Why the Mobile Peer Mentoring Project?

 “You will also be a drop out after some few years in senior high school so I am not no more going to waste my money” Yes these were the exact words from my dad when I approached him to send me to SHS in 2001.

Being the last born of ten, two sisters and seven brothers, I had this answer from my dad because only one out of my nine siblings had completed senior high school. Some drop out at the SHS level whilst others refuse to go after the JHS level. My dad’s stance to me was an indication of disappointment from the conduct of my siblings even though I promise him nothing of that sort will happen, he still insist.

I was much determined to continue education so I enrolled myself into Battor, SHS in the North Tongu district of the Volta Region hoping my dad will pay for my fees but to no avail so I have sneaked in and out of class for one complete term but had to drop out finally on the very first day the school started the first term examination.

Fortunately, one of my brother who has travelled to Afram plains for some time now came to visit and when I approach him to pay my fees so I can write my end of term examination, he told me he would not pay for my fees unless I stopped that school for him to send me to a different school of his choice, an opportunity I accepted wholeheartedly so I quickly packed my things and left with him the next day. When we reached his place of stay in the Afram plains that week, he told me since admissions have closed for that academic year I should help him with his chainsaw business so that I would go to school the following academic year which I agreed. Unfortunately his mind changed from me going to school to me learning the mechanic trademanship; a situation that do not sounded well to me so I have to go to the chief of the village who happens to be a close friend of my brother for him to plead with my brother to send me to school instead of the trade which finally worked out but on technical school only.

My first and second years as a motor vehicle mechanic student at Koforidua Technical Institute was smooth however the third was a tough time for me because my brother’s chainsaw job went down and I went through real hell to complete school but came out successfully and first out of 36 students. .

After high school I got an MTN credit card business popularly known as (space to space) job where I was being offered 15.00 a month, and after two months I got admission to pursue technician course in automotive engineering at St Paul Technical School in Kukurantumi, a suburb of Koforidua for two additional years because I needed these certificates before I could get admission to any polytechnics in Ghana.

Soon after completing these course I joined the space to space business again where I was able to save some money to buy Koforidua Polytechnic admission forms the following year and I was soo excited when I received a call that I got admission to pursue Higher National Diploma (HND) in Automotive Engineering however I was sad few minutes after asking myself these question “how do I pay for the fees?” since I was given only two weeks to pay or forfeit the admission. I thought over these for several days but there was no hope anywhere but I confided in a very close friend who agrees and lend me the admission fees so which I paid back later .

I walked a 15 minutes’ drive journey every day in my first year at Koforidua Polytechnic, and I got a bicycle from a friend later which I used for the whole of the second year period before I got a scholarship to participate in the Community Colleges Initiative Program in the United States of America for one academic year before returning to complete my third year course the following year. I went through a lot of challenges at Koforidua Polytechnic which could have hinders my performance but I never allowed myself to be controlled by those challenges and I completed with first class and was adjudged “Best graduating student from the automotive engineering department in 2012” I have been through a lot that was enough to make me a school dropout but this phrase was what kept me going on “determination today leads to success tomorrow” I wrote this phrase on almost all my exercise books and textbooks during my high school year.

In 2013, I was motivated by my own life story and my exchange program experience and initiated the Mobile Peer Mentoring project in my quest to make people benefit from my exchange program and to create change in the community and beyond. The goal of the project is to restore hope in undeserved high schools across Ghana that it doesn’t matter where ever they may find themselves, success is possible if they determine and persevere. The project also enable students to identify themselves (personality), their dominant learning styles which will help them study well and select programs at the tertiary level based on their personality type.  I wrote a proposal on it and submitted to the US Embassy and it was considered for funding. Considering the impact now and reciprocating effects of the project on the future of the students, the U.S. Embassy have since provided substantial funding which have helped mentored over 2,800 high school students directly and an unlimited number indirectly in 32 schools from 8 out 10 regions in Ghana and still counting.

http://todayghananews.com/2014/12/05/2857-students-benefits-cci-training/

I studied automotive engineering for eight (8) years and I am a master at it but I don’t enjoy working as a technician/engineer just because I was forced/compelled to pursue it. My one year study abroad had changed my life and helped me identified my personality and I am happy today working as a social entrepreneur.

My dream is to set up an organization “Mobile Peer Mentoring Foundation” to manage these life

changing project and build a state of the art learning center/mentoring center in ten years to come.

Week Twelve (11-12-2010) Journal

On the 12^th of November 2010, it was a bright Friday afternoon when we begun a trip to the Thomasville Medical Center with the purpose of learning the health system of the United States and to find answers to our numerous questions of which includes why health care is expensive?.  We were met on arrival by two energetic women who managers this wonderful facility. They took us through comprehensive presentations about what the facility had to offer its customers and also explain the systematic processes involved when someone needs their service. They could not explain to my satisfaction as to what causes the health care to be expensive until its time to tour the entire facility and after the one hour tour, I need no one to explain to me again looking at measures put in place, for instance the technology, the privacy, and the Nurses to patient ratio, etc. I felt like spending a night at the hospital just to enjoy some of the quality services they provide. It’s really a nice opportunity for us and we had a great time.

On the 12^th & 13^th November 2010, Younas, Faiz and I went to the North Carolina International Students Conference held at High Point University. The conference brought together international students all across the state for the two day event which includes various activities ranging from theoretical to practical and entertainment where I for the first time dance in a public. It is a wonderful experience and I will never forget it.

Monday 15^th Nov. 2010, the international education week celebration week kicks off of a powerful speech from the keynote speaker who is surprisingly a Ghanaian- American citizen who lives in New York. Shortly after his speech, Akua and I was schedule to make a presentation about Ghana which start at 12:30pm, it was the first official presentation for me but the second for Akua and I was very excited about the success of this event since both of us work tirelessly in preparing for it. The attendance was great and we also met their expectation for the day and that makes me happier.

 

Week Eleven (11/4/2010) Journal

Thursday Nov. 4^th 2010, we learnt a new thing in our global leadership class as we practice a skit we were planning to perform during the international education week on DCCC Campus. The skit when completed will make me playing a role of someone from a Muslim religious family who wants to marry a Christian girl whose parents are not in agreement. As the battle continues it’s now left for my fiancée and I to convince our parents on why they should allow us get together. I just can’t wait to see myself on stage. It was amazing as we finished our first practice on a successful note with the help of our global leader Ms. Rebecca Parker.

Saturday Nov. 6^th 2010, my friends and I went to a football game between Wake Forest and Boston College in Winston Salem. We were taken there by the Student Service Staff of DCCC including the director of international education, Ms. Suzanne Laventure. We had a great time all together as we played new games whilst waiting for match. We were presented by a DCCC sweat shirt by Dr. Mary Rittling, the DCCC president which we all wore to the game and it makes uniform. We did have a wonderful time however; our team Wake Forest lost the game at their ground in the full glare of his supporters. In the night we were told to turn our watches one hour backwards before we sleep and I decided to wait to see how the computers will change automatically, unfortunately I dozed off so soon and I didn’t see anything.

Monday Nov.8^th 2010, as I got outside my room whilst waiting for Ms. Elaine to pick us up for college that morning, I could see gases coming out my nose whiles breathing which was a surprise for because I knew even in the winter times those gases comes out when you talking but I never saw any through the nose, however I was happy in the sense I will be seeing the snow which I was waiting for so long in some few weeks but the temperature keeps going up this week and I asked myself what kind country is this that they have their everything unique and very different from other countries in the world. This question remains a mystery whilst I try to find answers to it.

In my automotive class I drove a car for the first without any difficulty and this made me proud of myself because I can feel I was able to apply the classroom technology practically on the field.

Week Ten (10/21/2010) Journal

Saturday Oct. 23^rd 2010, we went to the 27^th annual Bar B’Que festival in Lexington with one of the mentor families by name Ms. Beth Parrot and her husband. This year’s celebration is on the team ‘Racing’ so sand was used to create an artifact of pigs racing with a car as a symbolism of the celebration. We walk around downtown Lexington and saw all what were on display at the festival and other activities, such as life band music performed by some famous artist of this great city. We saw lots of artifacts of pigs which were decorated to signified  that the festival is celebrated in honor of the city’s being the best and extra ordinary maker of Bar B’ Que in the State and the U.S.A. as a whole. There were over hundred thousand people in attendance and lots of restaurant participating in the festivals make all kinds of Bar B’ Que with other dishes from pork.  There was a U.S naval army on attendance trying to use the opportunity to recruit people into the army and I was lucky to participate in one of the recruitment exercise which earns me a U.S naval branded cap.

We were then taken to the mentor family’s house in the afternoon where we had the Bar B’ Que dinner with her whole family, this makes it very interesting to me because it gave us another opportunity to interact with them and share something’s we all have in common.

Sunday, Oct 31^st 2010, was a day set aside in celebrating festival in the U.S called the ‘HALLOWEEN’ signifying the beginning of darkness and also the return of the dead to the earth (saint day) as the believe of some religious denominations. This make people dressed in scary, funny costume and wear mask with the view that should the dead/ghost returned then they are not going to be identified since they looks like the ghost itself.  Children’s were also dressed in these costumes and they move door to door asking for what is termed as ‘trick or treat’ meaning you either gave them candies or they trick you with your courtyard being made dirty by throwing all kinds of stuffs that are used in the celebration.

In my anticipation for the day, I returned home from a Halloween dinner organized by a member from Church of Christ for Akua and me and waited in my room with my candies hoping someone will knock at my door for trick or treat but to no avail. Well it is good to celebrate this as a way of making the children have fun however some religious denominations associated this festival with evil spirit and therefore banned their children and congregation from these fun activities.

Friday, Oct. 29^th 2010, a lady who is a DCCC staff picks up for shopping at Wal-Mart in Thomasville, whilst I went in to do my shopping she was in the car with the engine running and the air conditioning and radio on waiting for me. When I returned, she told me her car just stop running and will not start again, well she at that time it was almost 7:30 pm and darkness was in already and I could not see anything then I remembered I just bought a small flash light so I went to open the hood and allow her start again for me to see. After thorough diagnosis with the knowledge about car I was able to isolate the problem because at that time I don’t have any tool or instrument. I requested she bought a new battery and we went in to get a new battery right from wal-Mart to replace the old one and then the car start without any problem. I was excited about this because this was the first task or problem I have solved alone without any assistance and I’m proud of myself.

Week Nine (10/14/2010) Journal

Thursday 14^th Oct. 2010, my colleagues and I visited the American children’s home in Lexington as part of our community / voluntary service work. We went there to abreast ourselves with the aim and goal of operating such a wonderful house. We learnt a lot after having a about two and half hours of interaction with both the inmates and the managers/ caretakers of the home, the inmates share their experience of being away from home and their aim of being there and we also did the same by sharing with them some of the important cultural differences and they really happy to learnt about how life outside the United States. I was surprised to hear that that the home is not run as a foster home rather as a means of correcting certain misbehaviors of teenagers between the ages of 12-19 years. The home also serves as a training centre where inmates had the opportunity to learned new skills and other stuffs. It was a pleasure and joy for us to share our life with these children to learn about their experiences from their home.

Thursday 21^st of Oct. 2010, we had a potluck dinner at the conference center which brought together our mentor families and other DCCC staff who are in one way or the other helping and supporting us to have a better and refreshing life on campus as well as in America.

There were a lot of foods of different variety which gave us an opportunity to taste new foods from different cultural background. For instance, I ate for the first time a Macedonian food which I like very much and this was prepared by Dr. Irina Petrovska who is  a Fulbright scholar from Macedonia. We had a lot of fun as we interact with each other and the happiest part of was when we have to dance to a song which none of us present was aware of, however it turns out to be a great moment as I was asked to start whilst others follow.

Wednesday 20^th Oct.2010, our instructor in the automotive technology class to us to a manufacturing plant in Thomasville where most of the components of the vehicle specifically the engine is produced.  It was amazing to see how this component are being machined to a precision where you can even imagine how possible could that be happening. The instructor and some of the students could not hold their feeling and they said and I quote ‘I am surprised to see this kind of technology happening right here in Davidson County’.

I also had a lot of fun during the fall fest organized on campus this very day, I had a chance to edit my favorite’s Hollywood actor and replace with my face which looks exactly as if I am the real person who took that picture.