Eight people from UNISON Sheffield Teaching Hospitals branch have recently completed a ten-day trip to Ghana, aimed at supporting young people with education opportunities.
The trip came about when a member of the branch who is originally from Ghana raised concerns about the difficulties faced by young people in the country, especially when pursuing further education.
When students are leaving secondary school, they are required to pay a fee (equivalent of £5) to complete their exams and get a certificate as proof of qualification. This fee means many are unable to get the certificate required to go into further education, or secure jobs.
Schoolchildren pose with the UNISON baseball caps donated by the UNISON delegation.
During the visit, the delegation visited a number of different schools, hospitals and clinics.
At one of the schools, which had over 1,000 students from nursery age up to school leaving age, the branch agreed to pay the exam fee for all students leaving this academic year. This means 119 pupils will have their fees paid by UNISON.
The branch also made donations to schools, including footballs, football kits, pens, pencils and UNISON baseball caps.
Members of the UNISON delegation pose with schoolchildren, with donated footballs and football shirts.
A defibrillator is also to be donated to the teaching hospital visited.
UNISON Sheffield Teaching Hospitals branch delegate Gareth Canetti-Sharp said: “This trip was my first visit to West Africa, and it’s one I’ll never forget.
“The time we spent in rural areas really opened my eyes to the realities of a third-world country – but I also saw first-hand how happy and positive so many of the children in the country are, dancing and laughing.
“Ghana is a very peaceful country and made us feel very welcome. International work is always good to get involved with and teaches you that the little things we have here in the UK need to be appreciated more.”
A lesson underway in a school classroom visited by the delegation.
As part of the visit, the delegation also met with the Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU), which faces similar issues and has similar values to UNISON, around equality and representation for women.
The trip is the latest international work undertaken by the branch, after previous work in Cuba, Kenya and Zambia.
UNISON Sheffield Teaching Hospitals branch secretary John Campbell said: “Trips such as the recent one to Ghana are a very humbling experience.
“Seeing the challenges faced by the people we meet makes you realise how much we take for granted – things like having a pen when you need it.
“But that’s why these trips are so important, and so rewarding. I feel proud that UNISON is able to make a difference to these people, whether it’s through donating a defibrillator or paying exam fees – or simply giving gifts of footballs and baseball caps.
“I’m proud of all the international work our branch has done so far – and I’m hoping there’ll be much more to follow.”
UNISON delegation and members of TEWU (Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union).
The work completed in Ghana is one of a number of projects carried out by UNISON delegates from Yorkshire and Humberside to improve conditions for those in economically disadvantaged communities.
A project in Zambia has previously contributed to the building of a college and university complex. This is designed to allow further education for all, regardless of whether an individual can afford the fee required to complete exams and secure a certificate.
UNISON also spoke to the Zambia president, Hakainde Hichilema, before he was elected, raising the issue of many female pupils missing significant periods of their education due to being unable to afford sanitary products. One of the first things he implemented upon election was free sanitary products in schools, after speaking to UNISON.
UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside regional secretary Karen Loughlin said: “These trips highlight that UNISON can make a difference for workers in the region, but they also demonstrate the solidarity of working internationally to offer support to others further afield.
“The activists who travel to help those in disadvantaged communities are a credit to the union, and the recent trip to Ghana is just the latest example of that.
“I’m incredibly proud of the projects undertaken so far, and I’m sure there’ll be many more reasons to be proud in the future.”
