September 2023, Ghana

Project Nunana was created to complete the work we had begun at Retca School through Project Retca.

In 2022, Village Projects Foundation constructed a new library and computer laboratory for the school. The next challenge was to fill those facilities with the books, computers, furniture and educational equipment required to make them genuinely useful.

The plan appeared relatively straightforward: collect the donated resources in the UK, load them into a shipping container and transport everything to Ghana.

In reality, it became one of the most difficult, stressful and frustrating projects I have ever undertaken.

From beginning to end, the shipping process was terrible. The container was delayed by approximately 12 months due to some issues on the ground in England. On top of this, the space who had agreed to store the supplies so generously at the start, needed their space back and were growing inpatient with me. I was told for the past 4 months that the container would be taken to Ghana, "this week".

Alongside these problems, the final costs were substantially higher than the original quotations, communication was often extremely poor and new problems seemed to emerge whenever we thought we were close to completing the delivery.

It was an important lesson in the difference between collecting donations and successfully getting them into the hands of the people they are intended to help.

Over time, we had accumulated an enormous quantity of educational resources. The container included more than 65,000 books covering different subjects and reading levels, alongside 25 computers, a projector, monitor screens, desks, chairs and other equipment for the school.

The generosity behind these donations was incredible. Individuals, schools, businesses and other supporters had provided resources that could transform education at Retca School. However, every additional donation also had to be sorted, stored, packed, documented and transported thousands of miles.

Shipping such a large quantity of equipment internationally was far more complicated than I had anticipated.

The container was supposed to provide a practical and cost-effective way of transporting everything together. We received quotations, made plans and expected the resources to reach Ghana within a reasonable period.

Instead, the delays continued for around a year.

The financial side became equally difficult.

Additional charges appeared at different stages of the journey, and by the time the container reached Ghana, we had already committed too much time, money and donated equipment to abandon it.

This placed the charity in an extremely uncomfortable position. Every additional pound spent on shipping, customs and unexpected fees was money that could not be spent directly on projects. Yet refusing to pay could have meant losing access to an entire container filled with valuable donations.

The experience became even more challenging at the Ghanaian end. The agent responsible for assisting with the container demanded payments that appeared to me to be bribes. Whether these were described as facilitation payments, unofficial charges or something else, the reality was that we felt pressured to pay additional money to keep the process moving. Whatever the agent chose to call them, they were very clearly bribes.

It was completely against the way I wanted Village Projects Foundation to operate. At the same time, the container contained thousands of donated books and pieces of equipment intended for children at Retca School. Walking away would have meant abandoning resources that so many people had worked hard to provide.

That conflict made the situation particularly difficult. We wanted to protect the charity’s money and principles, but we also had a responsibility to do everything reasonably possible to ensure the donations reached their destination.

I decided to pay the renegotiated amount of the bribe from my own personal finances. Although the situation wasn't ideal for me, it kept the principles of the charity in tact and meant that no-ones donation was paying a corrupt official.

When it finally appeared that the container might be released, I travelled to Accra to oversee the next stage of the process.

Unfortunately, I arrived during a period of serious unrest. There was shooting taking place in parts of Accra, and the atmosphere felt extremely unsafe. Rather than continuing with my original plans, I took refuge in a hotel close to the embassy until I could better understand what was happening.

Sitting in that hotel, unable to safely move around the city and still uncertain about the container, was one of the lowest points of the project. We had already endured a year of delays and escalating costs, and I had travelled to Ghana believing we were finally close to completing the delivery. Instead, the situation had become even more uncertain.

Eventually the shooting stopped. We were told that the container was ready to be transported from Accra to Frankadua.

We believed the end was finally in sight. After everything that had happened, the books, computers and furniture were apparently on their way to Retca School.

I was told the delivery wsa on the road. Then, communication stopped, and the people responsible became uncontactable.

For a period, we did not know where the container was, what was happening to it or when—or even whether—it would arrive.

Trying to locate a shipping container filled with valuable equipment in another country, while receiving little or no reliable information, was incredibly stressful. The resources did not belong to me personally. They had been donated in good faith, and I felt responsible for ensuring that every possible item reached the children for whom it had been intended.

Eventually, after another period of uncertainty, the container finally reached its destination.

What should have been a 5 hour drive from Accra to Frankadua had taken around 22 hours. The sense of relief was enormous when it finally arrived.

After approximately 12 months of delays, rising costs, demands for additional payments, unrest in Accra and periods of complete silence, we were finally able to unload the donations and begin stocking the facilities at Retca School.

The transformation was remarkable.

The library received more than 65,000 books, covering a wide range of subjects, genres and reading abilities. For students who had previously experienced extremely limited access to textbooks and reading materials, the collection opened an entirely new world of information.

There were books for younger children taking their first steps in reading, alongside more advanced materials for older students and teachers. The library could support classroom education while also encouraging children to read independently and explore subjects that interested them.

The computer laboratory was equipped with 25 computers, a projector and additional monitor screens. Desks and chairs were also provided so that students could use the facilities comfortably for individual learning, formal lessons and collaborative work.

This was particularly significant because, during my first visit to Retca School, I had attempted to teach Computing to children who had never used a computer. Lessons had to be delivered theoretically because the technology simply was not available.

Through Project Nunana, those students could finally sit in front of a computer and begin developing practical digital skills for themselves.

The project brought together the two stages of our work at the school. Project Retca had created the physical spaces; Project Nunana gave those spaces their purpose.

The resources also gave teachers far greater freedom. They could use books to broaden their lessons, encourage independent research and accommodate students with different interests and abilities. The computers and projector created opportunities to make lessons more visual, practical and engaging.

Eventually, we discovered that we had actually sent more books than Retca School could reasonably use.

On a later visit, it was wonderful to learn that the surplus had not simply been left in storage. Retca School had shared some of the books with other schools in the surrounding area, allowing Project Nunana to benefit children beyond the original destination.

That was one of the most satisfying outcomes from the entire project. After all the difficulty involved in getting the container to Ghana, the resources were not only being used—they were reaching more communities than we had initially planned.

One of the more unexpected moments of the trip came when the village elders invited me to become a guardian of Frankadua. I was presented with handmade wooden sliders, an enormous beaded necklace and a wooden walking stick carved with an elephant. I was then invited to take part in a private ceremony with a member of what I understood to be the village’s royal family.

During the ceremony, he opened an unlabelled bottle containing something that tasted suspiciously like white rum and began speaking in Ewe. Every so often, he would say my name and look towards the sky. After about five minutes, he handed me a small wooden shot glass and poured some water onto the earth.

“Let God take care of you,” he said, before pouring me a shot and asking me to drink it.

He then continued speaking in Ewe before stopping again and saying, “Let God take care of your family.” Another shot followed. The process continued with blessings for my friends, work, health and other parts of my life until, by my count, I had consumed approximately six shots of whatever was inside the unmarked bottle.

I did not understand most of what was being said, but the importance and sincerity of the ceremony were unmistakable. Being invited to become a guardian was an enormous honour and reflected how deeply our relationship with Frankadua had developed. I had first arrived as a visitor hoping to help at the school; I was now being entrusted with a formal place within the community.

From what I understood, the position also came with a small parcel of land and permission to take as many as five wives from within the tribe. Neither benefit has proved particularly useful so far, but the necklace is excellent.

The ceremony was funny, moving and unlike anything I had previously experienced.

Looking back, Project Nunana was unquestionably successful in terms of its eventual impact. Retca School received an extraordinary collection of educational materials, a fully equipped computer laboratory and the furniture needed to make both facilities operational.

However, I would never pretend that the process of delivering the container was enjoyable.

I hated doing the container.

It consumed far more time, money and energy than we had anticipated. There were moments when we did not know where the donations were, whether the costs would continue increasing or whether the resources would ever reach the school. The pressure of being responsible for such a large quantity of donated equipment made every delay and unanswered message feel even worse.

The experience taught Village Projects Foundation several important lessons about international shipping. Future projects would require far greater contingency allowances, clearer agreements, stronger local oversight and more detailed checks on every organisation and individual involved in the supply chain.

It also taught us to look beyond the apparent value of a donated item. A book or computer may be given to a charity free of charge, but transporting, clearing, storing and distributing it can cost a significant amount of money. In some circumstances, purchasing resources locally may be more economical, more sustainable and better for the local economy.

Despite everything, seeing the completed library and computer laboratory made the struggle worthwhile.

The children of Retca School gained access to tens of thousands of books and modern computing equipment. Teachers received tools that could transform the way they delivered lessons. Surplus resources were shared with other schools, extending the benefits across the surrounding communities.

The container took around a year longer than expected, cost considerably more than quoted and caused more stress than almost any other project we have completed.

However, it eventually carried thousands of opportunities into Frankadua.

I may have hated the container, but I will always be proud of what was inside it—and of the difference those resources continue to make.