numero uno – My expat life in Ghana, Africa

MY PROJECTS IN HELPING BEACON HOUSE :

After giving zumba lesson My second aim was to find and research donators from expat community and other sponsors with companies:

As you may know, I am graduated in Marketing and Communication so I could use my experience for a good cause.

I proposed Romana to find some partners to help the orphanage with its everyday needs which are mostly having food and pay for school for the 20 kids (school is expensive an not free like in France !)

I first began to ask my own friends who had tall kids and do not used anymore their clothes, shoes, toys and teddy bears… I started to collect things to redistribute to the orphenage like this with always good intentions and love. An very very soon, within 2 weeks, with word of mouth (or god?!), mothers from french school started asking me on morning when leaving their kids to school, what the orphenage needed so that they would give to me.

I started to be the link between donators and Beacon House and I was happy that french expats (mostly women) had confidence in me and “my” orphanage Beacon House without seeing anything but just believe in myself. And, most of all, I was not only given clothes but also bed for baby, a bathtub, highchair, a stroller and food which was the most needed for everyday life and follow the link to see their need for food to feed 20 people to feed in Beacon House !!!!

I’d like to THANK all of YOU by taking now this opportunity to tell you again:

THANK YOU ALL, MY FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES OR ACQUAINTANCES FOR YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS WHATEVER BIG OR SMALL, GIVEN WITH HEART, WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE POINT.”

Thank you Lova, Brigitte, Noreen, Pauline, Marine, and Maria, my 6 closest relation friends from Accra and also my spouse – : I will never tell you enough times how much I LOVE you and how you are important in my everyday balance-

Thank you to make me always believe in myself, who supported me when I lost faith last week, and gave me both material help and food like Brigitte who still prepare with LOVE, and above all fresh fruits “baby sauce” for baby Matthew who is nearly 8 months.

-“He enjoys it so much” told me Barbara, his “mother of heart“!!!

:):):)

I go on with saying thank you to my best friends from France, Caroline, Vanessa, Emilie, Cécile and Florence and others from all parts of France, who, even far from 4000km, even if I did not see these people from my primary or business school (Capucine, Hélène, Réjane, Sarah, Nassira, Virginie, Delphine, Claire…) , who still support and encourage me a lot from the begining and are waiting for me next week in Paris to give me also basic medecines, and material support… to Beacon House.

I will now say thanks to all mothers from french school, who I knew before being a volunteer ot not, who talked of me to their friends also from Accra or France :

Anne-Marie and Corinne – woman with such a big heart, who gave me hut , swing, huge boxes of pinapple, books and shoes, and even 3 rabbits !!!!!

And of course : my friends Mongia and Amy : who together , gave me the opportunity to do an amazing ” Beads activity” with beads bought from TK beads near Accra. And thanks Mongia for your listening and understanding especially during the last weeks…

And also Sophie L, (for all toys, rings, clothes…) , Clotilde M.G (thanks for the cosy, apple sauce for Matthew, ect…., Virginie F.S.G , who give me from France thanks to Stéphanie M medecines, but also a huge drawing map for all, it was so great !! Thanks Virginie for your support, you have faith in humanity, I ‘ll pray for you and family health with all my heart and conviction) , Floriane (for bathtub and clothes) , Marjorie (for the indispensable baby chair) , Suzel, (for giving her own clothes to the ladies working in the orphenage),

And also Myriam, Nathalie O.E, Sophie, Servanne, Madonna, Arlette and Frédérique for you listening and your donations too ( I hope not to forgot someone, if so, just tell me, I will add your name !!!!)

AND … at last but not least….

MY FIRST huge donator from Accra now : is the owner of “NUMERO UNO” shop (in Marina Mall).

Without these mothers, I would not have believed that I could find “more and more and more… donations from here and France and Belgium “, they gave me the energy to go on forwards till what occured this last monday, April 19th, with Numero Uno and its huge clothes donation, as you can read on my “projects for Beacon House” part.

I showed the mothers donators pictures of the kids with their clothes, playing with toys they gave, and sleeping in a brand new stroller. Everybody thanks me and were thanks back by Beacon House with a photo letter with thanks signature from the kids.

Why not trying to do even more now?

This wonderful spirit of generosity thanks to all expat friends and others made me think that many would like to help for one cause in which they believe it is good.

HERE ARE THE LATEST NEWS ACTIONS AND RESULTS :

One saturday, while going to the supermarket I enter in “Numero Uno” which is a clothes shop in Marina Mall in Airport area. It has from babys to women with different brands such as Zara, ect…

I was looking for Afia and Regina birthday present and I was served by the director, Vera, Who is a lebanese having 3 shops in Accra area.

Speaking with her, I explained her my needs and that the kids were the orphans from Beacon House.

She told me that she kwew someone too volunteer in another orphanage that she helps by giving her clothes that she more sell from old collection or with small defects.++

As she goes on, she talked me about her flooded warehouse which occured one month ago I think. Its clothes could no more be sold now in hers shops and so she would be pleased to donate it for a small and human size association as Beacon House. Clothes are in cardboard packaging 30 mn from Accra and I would just need a big pick up to take it all and resistribute to differnets orphenages.

I was so glad to meet her and hear her proposal !

I replied with big smile that I will do that : make a commitment personally so that I can show her it is well done and so that it benefits to the orphanage I am volunteer. First I would give some for them and after I would find other reliable small associations to also help other orphans with the help of Romana who has many contacts with small association helpings orphans in remote villages in different part of Ghana as you can the on the link beofre..

ANOTHER PARTNER FOR THIS DONATION

I asked my friends if one of them had a pick up explaining “Numero Uno” big donations.

One of them told me I should ask for Bolloré Africa Logistic pick- up , since I told you the wife of Ghana Bolloré manager used to be a volunteer for Beacon House till march 2016.

And the next day I had a positive reponse for that!

Everything was going perfect!

Then, monday, March, 18th, I went to the warehouse of Numero Uno with Bolloré Africa Logistic pick up, and take the big clothes donations!

I find friends to help us in washing some clothes each which have some wate task (I asked already on facebook and tahnks for all your “Yes” ). I’m so happy for that too!

Here are the steps through photos!

First, meeting Vera, Numero Uno manager shop, to go to her Warehouse outside Accra, with Bolloré pick up.