Mijn Wereld Mijn Leven

A child that learns is a child with opportunities. BRACHA VAN DOESBURGH is an ambassador for Edukans, the advocate for children's development. She traveled to Ghana to see the organization's work up close. And she realized something very important... On Amayzine, Bracha writes about her journey.

“When I was heavily pregnant with my oldest daughter Sophia, now six years ago, I was asked if I wanted to become an ambassador for Edukans. It is a small organization that is committed to education in developing countries. Worldwide, 264 million children do not go to school. Education, the building block for a country and the chance for a better future for a child. The decision was made quickly. Now, six years later, it was time to go on a trip to see what Edukans does, how it works in practice. The trip should have been on the agenda much earlier, but with three small children at home, I didn't dare to be away for long.

On the plane to Ghana, I have 6.5 hours for the first time in a long time to think about my life and what awaits me on this journey. I have already been warned that it will be an intensive, tough trip. I am looking forward to this trip, but I also find it exciting. I am secretly afraid that the situation there will be very hopeless and depressing. How bad will the poverty be? How great is the contrast?

I notice that I am quite tired from the past years. Little sleep, a busy family, and just keep working. I am critical of myself. I want to get the best out of everything and I am not easily satisfied. Leaving my family behind suddenly weighs heavily on me. I watch the film Tully and start crying uncontrollably. It is a comedy-drama about an overtired mother with three children who develops an intense relationship with her baby's night nanny. The man next to me looks at me sideways a few times. The further the film progresses, the harder I cry. He starts to worry and checks if the passenger next to him is also concerned. By the end of the film, I can't take it anymore and start crying even harder. To the point of hysteria. I decide to lock myself in the bathroom stall for a moment to regain my composure. When I return from the bathroom, he looks at me and gives me a reassuring nod with his head. He is a kind man. We are there. Before we get off the plane, the man quickly whispers something to me.

“You will love Ghana.”

The humid heat falls over you like a warm blanket. Cheerful live music plays at the airport. The women walk straight and proudly with their round breasts and bottoms. Men are gallant and help the women with their suitcases, even if they are not together. We sleep that night in Accra. For safety reasons, we do not drive further in the dark.

The next morning, we set off early to Ho, driving about three hours over bad roads to the countryside of Ghana. We visit the first school where Edukans has been providing assistance for some time. Children come running from all directions to hug and touch us. Girls secretly pinch my arm and giggle.

We are invited into the office of the principal, Florence Ediccio, also known as ‘Madam Happy’. And that is noticeable. She is bursting with energy. She joyfully talks about her school and occasionally starts laughing contagiously. She shows us the school. We speak with teachers and students. A teacher explains that if you come from teacher training, you mainly learn to recite the lesson material and that the children have to repeat after you. Through a teacher program from Edukans, they have learned how to engage with their students. Asking questions. Involving them. The teachers clearly have much more fun in what they do, and that is palpable. Because Edukans can provide them with the right skills, they become independent and learn how to grow and improve themselves. I am deeply touched by the enthusiasm of the teachers. The joy of life. The strength. And especially how proud they are of what they have achieved.

After a restless night full of dreams and the mosquito net that falls on my head several times from the ceiling, I step out of the car, tired, into the heat, almost 40 degrees.

Today we visit the My World My Life club at one of the schools supported by Edukans. A weekly meeting for young people, initiated by Edukans, where sexuality and the rights of boys and girls are discussed. A taboo in Ghana. How do you prevent a teenage pregnancy? What happens when you get your period? In Ghana, it is not common to talk about sex or menstruation at home. Mothers do not share this with their children. So when a girl gets her period for the first time, she thinks she is bleeding to death. In the Netherlands, this is talked about much more openly. At my home, my children even prefer to sit on my lap while I am on the toilet, so Sophia has already extensively questioned me about this topic.

The teacher of the My World My Life club, Rita Bani, says that she has followed Edukans“ training to teach about these subjects. ”I’m a shy person, so a whole new world opened up for me.” She explains that even her marriage has improved because she can now openly discuss sex with her husband.

We are allowed to take a look in the classroom. We ask the students what they have learned. They are all a bit shy and there is some giggling here and there. One girl raises her hand and tells us that she now knows it is normal for her body to change and that when you menstruate, you can have children. We discuss what you can do to have safe sex. To prevent pregnancies or diseases. As we talk to them longer, the children become less reserved. We ask if they know what their rights are. A boy firmly says: “Right to education!” A girl tells us that she has learned that she can say no if she is forced to have sex with someone.

Are there any other questions? One girl raises her hand one last time. “Do white women menstruate as well?” Something I had never thought about. Something that is completely logical to me is a question here. And very logical, because if you are not told anything, everything is a question. You feel how important it is to be able to talk about this here. The more they hear and the more they understand, the more confident they become. The vulnerability, but at the same time the openness that these children have here is deeply moving.

We say goodbye, all the children come running happily and enthusiastically from all sides. They hug us and then wave us off with great enthusiasm. And when I board the plane two days later, tired from all the impressions, to return to the Netherlands, I realize how much energy this trip has actually given me. How wonderful it is that Edukans increases the opportunities for so many children. Hopefully for many more children in the future. Because those 264 million children who do not go to school also deserve a chance.

And I realize that I can sometimes be a bit less critical of myself and even a little proud of how I manage everything at home and at work. Because it is nice to be proud.

Edukans works in developing countries on education for children and young people. The organization's dream is a world in which every child has the chance to develop. In the coming time, Edukans focuses on four goals: from education to work, equal opportunities for girls, improving the foundation of education, and education in emergencies. Go to Edukans to see how you can help. 

Written by: Bracha van Doesburgh

Image: Jacco van Laar