The 2012 Spring Fellowship Program has officially begun! After a slightly delayed flight, our first Spring Fellow, Chelsea, arrived in Accra tonight and was greeted at the airport by our fearless leaders, Shak and Sam! Everyone is safe and sound at the guest house, resting up for the exciting three weeks to come!
Nick, Rich and Colleen all arrive tomorrow and after one more night in Accra, the whole group will hop on the bus and head to Tamale. We are so excited to get to work!
We are very excited to announce the two awesome Fellowship Leaders that will be helping us run the 2012 Summer Fellowship Program: Ben Powell and Hudson Cavanaugh! We are so happy to have these two guys join our team this June – the Summer Fellows are going to be in great hands! Without further ado, meet Ben and Hudson:
There’s a good chance you’ll see some Virginia gear around the CWS office this summer, since Kate and I are both Wahoos! I was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and am now Fourth Year at UVa. I’ll be graduating this May with a degree in Computer Science, and am so excited and honored to be given the opportunity to return to Ghana as a Fellowship Leader this summer.
It’s been nearly two years since I traveled to Ghana as part of CWS’s first Fellowship team, and I’ve been able to tell that the Fellowship Program has changed quite a bit since my Fellowship Program in Summer 2010! My team consisted of five people instead of four, and we were the only CWS Fellowship team in Ghana that summer. Peter and Shak worked closely with us to help my team open CWS’s 7th water business, located in Wambong. The World Cup was on TV just about every night we were there, and we adjusted our schedules whenever possible to see either Ghana or the United States play a match. You can imagine how much fun it was when the two teams actually played against each other in the Round of 16!
Since my Fellowship, CWS has expanded to 35 villages, changed offices, and hired several full-time staff members and fellowship translators. When I heard CWS added the Fellowship Leader position, I was excited and anxious to return to Ghana to play a bigger role in an organization that has not only affected me personally but also 20,000 Ghanaians who now have a permanent, safe source of drinking water. Watching CWS grow has been fascinating, and I’m convinced that the CWS model not only works locally but is sustainable, which is a key attribute of successful global development. I can’t wait to be a part of the growth this summer as CWS expands to even more villages.
I couldn’t be happier to return to Ghana with the new Fellows and be a part of the Summer 2012 Fellowship Program. I will never forget my experience in Ghana two years ago, and cannot wait to see what the Summer 2012 Fellowship has in store. Enjoy the next few months, and see ya’ll in June!
-Ben
It has been less than a year since I’ve been back from Tamale working with Community Water Solutions, but I’m eager to go back. I’m a rising junior at Middlebury College with a major in Political Science and Latin American Studies and, after the CWS program is over, I will be working with an organization called Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM), a student founded group dedicated to lowering the price of life saving drugs by working with research universities across the United States.
The reason I’m proud to be working with CWS is not just all the incredible people I’ve met through CWS, but because the structure of the fellowship program accomplishes two important goals: it creates sustainable clean water projects around Tamale that provide clean water to entire communities, and it helps create waves of informed, responsible global citizens who I hope will go on to do great things. I believe it is our responsibility to be aware of our privilege and use the power and access that circumstance has given us to fight against global injustice such as extreme poverty and lack of access to clean water. One way I intend to do that is by working to ensure that this year’s fellowship program is safe, fun and, hopefully, as impactful as my own fellowship program.Ben and I are going to do our best to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible throughout the program. If any of you have any concerns, questions, or simply want to trade some emails, please feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected] I’m looking forward to meeting all of you!
-Hudson
We’re only 8 days in, but so far March has been a very exciting month for Community Water Solutions! As many of you know from our constant emails, Facebook updates, tweets, and blog posts, the applications for our 2012 Summer Fellowship Program were due on Monday. We’ve got a big stack of applications from some pretty awesome people. We can’t wait to learn more about these potential Fellows!
But thats not all that’s been going on behind the scenes at CWS…we’ve had some other major changes in the works that we have been dying to share!
First, this awesome lady as officially signed on as our new West Africa Regional Director!
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/37308505 w=400&h=225]
Rules of the Road from Kathryn Padgett on Vimeo.
For the past 9 months Kathryn has volunteered for CWS as our Ghana Country Director and has done such a wonderful job. This June she will officially join our full-time staff to help CWS plan and manage our expansion to other regions and countries in West Africa (and beyond!) We are THRILLED to have Kathryn join our team full-time. We know that she is the perfect person to be leading our operations in Africa!
This month we also welcomed Mr. Amin Mohammed to our full-time field staff!
Amin has been a Fellowship Translator for CWS for the past two Fellowship Sessions. He has an incredible work ethic, a passion for helping his country, and a great attitude! He has always received rave reviews from his Fellowship Teams and from the villages where they have worked. As a member of our full-time field staff, Amin will be responsible for monitoring our villages, finding new communities to partner with CWS and translating for Fellows when they are in Ghana. He is a great addition to our team!
Amin is taking the place of another Fellow Favorite, CWS field-staffer TJ.
Last summer TJ graduated from Tamale Polytechnic and and this month he is started his national service year. In Ghana, students who graduate from an accredited tertiary intuition are required by law to do one year of national service to the country. We are SO PROUD of Teej for his academic accomplishments – he is the first member of our Ghanaian staff to pursue higher education! He finished his degree while also working full-time, which is no easy feat! Lucky for us TJ will still be based in Tamale so he’ll be helping us out from time to time when we need extra help translating, monitoring, or doing other work in the field. We are very sad to lose him for the year, but we are confident that he is going to do great things for his country!
-Kate
The information sessions are kicking off to a great start! Check to see where we’ll be near you and come out and learn more about the Fellowship Program!
2012 Spring Information Sessions
University of South Carolina Wed. Feb.22nd at 6:00pm in HESC 114
University of Florida Wed. Feb.22 at 7:00pm MCC 0100 (McCarty Hall C Room 100)
George Washington University Thurs. Feb. 23rd 3:00-4:00pm in Ross Hall 237
Florida State University Thurs. Feb. 23rd at 5:30pm in Bellamy Room 207
Middlebury College Fri. Feb.24th at 12:30pm in the Hillcrest Orchard
Tulane University Mon. Feb.27th at 12:00pm in Tidewater, Room 1210
Tufts Mon. 27th at 5:30pm in Anderson Room 206
University of New Orleans Tues. Feb. 28th 1:30pm
Boston College Wed. Feb.29th at 6:00pm in McGuinn Hall 521
Colby College Thurs. March 1st at 7:00pm in the Miller Library 014
TBD: Connecticut College, Georgetown
What are you looking for in a CWS Fellow?
CWS is looking for CWS Fellows who are self starters; passionate about social innovation and sustainable development; take initiative; give and absorb constructive feedback; take pride in their work; approach problems with patience and pluck; dedicated to constant improvement; put self and team on the same plane not ahead of them, help others to become better, and who are open to new learning all the time; have the highest personal integrity; and approach projects with passion and professionalism.
What is the application timeline?
Applications for the 2012 Summer Fellowship Program are due on Monday, March 5th at 5pm EST. CWS will announce the Fellowship Finalists by Friday, March 9th. If you are selected as a finalist, a member of the CWS team will interview you (via phone) sometime during March 12th thru the 16th. CWS will announce the 2012 Winter Fellows on Monday, March 19th. If selected as a Fellow, you will have until Friday, March 23rd to accept or decline your position in the program and send back a signed copy of the CWS Fellowship Program Fundraising contract. On Friday, March 23rd we will announce the Fellowship Teams and send you the contact information for your other three teammates!
We will be accepting applications for the Fall Fellowship Program on a rolling basis with a final deadline of July 31st. A rolling deadline means that the earlier you apply, the earlier you will be notified if you are accepted and the more time you will have to fundraise for your fellowship fee. If you are interested in coming to Ghana this Fall, apply now!
The Winter Fellowship Program will follow a similar timeline as the Summer Program and the Spring will be similar to the Fall program.
Is there any way to extend the fellowship? (i.e. to meet internship requirements)
Because the fellowship ground work is only 3 weeks long many students ask if they can extend the fellowship to count for things like internship credit. CWS considers the fellowship to be a 3 month commitment. The ground work in Ghana only lasts for 3 weeks but your responsibility as a Fellow begins as soon as you accept the fellowship. As soon as you accept you have 9 weeks to raise the $3,000.
If that doesn’t suffice, you are more than welcome to extend your “fellowship” longer than 3 weeks but CWS only takes care of the organization of the actual CWS Fellowship program portion. We have had many fellows find plenty of research opportunities in Tamale or to continue back home in the U.S. All those arrangements are not put together by CWS and are the fellow’s responsibility.
What is the average age of a CWS Fellow?
The average age of a CWS Fellow is 21 years old, but we typically have Fellows ranging in age from 18 to 35 years old.
What if I don’t raise the $3,000 Fellowship Fee in time?
You will be given 9 weeks to raise funds to cover your Fellowship Fee. If you are unable to raise enough funds to cover the entire Fellowship Fee, you will be responsible for covering the remaining balance before traveling to Ghana. However, once you return home, you will be able to continue to fundraise and CWS will reimburse you for any additional donations that are made on your behalf.
What is the money that I raised used for?
The Fellowship Fee is used by Community Water Solutions to cover the cost of your team’s in-country expenses. These expenses include your in-country travel, lodging & food, your project costs (project materials, water quality tests & lab materials, Fellow training & educational materials, translator salaries, and transportation to & from your village), as well as the long-term monitoring costs of following-up with your community after your team leaves Ghana. The Fellowship Fee does not cover your flight to Ghana, your travel vaccinations or Visa fee.
What if I raise over $3,000?
If you raise more than the required $3,000, the extra funds will be donated to CWS to help us grow the Fellowship Program so that we are able to offer this opportunity to more young people in the future.
Can I fundraise for my flight?
You are more than welcome to fundraise for your flight and have many of our fellows have been able to accomplish this goal. However, this must be done separate from your Fellowship Fee Fundraising and donors must make their checks out directly to you, instead of Community Water Solutions. Funds donated online to CWS through your fundraising website may not be used to pay for your flight.
How much is the flight to Ghana?
The flight prices can vary greatly depending on the season and your departure city. The average price is $1,200, but typically they range from $900 to $2,000.
How do we treat the water?
As your fundraising takes off you will be frequently asked specifics about “What will you be doing?” Having a little pitch put together is usually the best idea. Fellows are the face of CWS and it is important you can explain what you’ll be doing when you are in Ghana. I put together a common conversation that takes place:
I am going to Ghana this Summer with a small non-profit called Community Water Solutions that brings cleans drinking water to rural villages in Ghana.
Wow! That’s really cool! So do you like, build wells?
Not exactly. In the region where CWS works, you can’t drill wells because there are not a lot of non-saline groundwater sources. What CWS does is work with communities that are currently using surface water sources, like ponds and rivers, and help them set up for-profit water businesses. CWS trains the women from the village how to use products that are available in the local market to treat water and make it safe to drink. They then sell that water to members of their village at an affordable price and use the money to sustain the business. All of the revenues from the businesses stays in the community- we don’t see any of that money. We fundraise all of the capital equipment to build these water treatment centers, and train the women to run them, which takes about a month, but then they are completely run by the community and CWS just visits to monitor and check up on them.
That’s really awesome! What products do you use?
We will use only two products—alum (aluminum sulfide) and chlorine. The alum is a coagulant works to remove the dirt particles and chlorine disinfects the water.
What are the top 5 things I should pack?
1. Bug Spray
2. Bandana/Hat
3. Snacks (granola bars, trail mix, candy, peanut butter, or anything else that packs/travels well)
4. Sunscreen
5. Books or fun card/travel-sized Board games.
What is the weather going to be like?
November thru May: Hot and very dusty. It can be a little chilly in the mornings and at night.
May-June: Transition from dry season to wet season. Chances of rain.
July-August: Hot, extremely rainy and muddy.
September-October: Transition period from wet season to dry season. Chances of rain.
What vaccinations do I need?
The only required vaccination to enter Ghana is the Yellow Fever vaccine. CWS also requires all of our Fellows to take anti-Malaria medication during their trip.
There are many other vaccinations recommended by the CDC for travel to sub-Saharan Africa. For the full list, please visit their website: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/ghana.htm. The list of recommended vaccinations is about halfway down the webpage.
The cost of your vaccinations varies based on what you need and the coverage you get through your insurance. To get a better idea of the cost, reach out to your primary care provider.
How much money of my own should I bring?
It depends whether you are going to do much traveling before or after the Fellowship Program. We usually recommend that Fellows bring about $200 in cash, which is more than enough to cover any gifts/souvenirs that you may want in the market and a couple dinners out (if you choose to eat out instead of eating at the guest house) but will not cover the cost of extensive post-trip travel. Do not bring travelers checks, they are not accepted by any store or vendors in Ghana. You can exchange your money when you arrive in Ghana – the counter is right by baggage claim at the airport. If you do end up needing more cash while you are in Ghana, you can use your American bankcard to withdraw money from an ATM. There are plenty of them around Tamale and they are very easy to access (Barclays, EcoBank and Standard Charter each have multiple branches in Tamale).
Can I bring things for the children in my village?
If you have extra room in your suitcase, feel free to bring along candy, toys, clothing, shoes, books or anything else that you, or your friends and family would like to donate to people in your village. The kids especially love soccer balls! The only thing we ask is that you wait until the end of your trip (either on opening day at your water business or on your last day in the village) to give things to people in your community.
Where will I be staying once we are in Ghana?
When you are staying in Accra you will be staying at a Chen Lien Hotel.
When you are in Tamale you will be staying at Gillbt Guest House. You can read through the CWS Blog to see some pictures of past Fellows on the Gillbt campus.
What is the food like?
Gillbt guesthouse does a great job of preparing food that is safe for us non-Ghanaians to eat. However, there is not much variety! Packing an extra snack or two is definitely a good idea. Also, while the cooks at Gillbt try their best to accommodate dietary restrictions, they are not used to cooking for vegetarians/vegans and there are very little non-meat protein options for them to work with in Ghana. If you do not eat meat, definitely pack other sources of protein that you can snack on (nuts, protein bars, peanut butter, etc).
Will I have running water?
Yes. Each room at Gillbt sleeps 2 people and has their own bathroom—sink, toilet, shower.
Can I drink the water there?
Gillbt provides water filters that you can use to filter the tap water. Other than that you should only drink bottled water, which is widely available in the area.
Can I do laundry?
Gillbt will do your laundry for about $ 7 (10 Ghana Cedis) per basket of laundry. They will provide you with a laundry basket in your room. If you dropped off your dirty laundry basket at the reception desk in the morning, it will be ready by the next morning at the latest.
Is there much down time?
Yes, although you will be working hard and spending a lot of time in your village, you will have some down time to relax at the guesthouse, go into the market, explore, go on a run, etc. Most Fellowship Teams end up going to their village very early in the morning before it gets too hot (around 5 or 6 am), and are back from the field around 1 or 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Dinner and the “Daily Debrief” are usually around 6:30 or 7 so Fellows typically have a couple of hours of downtime in the late afternoon and are then free for the night after the Debriefs are finished.
Where can I travel to after the fellowship?
While Ghana is a great country, there are not a lot of big tourist-y sites to see. Depending on your water business implementation goes, you may have one day to explore on a day trip outside Tamale.
If you are trying to factor in a few days before or after the trip, most Fellows choose to go to the Cape Coast to see the forts or to Takoradi for the beach. While CWS can make travel and guest house recommendations, we do not coordinate the end-of-trip or post-fellowship travel. We would recommend picking up the Bradt Ghana Guide Book: http://www.bradtguides.com/Book/120/Ghana.html.
Check out where we’ll be and come out to learn more about the Fellowship Program and ask questions! Email me, Sam at sderrick@communitywatersolutions, if you are interested in CWS holding an information session at your school and don’t see if on the list!
2012 Spring Information Sessions
Georgia Tech Thurs. Feb. 16th, 2011 6:00pm in Mason Room 142
University of Virginia Mon. Feb. 20th at 6:30pm in the Newcomb Gallery on the 3rd floor of Newcomb Hall
University of North Florida Tues. Feb 21st at 4:30pm in the Career Service Building 2, Room 1100
Virginia Tech Tues Feb. 21st at 7:00pm in McBryde 113
MIT Tues. Feb. 21st at 3:00pm in 4-145
University of South Carolina Wed. Feb.22nd at 6:00pm in HESC 114
University of Florida Wed. Feb.22 at 7:00pm MCC 0100 (McCarty Hall C Room 100)
George Washington University Thurs. Feb. 23rd 3:00-4:00pm in Ross Hall 237
Florida State University Thurs. Feb. 23rd, location TBD
Tulane University Mon. Feb.27th at 12:00pm in Tidewater, Room 1210
University of New Orleans Tues. Feb. 28th 1:30pm
Boston College Wed. Feb.29th at 6:00pm in McGuinn Hall 521
Still to be Determined– Connecticut College, Middlebury, Louisiana State University,Colby, Harvard, Georgetown
Attention college students, grad students and recent grads! Applications for both the Summer and Fall CWS Fellowship Programs are now available online! The summer program will be taking place in Tamale, Ghana from June 5th – 26th. Applications are due on March 5th at 5pm EST. The fall program will also be held in Tamale, from October 10th – 31st. Applications for the winter program will be accepted on a rolling basis, with a final deadline of July 30th. The earlier you apply for the Fall program, the earlier you will be notified if you are accepted and the more time you will have to fundraise for your fellowship fee!
Questions? Email Sam at [email protected]. She will be happy to answer any and all of your questions and can also put you in touch with Fellow Alumni who are happy to chat about their experiences in Ghana!
Despa! Good morning to our friends and family. These last two days have been our final days in our village, Libi. We continued household monitoring to make sure all household buckets were working properly and that everyone was using their new, clean drinking water. Everyone in Libi had positive things to say about the water and almost all the households were storing the buckets off of the ground and using a special drinking cup. In particular, there was an older woman in the village who was especially grateful. She told us that she had been very sick of late and her doctor prescribed clean drinking water as her medicine. Because Libi is secluded and potable water is expensive, it was hard for her to follow this order. Since we implemented Libi’s water treatment center she will be able to take her medicine – clean water – everyday! We visited 70 households total! Today we also put up the CWS sign for Libi so that everyone who passes by the village knows it is part of the CWS program. We are very proud that we were able to sponsor Libi as the 2012 Winter Fellows!
After all the work was finished, we handed out clothes and candy to the kids. “Handed out” ended up being mass chaos so Wahab, our fearless translator, had to take over the distribution of shirts and lollipops. He thoroughly enjoyed himself! We all wish we could have given them more. We have all enjoyed our time in Libi and Tamale and have lots of fond memories to take home with us. On Monday it’s back to Accra.
See you soon U.S.!
-Whitney, Ashley, Jasdeep & Walter
I can’t believe that this day is already here! Early this morning, the 9 CWS translators and I waved goodbye as the two buses filled with the 2012 Winter Fellows pulled out of the Tamale station and headed for Accra. And with that, our biggest Winter Fellowship Program ever has come to a close.
Thanks to this amazing group of people (and the family and friends that supported their fundraising efforts!!), 4,500 people in rural Ghana now have access to safe drinking water. Before the Fellows’ arrival, every single one of these people were fetching their drinking water from highly contaminated, very turbid, surface water sources called “dugouts”, which are shared with the community’s livestock. These dugouts are man-made ponds that fill with rainwater during the rainy season, and sit stagnant during the dry months, getting more and more contaminated as time passed. Now these 9 new villages have permanent access to safe drinking water and 18 new women also have a new source of income – their CWS water business!
This session of Fellows were such a joy to work with! From day 1 it was clear to me and the rest of the CWS staff that they were a really special group. They were inquisitive and interested; passionate about their projects; extremely caring and compassionate when working in their villages; and, most importantly, SUCH a blast!!
Alex, Laura, Matt, Walter, Jasdeep, Ashley, Whitney, Zander, Michelle, Peter, Janelle P, Sarah C, Mark, Brianan, Larissa, Nate, Emma, Janelle T, Hannah, Lindsey, Asia, Luke, Kelly, Caitlin M, Katie, Brittany, Caitlin R, Boyd, Tim, Janna, Kristen, Sarah J, and Melissa,
Sam, Stef, Kathryn, and I have had such a wonderful time getting to know each of you! We all just can’t wait to see what amazing things you do with your futures. Thank you for spending your winter break with us in Ghana – you have helped change the lives of so many people!
Safe Travels!
-Kate
ps – I realize that we still need to post Team B’s “voices from the field.” Their post is currently with them, on the bus to Accra but we will get it up soon! Don’t worry Ashley, Jasdeep, Walter and Whitney’s family and friends, you will hear their story soon!
