observed the little Kwame Addai while dancing, will agree that also these children have received wonderful gifts and talents from God.
Praise the Lord, Hallelujah, Amen!!

In brief
(25th March 2010)

This time a number of short messages, to keep everybody informed about some developments concerning the Hand in Hand Community.

Shalomina has been operated in February in Duayaw Nkwanta Hospital on her fixed left ankle. For some weeks she was the proud owner of a very beautiful POP around her leg, in the mean time she has been referred to the Clinic of brother Tarcisius in Nsawam for revalidation. We are very curious to find out how and when she will return to our Community, we hope that her mobility might improve so much that she will be able to learn how to walk, it would enlarge her world so much.

Lisa, our dear Lisa with the beautiful smile, has also been admitted in the Hospital, here in Nkoranza, for a few weeks, because she was hit by accident by some hot water and through that she got some burns on her back. We are happy she is back home again in the Community and, evfen better, the wounds, have almost healed.

Toilet. Can a toilet have any news value? Well, that’s a good question. But we are very happy with and proud of the new toilet building for the children, this time situated in the periphery of our compound. Now the old and almost obsolete toilet building, near the Centre of our Community and now always free from some bad smells, can be placed out of order. When you might com on a visit one of these days, please feel free to admire and to use the new toilets, if you wish!

A laundry is coming! After the realisation of the new toilet building, the next renovation is approaching. Up till now all washings for the children and the guesthouses are down by hand and that is really a tough job, just think on the washings of a Caregiver with some children who are not yet neat. We are going to construct a separate building, with in it some robust washing machines and also a dryer, with its own water supply and a power stabiliser.
We are very grateful for the support of the foundation “Westland helps Africa” and Ilse for the realisation and also to the foundation “Aduard Helps / the G 8 building Group” for their support for the construction of the building. It’s great that so many people are often willing to help us, to achieve some important goals for our Community. If everything is ready, we like to show you the photographs of the laundry and also of the happy faces of the people, who are not forced to do all the washings by hand any longer!

Ineke and Bob. Ineke has recently moved to the Netherlands for a period of about 9 months and Bob will soon follow her to Scheveningen. It’s quite a change for them, after the emotional hand over in December there is now the physical goodbye to PCC and all the children up till the end of 2010.
Just before leaving Ineke received another Award, this time from the Bishop of Techiman for her long and outstanding services in the Hospital. A well deserved reward!

Jeannette and I are travelling to Ghana and PCC in 2 days time, after spending 2 months in Holland. We are really happy to go again and are looking forward to meeting the children, Caregivers, volunteers, Baffo, Ema and Paul again. Our Christmas angel from 2008, Yaw Balloon, is probably already waiting for us, just as the always happy Kwame Evans.

So the next contribution for Alberts Corner will come from Ghana again.
See you!

Hey, I’m also there!
(11th March 2010)

One of the less conspicuous children of Hand in Hand is Aaron, a boy of about 10 years, who joined our Community in 2006. Aaron is spastic with a disturbed motoric system, he is also slightly paralysed in his legs and he has an intellectual handicap. Aaron doesn’t speak, he can’t control his bladder and he sits (or rather: hangs) in his (beautiful!) wheelchair most of the time.

Aaron likes to slide down from his wheelchair and to move forward on the ground, though crawling and swinging, very slowly and rather uncoordinated. Ineke once called him “Spiderman” and I think this is a very nice expression for his way of moving and his (hyper)flexibility. Aaron likes to try and make contact with other people, but often he doesn’t succeed. He is not able to run towards you, despite the fact that he would love to do so, and as he is also limited in his movements and in his expressions, he tends to be overlooked, at first sight he also seems to be less “sweet and lovable” than some of the other children.
This might all be true, but that doesn’t stop him from having a smiling face most of the time, despite everything he seems to enjoy his life. He lives with Mercy, who cares for him and his “brother” Ahmed very well. For some time now the physiotherapy people have created a bamboo exercise bridge for walking. The 2 children who are using this bridge every day, Shalomina and Aaron, are always willing to present you their most adorable smile when you are passing by, Aaron is often also reaching out for your hand. And once he has got hold of your hand, he will not easily let it go!

Aaron is standing there every morning and sends out his message to all people passing by: “Hey hello there, please take also my hand”. At one moment I could not resist his hand and the longing in his eyes any more. Aaron speaks hardly, but his longing way of looking and his hand stretched out very far are making clear that he also want to be part of it, it is as if his hand and his eyes are saying: “Hey, I am also there”! Since then I started to walk with Aaron for a while every morning. That means practically that you have to lift him and keep him lifted up all the time, either by holding both his hands high or lift him under his armpits, while he is trying to walk, making all kind of strange and touching movements. It’s unbelievable how much energy he is giving for his, objectively spoken, rather poor walking movement and how beautiful and proud he can smile about his performances.

I found a “walker” somewhere, but unfortunately it’s too low for him, and with this Aaron is now often exercising, but he slides away all the time. But we are very happy, as we know that from Holland (with thanks to our physio support team!) a nice and fitting, stable walker is on its way to Aaron. His world would open up and he would enjoy it so much, if may be once he could move more independently and although the experts are not very optimistic on this point, I believe that Aaron has enough perseverance to enable himself to walk independently one day, even if it might look very spastic and uncoordinated. But who cares?? With this Aaron is somehow a symbol for the Hand in Hand Community: this Community is not about all that these children can’t do, no, we are trying to help and stimulate all children in such a way that they can reach out for their personal top! Come on, Aaron, walk on, move on, you are also there!

Where are my shoes
(24th Febr. 10)

One of the most striking residents of Hand in Hand / PCC is, without any doubt, Emmanuella. For those of you who don’t know her: she is born in Nkoranza Hospital a bit more than 5 years ago and soon after that she was adopted in our Community. Unfortunately Emmanuella was born with some severe handicaps, even so severe that her parents were not able nor willing to accept her as their child. For Ema came into this world without arms or legs and because of that she always depends on aid from others, for almost everything in her life. It is really painful when you meet her for the first time and then try to reflect on the fact that she has no choice but to cope with these very big handicaps during her whole life. She can’t eat nor drink by herself, she can hardly move herself forward, she can’t go to the bathroom herself, she can’t dress herself……, she can’t do anything like that.

Since her entrance in our Community she is cared for in a lovely way by her Caregiver, we better say her “mother”, Joyce and apart from that many others in PCC are always willing to assist and care for her. In fact, it would not be bold to state that Ema is even a little bit spoilt. During the first years of her life, Ema was always carried on the back by Joyce and apart from that, she could only lay down or, only with somebody’s help, try to sit straight. But nowadays Ema can roll herself very fast and handy and she is also able to come up from laying down to a sitting position almost without any help, though the position is a bit unstable. Mentally Ema seems to be quite normal and so, since August 2009, she attends together with Stephen a normal primary school, the Nation Builders School and although this is a private school, the Headmaster is kind enough to allow them to attend his school free of charge. And the other children in school are also very kind for Ema. Luckily enough Ema has a positive character, but she clearly has also her own strong will. She can’t run away, but if she doesn’t like something to happen, then she produces a very loud and clear “No”, there is no misunderstanding possible. She likes to sit in the pool or to enjoy the water in a bucket. She is also learning to make maximum use of her mouth and lips. To exercise the muscles of her mouth and lips she often has a balloon between her teeth, whereby she inflates and deflates the balloon all the time.

Hey, don’t forget me During the new year celebration this year, all children and caregivers received some nice new shoes, all donated by Crocs. Everybody came to look for a beautiful and fitting couple of shoes, at least that’s what we thought. But at a certain moment we heard that Ema was very sad, because she was wondering why she did not get some of these nice shoes, like everybody else?? We were fools, we thought that giving some shoes to Ema wouldn’t be very appropriate. But Ema had a complete different idea on that point, for why would she be excluded, if everybody is receiving something nice…..? And so it happened, Ema demanded to be given her full and righteous place in the Community, at such a moment she wants to be treated like all other children and so she also wanted to receive “her shoes”! It was a “very touching” moment, may be even symbolic for Ema’s life. She will never be able to function “normal”, due to her handicap, but that doesn’t mean that she can’t be treated like everybody else, and so it is!!

All is well that ends well: on this photo we see a smiling and happy Ema, together with her new shoes, which she is wearing like a necklace. Isn’t it a wonderful picture? Go, Ema, go, you will need your strong will very much during your life!

Where is the car? Where is the key?
(14th Febr. 2010)

Although primary focus of PCC is on children, by offering good care and providing a safe shelter for mentally handicapped children, there are nowadays also quite some residents of PCC, who really can’t be called “children” any more, or, if so, then only in a biblical way (see Matth. 18): “we should all become like children”! The children of the Community become older and bigger every year, as all children do and as the result of good care received. Some of them are living here already for many years and because of this we don’t only have children, but also quite some young adults as residents of PCC. And some of these residents didn’t come as a child to our Community, but they only joined us when they were already young adults. Today I would like to tell you a bit more about one of these adult residents of our Community. For sure every visitor to PCC has met him and they will also know his great love for cars. Saying this, it is obvious to most of you that I’m writing about Dela, who is now about 40 – 45 years old and who came to PCC only 7 years ago, from the Psychiatric Hospital in Accra.

Bob Maram once told me that he really enjoys the situation, when some new visitors arrive by car at PCC and when they meet, almost predictable, Dela as one of the first persons of our Community. Dela will welcome them most of the time at the gate with the message that they have “a very nice car”! It takes visitors at least half a minute, sometimes even more, before they realise that Dela is not the Director of PCC or so (or may be he actually is, but nobody took the trouble to inform me about this……..?), but one of the residents. He is always very friendly and interested and he also has his very special own linguistic usage. Dela is really famous for his way of talking, often speaking in short and clear sentences and with his own, special rhythm of speaking. Eelke, one of the Dutch volunteers, who is active in PCC at the moment, wrote this in her weblog. I quote: “I’ma go for your house”; “Oh accident, oh solly”; “Oh, don’t cly”; “Where is Jesus? He is there for my heart”! “I’ma pray for you: Oh Holy Father, please help us in the name of JESUS, Amen!” “What izzities, this one?” or, when he is a bit angry: “Don’t mind him! ” and we also should not forget this one: “Lettemisee”. It seems that Eelke has decided to take Dela along with her, when she goes home later this year, of course we will prevent her from doing so!

At least 10 – 20 times every day Dela will come to me and ask: “Where is the car” (even if the car is only 10 metres from where we are) or he will ask, with a slightly different question: “Where is the key”? For, you have to know, far more than looking to your car, Dela likes sitting and driving in the car and he knows that you will then need a car key. You can’t offer him a bigger pleasure than inviting him to join you in the car, he will then definitely smile from ear to ear! And immediately after that he will start to operate the windows of the car and tell you once more that this is “a nice car, a very nice car”. Dela is also active in the sheltered workshop, there he even earns a few Cedi’s every month. All his money is saved in a moneybox, for he is saving for…….. his own car, of course, what else? Paul Agyapong, the workshop coordinator, writes down every month the total amount of all savings and also the various goals the workers are saving for and for Dela he writes the same statement every month: “He is saving for his car and he wants to drive the car himself!”

From my car dealer I collected this week already some nice brochures, with many very nice pictures of new cars. However, Dela saved just 100 Cedi’s until now (= 70 Am. Dollar), so he has to continue and saving his money for some time………. So for some time, when you meet Dela, you can hear him asking: “Where is the car, where is the key”??

I AM GOING TO COME
(29 jan. ‘10)

The Ghanaian language is truly full of many nice expressions and also some beautiful proverbs. I will give you a few examples of this, just to underline my statement, like: “Being in power is like holding an egg! If you keep it too firm, you will squeeze it and if you hold it too loose, it will drop down out and break”. And what to say about the interesting question of a driver, who wanted to know where he should park the car after a day of travelling: “Where is the car going to sleep tonight?” And a nice Ghanaian way of expressing, that you didn’t meet somebody at his house when your tried to visit him, is: “I came to meet your absence!” And what more should we say about the meaningful words, that you can find here, just a small plate of a motorbike: “Gods decision is the final, no appeal”!

And we could continue like this for some time with more examples. One of these nice and often very simple but clear expressions is very applicable to me at the moment, as I am using it today (= 28th January) very often. Today happens to be the last day of my presence during this period here in the Hand in Hand Community. I arrived here in the middle of December, together with Jeannette, and in 2 days time I hope to return to Holland, after staying for 6 weeks in Ghana (Jeannette left here already some weeks ago, as her work started again in Holland), to travel to Nkoranza rather soon again by the end of March, together with Jeannette. For this situation the Ghanaians have created a very nice expression, at least in my eyes: “I’m going to come”! Very much to the point and very clear at the same time! And so will I leave here tomorrow, for the first time in my new responsibility as Director of this wonderful Community, I will go back to Holland for some time, as will happen more often in the future, we will travel to Nkroanza about 4 times a year, “coming and going”. This is what we agreed upon and in this way there will even be some more space for the Ghanaian leadership of the capable Baffo, the caring Joe Ema and also for young Paul, the workshop coordinator. Truly, these 6 weeks have been very special to me, first of all with all the unique PCC Christmas - and New Years party’s, including the magnificent Christmas play and all this at itself is already special enough. And on top of that there was this time of course also the Handover Ceremony and since then I have been very busy with all kind of activities, connected to my new task, including preparing a Plan for the year 2010, preparing the budget 2010 and many more interesting things. This period of 6 weeks has passed so fast and it really feels good to experience that I am now a real and full member of this unique Community. Of course, it’s good to go back home to Holland for some time and to meet all my loved ones, but at the same time I will miss our new “home” and our new family members here in Nkoranza very much and very quick, despite all contacts through telephone, email and internet. For some time now I can’t see the wonderful smile of Lisa, no deafening crying of Kojo “runaway” Joseph or the drumming of Kofi Asare or Kwame to be heard. No walking tours early in the morning, no fufu of Janet on Sunday, no braying donkeys close to the window of our sleeping room, no sudden and surprising smile of Joyce or a beautiful laugh of Kwame Addai.

But I am very happy and privileged, for our next period of staying in PCC will be there very soon. As I already said: “I am going to come”!

YOU NEVER WALK ALONE
25-1-2010

Every day again, one of the most beautiful hours of the day in this Peace of Christ / Hand in Hand Community, at least in my eyes, is the hour between 07.00 en 08.00 AM, that is the hour of the early morning walks over the curling path, that surrounds the centre of the PCC compound.

At exactly 07.00 AM the whistle is blown (No African time here) and soon after that most of the children and the caregivers start walking around. Almost everybody walks anticlockwise, except caregiver Gifty, who walks with Alice in the walking aid and she also has Dede and Cynthia, each on one side. Gifty always walks clockwise, some people are always trying to go the opposite site…. Soon and without any doubt you will meet Yaw Balloon and Pakor, you can’t separate them when walking and Yaw is always pulling Pakor a bit forward. When you meet them for the first time, they will both shake hands with you and Yaw will also present you with a very nice smile, but when you meet them for a second time, they will just pass by, greeting you once will do…. This first active hour of the day is a real nice moment to say “Good morning” to everybody and that’s exactly what happens. It’s also an opportunity to hear the latest stories and so I heard, some day last week, that during the past night nearly nobody slept well, just because almost all of them were alarmed from 02.00 AM on via the Ghanaian cell phone connection (the “blessings” of modern, fast communication are also widely available here….). During that night the rumour was spread through the whole of Ghana that the country would also be hit seriously by an earthquake, just like Haiti, and because of that rumour a major part of the Ghanaian population did spent that night on the street, afraid as they were that they would be buried under the ruins of their houses….. Its is well noticed here that nearly nobody walks alone. Almost all children and caregivers are walking with either two or three and an empty hand is soon catched by the hand of another child, that also likes to walk with you. It might be the hand of the bold Kojo Patrick or the small Kwame Addai, the hand of the shy Mariella, the quiet and soft Yaa Yaa or the affectionate Amma, they and many other children would also like to walk with you.

I myself am waited for every day by Ahmed, who is running towards me just after the whistle, shouting loudly and happily a somewhat twisted “Hello” and then he always grasps my left hand. Soon after that Kwame quickly comes to me as well, demanding the other hand and despite his poor motoric functioning he often succeeds, before anyone else can grab my right hand. And then our morning ritual starts. First we start to greet Abena, who is often sitting in the “Disco” and after that the tension rises: would Maame and Papa already be sitting outside, by the rock? Yes, we are lucky, Ahmed has seen them and another loud cry is heard after he recognises them and soon we leave the path to go, greet and shake hands with Ineke and Bob. And on we go, via a wide curve to Mr. Robert, who is waiting for us in his wheelchair and at last we move on fast, to the kitchen, to greet Janet cordially and also on a loud volume. After all you better stay very good friends with the one, that prepares your food everyday again. And again we continue our walking with a rather quiet speed for the rest of the hour, as we meet and greet all others. In this way every morning again the group of those living here moves on quietly, in peace and harmony.

And, while walking around like this hand-in-hand, I often hear a song coming up in my head (I would say: even despite the hooligans…..). It’s a song coming from an old musical (Carousel), with a well-known melody, a melody like a hymn and with some good lyrics as well. In fact the words of that song do match very well with the philosophy of PCC and its children. For we know how difficult the road of life has been for many of these children, before they finally found a safe heaven, here in PCC. How dark has been their past, what horrible things might have happened to them in early life? Abandoned, unfortunately: yes, very often. May be also abused or maltreated, who knows the ugly truth of all of them? The daily walking on the compound takes only an hour every morning, but figuratively we are walking here continuously Hand-in-Hand with all the children, day after day, year after year.

Whatever has happened with them in the past, they are now happy and privileged to live in such a safe and protective, stimulating and warm surrounding, they are now valuable members of this wonderful Community. And there I hear, if I like it or not, once more the words of that song in my head and softly I sing: Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart, for you never walk alone, you never walk alone! Is it just imagination or do I really hear the hooligans, singing not too far from here….??? It could have been a nice motto for PCC: You never walk alone!

The Spirit of PCC
january 2010

It was really very impressive and also emotional, that ceremony on the 29th December, when Ineke handed over the leadership of PCC to me, Albert. In her last column, on the 1st January, Ineke already wrote a lot about this special ceremony and today, in the first episode of this new column, “Alberts Column”, I also like to bring you back to that evening. Anyone, who knows Ineke well, will also know how much love and how many emotions are connecting forever Ineke to PCC and one could really feel this, nearly even touch this during the handing-over ceremony.

It made this evening very special, also in connection with the many impressive stories about the past and the presence of PCC, the sensitive and loving song of all caregivers bidding farewell to Ineke and of course also through the nice and fitting presents, made to Ineke and Bob.

For Jeannette and me, the most memorable moment of the evening was, without any doubt, the moment that Ineke took the “invisible” but very present “Spirit of PCC” in her hands, to hand it over to me very carefully and with the urgent request, or should I even say the obligation, to handle this Spirit with great care.

A happily accepted, but far from easy responsibility. The Spirit of PCC is unique, delicate and precious and has been created with great love and care over the years. It is this unique Spirit, that may people experience as very special, often to their big and pleasant surprise, when to come to visit PCC for the first time (or, like others, for time to time again). It is also this same Spirit of PCC, that made Jeannette and me say “Yes” to the request of Ineke to take over her role as the leader of PCC. It took some thoughts though, definitely, as it was a very honourable request, but also a request with many, many consequences for our lives and our family. But at the end we just could not resist the Spirit of PCC!! And after a year of warming-up on the sideline, taking up already some responsibilities since last July, we finally reached this point: PCC says goodbye with a big Thank You to its great founder, its Maame, who created and cherished the Spirit of PCC for so may years and PCC also says goodbye to Bob, who supported Ineke for 12½ years so loyal in various ways, in particular on financial aspects. Of course this is not a real farewell, for they might have decided to step down after a good job done, but naturally they remain members of our Community, they will still be part of the PCC family where they have now risen to the status of wise grandparents. Jeannette and I will now make a full start with our new task in Ghana, a country that we know so well and love so much. It will not always be easy, but one thing is sure: we will carefully cherish the Spirit of PCC, as a precious in heritage from Ineke. How things will go with us ànd with the Spirit of PCC you can follow from now on every week in this Alberts Corner. Thanks for all the good wishes from so many people we received when we started with our task for PCC. From PCC in Nkoranza we wish all of you a very happy 2010!