Children, parents and teachers helping with a rebuild of the Good Foundation School in Ghana, where a group of three tradies from Gisborne are heading to help out in June.
Children, parents and teachers helping with a rebuild of the Good Foundation School in Ghana, where a group of three tradies from Gisborne are heading to help out in June.
Three Gisborne tradesmen are heading to the African nation of Ghana to put their skills to use for a local school.
Storme Curtis (a carpenter), son Quinn (electrician) and Sean Spence (plumber) will travel the 16,300-plus kilometres to Tetrem in the western region of Ghana to help put a roofon the Good Foundation School.
The roof is the final stage of the 400-student school’s rebuild and Curtis said they would be there for about three weeks.
The trio’s contribution is part of Choose Love Ghana, a New Zealand charity co-ordinated by Picton-based teacher Jaimee Perrett, who has been visiting the country since 2014.
It is a case of better late than never for the Gisborne builders. They were supposed to head over there in 2020 during the rebuild, but were unable to go due to Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions.
“We’re going to build the roof structure, the trusses and hopefully cover it and get as much done as we can.”
Gisborne men Quinn Curtis (left), his father Storme Curtis and Sean Spence are going to the African nation of Ghana in June to help put a roof on a rural school.
Storme Curtis first learned about Choose Love Ghana through making a donation to its cause.
“Way back when Jaimee was first starting, she did a TV fundraising thing ... she was on the news ... and my wife saw it. We’ve donated to a few things, so we donated $50.”
The couple received a letter of appreciation, photo and gift from the organisation.
“This little kid named Christian was holding the letter and a friendship band and saying ‘thank you very much, the whole lot’s going to go towards our school’ ... he’d signed the bottom and I thought, ‘wow, I’ve donated a lot of things and for just $50 we got all this ... the bracelet and the letter and the photo of Christian’.”
He decided to contact Perrett and see what more could be done. As it turns out, there was plenty more. And here they are.
The Gisborne crew are looking forward to the experience and immersing themselves in the local culture.
“We’ll be in the heart,” Storme said. “We’re not going to any tourist package or anything like that, so we’ll be seeing Ghana for Ghana.”
A child helping out with building at the Good Foundation School in Ghana.
Perrett is travelling there with her nearly-4-year-old daughter.
“I arrive two days before them on the 11th of June with my daughter and the rest of the team, including the Gisborne guys, they’re all arriving on the 13th of June.”
The flight will be followed by a lengthy journey, starting from the capital city of Accra.
“We’ll take a bus, which is about six hours, and I’ve suggested that we get on the bus at night-time because the roads aren’t so busy and there won’t be so much stopping and starting,” Perrett said.
“Then we’ll get to a city called Kumasi and from there we’ll get on a trotro, which is their public transport ... it’s basically an old van with lots of seats welded into it.
“We’ll take the trotro to another village and then from there, we’ll probably take a taxi to Tetrem.
“I’m mostly looking forward to seeing the kids in their classrooms,” Perrett said. “It’s been on my mind for six years and to see them sitting in those rooms at their desks will be it for me.
“I first went there in 2014 through an organisation when I graduated uni as a teacher. I went over for just over three months and stayed with this family that we’re going to visit ... now I call it my second home.”
