Our newest trustee – Geraldine Clarke is a teacher and head of Academic Development at Framlingham college in Suffolk. Her dream is to provide professional development opportunities for interested teachers in our schools in Togo and Ghana.
Geraldine travelled out to Ghana and Togo last month and her diary gives some fantastic insights into the charities work, below are some excerpts from her time in Togo:
‘I am one lucky teacher!’
“The main reason for going to Lomé for the weekend is to attend the Festival of Sport. This may well also be the right time to introduce Adam (Goble – Fendercare) in the way he needs to be. In a word – fabulous. To be part of Adam’s world is to be transported to place of constant energy and entertainment. Not just fabulous; absolutely fabulous! Adam supports the Futurestars cause passionately and practically. During the last year, Fendercare has provided enough money to pay for 8 teachers at the Cacavieli School in Lomé and to fund ongoing repairs at the school; in fact, as I write, a fence is being built that will surround the whole campus to keep it safe for the children. Most importantly, the help from Fendercare has enabled many more pupils to pass their end of year exams and therefore make progress in their education. Exactly what we want to achieve; brilliant!”
…”After the Festival, the Futurestars U15 football team has an additional match. The only feature of the pitch in common with any pitches that I have seen elsewhere in the world are the two goals. It is not only absolutely massive in terms of length but the heavy, sandy terrain is made horrible with black coal dust from the adjacent train line that transports coal. The train line runs through various shacks that are homes I would struggle to spend any time in let alone live in. It is difficult to fathom the life that can be lived in this way. However, as always, the smiles of the children are bright but for many of the teenage boys, their eyes are full of apprehension. This is certainly not helped by the youths with whips and sticks who, for some reason, have the right to keep the football audience in line. It is a world far from my own.
From here we travel to the Futurestars clubhouse; the difference could not be more stark. It is a true haven. This would be a wonderful place to spend time wherever you come from but is all the more special considering what we know lies outside its walls.
Raman, Futurestars project manager in Togo has secured this most wonderful space as a club house for the Futurestars footballers. There is a peaceful, spacious yard with large trees that provide vital shade for relaxing as well as a teaching space for further lessons after school. Inside there is large, cool ‘salon’ used for, amongst other things, pre and post-match team meetings, a screen for the analysis of their football performances but also somewhere for players to sleep and eat the night before a game. The small back rooms are offices, sleeping areas as well as washing facilities for kit. The top floor of the house has recently been roofed with corrugated iron (again vital shade) where there is space for gym work and playing games. The whole place is in direct contrast to the streets of Lomé; clearly a safe place for many children with the steady and kind pervasive influence of Raman and William. William seems to me to be a modern-day explorer and philanthropist. Brought up in France to wealthy English parents, he happened to come to Togo for what was supposed to be 3 months of voluntary work with a church. Eight years later, having set up his own football academy, he and Raman are now working together beautifully to provide opportunity for the young football players that come to their academy.”
