Angie's Ghana Go!

Durfee student recounts visit to Ghana as part of program - Fall River, MA - The Herald News

2009-08-17T17:43:00.001-07:00

Durfee student recounts visit to Ghana as part of program - Fall River, MA - The Herald News

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New Slide Show of Ghana Mission

2009-08-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

GHANA TEAM MISSION PICS

First Pictures from the Orphanage

2009-07-14T19:43:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone! Due to technical difficulties it has been impossible for Angela to send pictures on regular basis. Basically Internet, if one has it, is very slow. The best connections are at Internet Cafes, but for Angela to get there she has to have someone accompany her. She has been too busy. So tonight she was able to send me some pictures through Skype. Boy was it slow, but worth the wait. Angela loves working at the orphanage and spending time with Ghanaians. They are wonderful people. Her host mother, Abena is fantastic. Angela has even been able to have AFS friends over for a sleepover. Fun, great food, and no cold bucket showers! What more can one want! Angela said to us last night that you just cant imagine what it is like to not have running water - a reality for many Ghanaians. She will be sending more pics when she can - if she can. This is the last week at the orphanage. The final week will mostly be touring the country.

Oh and by the way, she did not get to see President Obama. She saw him on TV, just like everyone else. So enough talking! The pictures are of Angela and the children at the orphanage. The kitchen area you see with oven door falling off is the orphanage too. They are cooking on a pot over a fire. Most of Ghana is not like this, but rural Ghana is. Of course living in a shanty in the city is no picnic either. More to come! Click on the link below for a show.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40001381@N04/sets/72157621888994164/show/

Phil Allard

Angie's in Ghana

2009-07-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

I am posting for Angela since she has been unable to get onto the Internet from her host families' place or go to an Internet Cafe. She can hardly complain, though. She has a wonderful host mom , Abena, and has access to creature comforts that most of the other AFSers do not. These include hot running water for showers, running water for flushing the toilet, toilet paper, and other toiletries we take for granted. To top it off she has access to a chauffeur and a body guard courtesy of her host Mom to take her to and from places. Don't expect that back in the USA Angie!
What has affected her the most is the warmth and kindness of the people, the stark poverty, and the needs of the children at the orphanage. She has been taking pictures but said she has been unable to post due to the Internet speed. Every time she does its starts to crash. Taking pictures has been very difficult as there is a lot of poverty. Sometimes the moment just seems too private to take a picture. The children she says, are hungry for food and affection. They love to be held and they eat every meal like it is their first and their last.

Angela has been eating lots of fish, chicken and rice. Not so bad, but not a lot of variety. The fruit, however, is delicious! She always asks what we are eating. She did eat a kind of rodent (a delicacy I am told), a bit of ostrich and goat. Not your average meal available at KFC or McDonald's! Not likely to be had in the Allard household either! We told her she can have whatever she wants when she gets back. All in all it has been a great week. President Obama is scheduled to visit on Friday in Ghana. It is the talk of the country and all of Africa. Lets hope she can get some pictures posted. Until then some pre-departure pictures will have to suffice. Angela said she will try to post something tomorrow. Click on the link below for a slide show.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40001381@N04/sets/72157620980562019/show/

FIVE MORE DAYS!!!!!

2009-06-20T04:36:00.000-07:00

My host family is actually a host mother, Abena Amoah. She is a 37 year old investment banker living in Accra, the capital of Ghana. She seems very nice. Here is her picture. I am looking forward to staying with her!

Here is a typical daily schedule. We will be spending evenings and weekends with our host families.

8.00 – 8.30 am - Arrival of Participants at the IEP Office.
8.30 am - Bus Departs IEP Office for the Orphanage.
- Pick-up of Participants Along the Route.
- Brief History of the Orphanage.
10.00am – 12.00 noon. - Voluntary Service.
12.30 pm - LUNCH.
1.00 pm - Voluntary Service.
2.00 – 3.00 pm - Traditional Dance Lessons/Interaction with Kids at the
Orphanage.
- Presentation of Gifts.
3.15 pm - Participant Depart Service Site for Homes.

FALL RIVER HERALD NEWS - June 20, 2009

2009-06-20T04:14:00.000-07:00

Urge to help leads student to Africa

By Derek Vital

Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted Jun 19, 2009 @ 09:34 PM

While her friends are spending their summer vacations at the beach, movie theater or just hanging around, Angela Allard will be heading to Africa.

The honors student has just completed her junior year at B.M.C Durfee High School and will be spending a month in the West African nation of Ghana as part of the American Field Service Intercultural student exchange program.

Allard will be volunteering her services in an orphanage teaching children reading, writing and math, as well as participating in other community service-oriented projects.

Allard learned about the opportunity in February when she was on a tour of Bowdoin College in Maine. AFS had a booth on the tour and she inquired about the options in the program.

According to Allard, students can spend a semester, a full year or a summer in the program and can go to a number of different countries.

Allard chose Ghana because she has had a longtime interest in the people and culture of Africa. She hopes to become a pediatrician, so working with the children in the orphanage was of particular interest to her.

“I’ve always been interested in Africa,” said Allard. “A lot of the AFS programs were just visiting and language programs. This one was a mission trip where you could go into orphanages and help out. That is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Allard is leaving on Thursday and returning to Fall River on July 28. While in Ghana, she will be staying with Abena, a single woman with no children who works as an investment banker. There will be five other students from the United States and a couple of others from Asia in the exchange program. They will be assigned to their own host families, but Allard will get an opportunity to go on various excursions with the group at the end of her trip. She is also excited about a potential meeting with President Barack Obama, who is scheduled to be in Ghana on July 11 and 12.

Allard has spent a great deal of time raising funds for her trip. The tuition for the program is $6,900, which mostly covers the flights and some training sessions she is required to attend. Allard has raised $3,000 in donations from friends and family and local organizations like the Fall River rotary club and St. Anne’s Hospital.

Allard is anticipating learning about the culture in Ghana firsthand. She has never traveled outside of North America and is anxiously awaiting the experience.

“I think I will appreciate life in America more,” said Allard. “When you learn about other cultures, you learn that your way isn’t the only way. They may do things differently than we do, but it isn’t wrong, it’s just different.”

She is the daughter of Philip and Edith Allard and has a younger brother, Charles, who will be a freshman at Durfee in the fall. Allard is a member of the National Honor Society, ranks in the top 20 of her class and also participates in swimming and track. She hopes to attend Brown, Tufts or Boston University where she plans on majoring in pre-med.

Allard plans on blogging about her experiences in Ghana on www.angelaallard.blogspot.com. She hopes her experience will raise awareness of the conditions in the poverty-striken nation and also convince others to donate their time for worthwhile causes.

“I think youth should get more involved in community service,” said Allard. “It helps you appreciate what you have. It helps you become a better American.”

E-mail Derek Vital at dvital@heraldnews.com.

2009-05-13T14:07:00.001-07:00

Fall River Rotary Speaking Engagement - Thursday April 23, 2009

2009-04-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

On Thursday April 23rd at Noon I spoke before the Fall River Rotary Club to talk about my Journey to Ghana. It was pretty cool. Thanks to Joe Costa, Nancy Vanasse and Beth Fay I was able to raise money and most importantly speak about two causes I am passionate about: Working with children and Africa. I have also been writing to the Diocese of Fall River and to local businesses. We are getting there! Here is what I spoke about for Rotary:

MY AFRICAN JOURNEY TO GHANA

ANGELA ALLARD

1. Who Am I?
My name is Angela Allard, I am Junior at BMC Durfee High School. I am on the Swim team and Indoor track team. My career goal is to go into medicine to become a surgeon. This summer I am traveling to Ghana for 4 weeks to do community service work with children in an orphanage. I will be living with a host family as part of an exchange program called AFS.
2. What is America Field Service (AFS)?
AFS began as a group of volunteer ambulance drivers in 1914 during WW I and WWII helping soldiers of both sides. After World War II , AFS evolved into an international student exchange organization. AFS-USA now works towards building a more just and peaceful world by providing international and intercultural learning opportunities through summer, semester and year-long programs. Some programs are designed to help students learn the language, some are for cultural exchange, and some are community service programs. I have chosen to do a community service program.
3. Why did I choose Ghana?
I have always loved the people and culture of Africa and love working with children. This is a cause I am very passionate about. From this experience I hope to make a difference, gain a better knowledge of the world, and who I am as a person. There is great need in Ghana, as many children have been orphaned due to infectious disease. While in Ghana from June 26 to July 27th , I will be teaching children reading, writing, and math skills, as well as doing basic repairs at the orphanages.

4. Why do I have to fundraise to provide community service?
The total cost of the trip will be approximately $8,000 for 4 weeks. AFS Sponsors 13,000 students worldwide. Some are paid by governments. I am receiving a small merit scholarship due to my grades. AFS students for the most part go abroad to learn languages and study. I will be living with a host family for the four weeks I am in Ghana and working/teaching most of the time. The host families are not paid. Most of the expense of the trip is the flights, and the four orientations that are provided. It is expected that students either fund raise for the expense or pay it themselves.

5. Why Do I Want to Serve?
It is my dream to someday go to medical school and become a doctor. I love to learn and broaden my horizons. I enjoy traveling and seeing different parts of the world and meeting new and different people. This will be the first time I have traveled across continents. It is also the first time I have traveled without my parents: a fact that I am both excited and comfortable with. I am very involved in my community. I think it is important to give back to your community and be less selfish. Giving back can only make things better for all.
I would love to get more involved with children. I love children and I think they are
so fun to be around. I think ensuring that our children are taught well and shown love
is extremely important. Eventually they will grow up to be our future leaders.
Children are brought into this world innocent, and view things in the most honest,
truthful, and non-corrupt way. It is our job to make sure that we show children love
and affection. I believe it is our job to help them maintain this innocence
so that when they are older, they contribute positively to the world, and help to
make it a better place.
6. How Can You Help?
If you want to support my trip you can visit my blog at http://angelaallard.blogspot.com/ where you can contribute online. Or you can send a check c/o Angela Allard, 73 Bradbury Street, Fall River, MA 02721. Finally, my family will be hosting an exchange student from Indonesia in the coming year. Host families are needed: please consider it. If you are interested you can visit the AFS website at http://www.usa.afs.org/usa_en/focus_on/hosting.

Thank You.

Angela Allard

Radio Show Appearance 1480 WSAR-AM - Tuesday March 24 7:15am

2009-03-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

I will be on the radio for the first time ever this coming Tuesday to talk about my upcoming trip to Ghana as well as the community service work I will be doing there. I hope everyone can tune in. It will be on 1480 WSAR - AM, the local radio station in Fall River, Massachusetts. It is the Happy Hec and Nancy show with Hector Gauthier and Nancy Duncan http://www.wsar.com/page.php?jock_id=4590&page_id=19822 . The appearance will be sometime between 7:15am and 7:30am. Eeks that's early! I plan on talking about AFS, Ghana, and what I hope to be able to accomplish there. I hope you can listen in.

Fundraising Update

2009-03-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who have given so far - you're the best!!! I have sent out a lot of emails and I am told this is a good response so far. Thanks to:

Pam Powell
Deb DeMarco & Eric Stumpo
Kim LHeureux
Carol Mcshane
Lynn Walker
Chris Wieden

Oh yeah and Mom and Dad! I have written letters to the local newspapers and radio stations in the hopes that I can get on to promote the trip. I am writing to local businesses asking for their support in this important effort.

I have also been busy filling out the AFS application and writing a letter my host family. In addition I have gotten a few inoculations in preparation for the trip and have a few more scheduled. Ouch!!

Angela

Blog & Slideshow from other AFS Students in Ghana

2009-02-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a slide show from the Summer 2008 Team Mission. I believe Erin, an AFS student who traveled to Ghana last summer and volunteered at the Peace and Love Orphanage and Academy took most of the pictures. This might be one of the orphanages that I will work in.

Here is the slide show.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/afsusa/sets/72157606581518695/show/with/2804350818/

Here is Erin's Blog.

http://erinsghanatrip.blogspot.com/

I think it will give you a better idea of what I will be doing this summer.

Angela

African Journey

2009-02-23T17:27:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is Angela Allard and I am from the city of Fall River, Massachusetts. I am a junior at BMC Durfee High School. Recently, I applied to go abroad this summer (2009) to Ghana, Africa for community service through the American Field Service (AFS) intercultural student exchange program.

In Ghana, I will be assisting children at an orphanage. I have always loved the people and culture of Africa and love working with children. This is a cause I am very passionate about. From this experience I hope to make a difference and also gain a better knowledge of the world and who I am as a person. It is my dream to someday go to medical school and become a doctor. Before that, I hope I can learn to be a better person in this world through helping others less fortunate than myself.

Right now, as a junior, I manage to keep myself very busy amidst a slew of homework, studying, sports, social life, and of course sleep somewhere there in between. I am on the Spanish Club, Swim Team and Track Team. I am also in the National Honor Society. My family, friends, music, and learning new things are my life. I find great importance in giving back to the world and I am very excited to have been given this opportunity.

Hopefully, I will be able to raise enough money for this great experience of a lifetime! My goal is to raise $8,000 to cover all the costs of my trip and stay in Ghana. I am working very hard to raise money through several fundraisers I am planning over the next few months, but I still need some help to make this dream happen. Thank you for taking interest in my blog and reading about my future hopes and dreams. Whatever you are able to give is greatly appreciated. No amount is too small. I know that times are tough, but every little bit will help me get a step closer. Click on the ChipIn! gadget on the top right of this blog to help me with my journey, by making a secure non tax-deductible donation. I would greatly appreciate it if you could forward my blog to anyone else who you think might be interested in sponsoring my AFS experience by forwarding the link http://angelaallard.blogspot.com/. Thank you so much!

Angela