The group of 10 from the USA and Canada visited various craft making and cultural sites around Ghana and came to Bolgatanga to take in the crafts and sites of this region, including basket production.

G-lish presents to visiting tour group to Ghana

The visit to meet the G-lish producers in Bolgatanga was a mutually rewarding experience as producers saw our visitors purchase the baskets they made, and our visitors met the woman who made their basket! It’s not often that two ends of the supply chain get to meet face-to-face, especially when they come from such distant locations.

Godwin gave a speech about G-lish and the baskets and then our wonderful visitors had a chance to take photos and talk with the women and buy baskets. G-lish received generous donations from the visitors, including bags full of scrap cloth that we will use in basket production, all the way from North America, and cash donations that will help support our tree planting efforts in the community.

We wish to thank Michele and the wonderful ladies and one brave husband who came to visit on that day–and Nii, the guide from Accra. We received this lovely email from Michele, this week, after writing and thanking her for the visit.

“Hi, Gayle (and Godwin). It was delightful to meet you and hear the story of your efforts to improve the lives of Ghanaian women and their families. They’re so lucky to have you on their side. The women were very sweet as well; the group members who bought their baskets are so happy with their purchases. Thank you for arranging for us to visit. I hope we’re the first of many groups to have such a wonderful experience. I read your lovely email to my people at dinner and they were thrilled they were able to participate. Please let me know when your writeup goes online so I can tell everyone about it.

My very best regards to you, Godwin, and the beautiful ladies at G-lish Ghana.”

IN FOCUS WITH MICHELE BURGESS tour group in Ghana

Our thanks to Michele and the wonderful visitors from Canada and the USA. Have a look at Michele’s personal website of stunning travel photography. Truly inspiring images from around the world.

Godwin introduces the history of basket making in Bolga

G-lish Bolga basket producers and baskets on display

The image above is by Dave Ley. This is an image of a mud house constructed in Tongo, just outside Bolgatanga, one of the sites you can visit during a trip to Bolga, Ghana.

It was a great honour to host Raimo and Janeli from Estonia on behalf of Mondo, an Estonian NGO that G-lish has come to know over the past few years.

By the time we met the volunteers, two weeks after they arrived, they had loads of questions for us. So we spent the first half day addressing those questions and getting to know each other. (We also prepared foods we thought they may be missing, and Godwin’s famous pineapple and mango smoothies.)

Then, G-lish delivered orientation workshops over three days to help the volunteers acclimatize to life in Ghana and, specifically, the Upper East Region, as per the brief from Mondo.

Volunteers from Estonia in Ghana, West Africa

We covered topics including an introduction to Ghanaian society and culture, intro to Frafra and Nabdan culture and society, language training for the village where the volunteers will carry out their project, cultural dos and don’ts, major cultural issues like how to interact with elders, with women and men, issues between men and women, a visit to SWOPA’s gallery and a short tour of the painted villages, and orientation around Bolgatanga—although they had it pretty well figured out just two weeks after arriving.

They arrived in early February and are leaving at the end of May—a good period of time in which to carry out a project. They are based in Kongo (about 20 minutes from where G-lish works) to deliver the “Letters from the World: Global education through reading clubs” project.  They will keep working on the project once they return to Estonia by raising awareness about Kongo, Ghana and Africa to people who are interested in hearing about it.

Raimo and Janeli with Godwin

The project is funded by the European Commission, Youth in Action programme, European Voluntary Service and the project was written by NGO Mondo (Estonia), who are the sending and coordinating organisation, and NGO KOCDA (Kongo Community Development Association) as the receiving organisation.

Their main activities are:

• organising reading clubs for children and teaching them English
• organising computer clubs for children of Kongo
• organising and coordinating training for the widows in Kongo
• helping KOCDA to grow and to become more effective

Godwin will accompany the volunteers to community meetings to observe and help find solutions to some of the challenges faced there. And G-lish has been commissioned to carry out training on one skill area for the widows as part of this project.

We really had a great time with Raimo and Janeli who stayed in our home and christened our volunteer accommodation. We learned a few things about Estonia and some excellent skills ourselves. For instance, Skype was invented in Estonia! And, we learned how to prepare and throw pizza dough from Raimo who works in an Italian restaurant back home.

Raimo and Janeli with Gayle

Who would have thought an Estonian would teach and Australian and Ghanaian how to throw an Italian classic in remote West Africa? Volunteering is as much about cultural exchange as it is about ways we can make a positive difference in the communities where we work, together.

Raimo throwing the dough!

It was great to host Estonian volunteers, if only for 3 days. We look forward to meeting our new volunteers who are arriving from the USA in early May to work with G-lish on climate change and environmentally-focused projects. Meanwhile, we’re expecting Raimo and Janeli to keep popping in over the coming weeks for a break, some down time and Godwin’s frozen smoothies—perfect in this hot hot hot season.

Recycled Decorative Mats

The G-lish producers are benefiting more than ever. They are proud of the innovation and beauty in the new products. They’re also proud to earn a fair income and using their creativity and skill making products that are finding homes via exporting to customers in Australia, the Netherlands, and individual customers worldwide—Poland, UK, USA, Australia, and more.

When we show photos of happy customers, they tend to erupt into spontaneous dance and laughter. They can hardly believe their creations are landing in homes all over the world and it’s a badge of honour to have that connection via their work. If you would like to send us a photo of yourself with your G-lish basket or new product, we’d love to pass it on to the producers.

Recycled Decorative Mats 2

Recycled Decorative Mats 3

Recycled Decorative Mats 4

You might like to know that with the new line of products, G-lish makes more of an ethical impact than ever before. Each basket uses 250-300 pure water plastic bags, and about 1/2 kg of scrap fabric. One basket takes 5 full days to produce and is made by the hands of at least 5 different producers—a truly community effort:

1 person cuts the waste plastic water bags into strips,
1 person twists the plastic water bags into twine,
1 person cuts the scrap cloth, another person twists the scrap cloth into twine.

The final step: a skilled basket maker weaves the plastic and cloth twine using traditional basket making techniques for which Bolga, in Ghana, is world-famous.

The process for mats is a little simpler, but it still takes about 5 days per product. More for the sets and pairs.

Recycled Storage Pots

Recycled Storage Pots Set

Recycled Storage Pots Set of 3

G-lish pays fair trade prices to the producers throughout the supply chain involved in producing G-lish baskets. Fair prices means above minimum wage income and paid within a timely fashion. This process, in itself, is making a big difference to producers as they can rely on the income to arrive when they need it, not months later, as is common practice in Ghana.

Recycled Shoulder Bag

Recycled Shoulder Bag Detail

Recycled Shoulder Bag Full Size

Hip Recycled Basket

New Recycled Shoulder and Hip Bags

This is the “hip basket”, rectangular in shape and perfect for a spot of shopping.

Recycled Hip Basket

Incidentally, the models here are both basket makers, but they’re involved in cutting and twisting the recycled plastic. They were very excited to model their products and we are honoured to have such beautiful models showing the products. Visit our shop here and purchase a beautiful, unique gift for yourself or someone special, and make a difference in Ghana too!

Godwin counting plastic

G-lish volunteer in Africa program has received a lot of interest since launching in October 2011. We look forward to receiving our first volunteers next month, and are excited about the prospective volunteers lined up heading into the northern summer, 2012. So many interesting people and talents.

For volunteers interested in getting all the details before making a commitment to volunteer in Africa, you may download key documents that help plan your volunteer experience.

1) Pre-departure checklist. It covers “things to do” for the 4 months prior to departure, up to and including the flight itself. Ghana Volunteer Pre-Departure Check list.

2) Ghana Volunteer Budget Planner. It covers all you need to know when budgeting and figuring out costs of volunteering in Ghana. The volunteer in Africa budget guide breaks down each budget item by detail. It also includes details of airlines flying from popular volunteer points of origin into Ghana to help you figure out the best airline for the journey. Here is a short excerpt:

The two budgets below give you the major items that you need to consider when planning your budget to volunteer in Ghana. The first budget is based on departure from the USA using average costs for an 8 week stay. The second example is based on departure from the UK and is based on an economical budget for a 6 week stay.

• How much will I spend each day?
• What does it cost to travel within Ghana?
• What’s the exchange rate?
• What’s the cost of eating?
• How much in total should I aim to budget for?

3) Ghana Volunteer Fundraising Guide. The guide makes fundraising straightforward and simple. It lists a strategy and gives ideas on how to do it. We include a bullet point checklist at the end. And links to resources that will help. Here is a short excerpt:

Be Passionate and Communicate Clearly: Being passionate is infectious. And being able to communicate what you will do and your role in making a difference will help generate donations – especially in‘face-to face’ fundraising. We have provided you with simple info packages to help you articulate what you will do to help you communicate your message to your potential supporters.

Finally, if you have not visited our volunteer in Africa page, it contains all the details you need to know about volunteer projects, highlights, and who runs it and FAQs.

Market day Bolga baskets

G-lish talks to these basket makers informally, asking them about what happens. They mention that sometimes they don’t have a choice but to sell the basket at a lower price than it cost them to make it because they need that few Cedis back, even if they lost money on the basket. They don’t know how they’ll survive until the next market day.

Imagine if a craft maker in New York was told they could only sell their craft to buyers at a loss because the buyers told them so? Or because someone overseas didn’t understand the cost and value of their work? How would that craft maker ever survive? We don’t think it should be any different for quality, skilled craft makers in Africa—which is also reflected in the price of G-lish recycled baskets.

During 2012, G-lish’s intention is to both educate local producers and the international Bolga basket buying community about what fair means in the context of basket production so that those who create the product are fairly compensated—and that they’re not doomed to poverty by the very product so many people around the world admire.

Increasing the prices paid for straw baskets will have a massive impact in the economy of the Upper East Region of Ghana since thousands of people and families are involved in basket production.

We will undertake an awareness program using our site and social media so that international buyers of traditional straw baskets understand how little the basket makers themselves normally receive in payment, with the intention of encouraging buyers at the local and international level to pay fairer prices. This is what fair trade is about. And this is what sustainable development is about.

This will be a significant element in business support and fair trade volunteer projects in 2012 which sits in business volunteer projects. If you wish to volunteer in this ground-breaking project in Ghana, please let us know. You can download our volunteer in Africa brochure here. We will update our site with progress on this project throughout 2012.

Do you think craft makers should be fairly compensated for their skill, craftsmanship and time? Are you willing to pay a price that enables someone to prosper, rather than just struggle day to day?

Volunteer in Africa skills

There is a common misconception that the skills needed to volunteer in Africa are purely conflict and aid-worker focused. Fortunately, for those artists and creative types who wish to volunteer abroad, this is wrong. Just as there are a diversity of businesses in the developed world, so are there in the developing world, including artistic and creatively oriented businesses and non-profits. G-lish Foundation is one such non-profit that seeks artistic volunteers who have a passion for creative work or are professional creatives who wish to undertake volunteer work in Africa.

Volunteer Artists and Graphic Designers in Africa

Ghana has a rich artistic and crafts heritage and many organisations like ours now leverage this to create products to sell locally and by export. As part of this effort, designers and artists are very welcome in rural villages to help develop new products to meet overseas market demand.

Aside from helping with product development, designers might help craft promotional materials, such as a brochure to showcase the products, or packaging design or even a street sign to help direct visitors to the store.

Perhaps illustrations of potential products are also required. Excellent illustration, whether by hand or on computer, will always be welcomed in artistically oriented organizations like G-lish.

Whether a student, a hobbyist, or a professional artist or designer, there is a home for all skill levels and abilities as a volunteer in Africa.

Volunteer Photography in Africa

Skilled or budding photographers who can take a great photo and develop it to finished stage for online or print are in demand in volunteer projects in Africa as well. There is a good chance that many of the images you see on volunteer websites are taken by a volunteer photographer. (Many of ours were taking by our co-founder, Godwin, who is a budding amateur photographer).

We have an extensive range of photos on Flickr if you would like to see what Ghana looks like and our work on the ground in rural Ghana.

In short, artists, photographers and designers should not give up when searching for an opportunity to use their skills and talent volunteering abroad, even in Africa—a continent that has many opportunities for creatives to express themselves, to immerse themselves in genuine African village life, and to make a difference.

We are excited to finally launch our international volunteer program. It’s been years in the making, with much behind the scenes work in recent months. You can read all about the program at Volunteer in Africa.

You can download our volunteer abroad brochure here.

Here is a short excerpt from our main page:

G-lish Foundation is a registered NGO in Ghana, Africa, that works to create lasting social, economic and environmental change in impoverished rural communities in Ghana. The three “e”s underpin our approach: environment, economics, and equity—a sustainable approach for current and future generations.

Your volunteer abroad project in Africa is designed to support this approach. Our international volunteer projects in deliver practical solutions that are tailored to suit each volunteer’s skills and experience. Volunteer projects include tasks to support core activities which help develop sustainable sources of income, support environmental regeneration, and lay the foundation for lasting, holistic development in rural Africa.

What do business support volunteers do?

International business volunteers and interns in our Volunteer in Africa program assist our growth and development. This includes in market access research and planning, small business development, new business assessment, finance and accounting, fair trade and international development operations.

We have outlined the six areas in which we operate volunteer projects, and how those projects fit with G-lish’s core program areas.  We explain how to apply to volunteer–you can download our volunteer application form from various pages within this site and externally as well. Please pass this on and share it with others who might be interested in volunteering in Africa.

You will see many weaving techniques that have been used to create designs ranging from simple geometric herringbone twill to the most complex sculptural forms. The works are made from a surprising variety of materials including traditional willow and cane, wire and recycled plastic. Other objects show the application of basketry designs for ceramics, glassware and caving.

Below, right, you can see G-lish baskets shown with recycled baskets from Thailand, India and other parts of the world.

G-lish's baskets at the Sainsbury Centre Exhibition

Although the exhibition is over, there is a wonderful range of visual and textual information about basketry, worldwide, including films, images and textual information here, and a brilliant basketry teacher’s resource pack in PDF form.

Other exhibits at the exhibition

While we are exposed to the excellent quality and skill of our basket weavers on a daily basis, we were fascinated, inspired and so impressed with the range of shapes, styles, textures, materials and skills from around the world in the exhibition and with the detail that the curators displayed–the diverse range of baskets and the research too. We felt that our basket makers were honoured by being chosen to be included in this exhibition. We hope, one day, we might have a gallery in Bolga and be able to host a similar, albeit smaller, exhibition ourselves!

The images are absolutely gorgeous: from small pieces to large sculptural installations. There are even mathematical formulas if you are so inclined!

We’d like to thank the Centre for granting us permission to use the images in our site.  All images are credited to Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, PHOTO: Andy Crouch.

G-lish bolga baskets in Recycling!

“Oh, that is beautiful! Where did you get that basket?”

is what you get asked when toting your basket around and about. You can buy Bolga baskets here.

Recycled Bolga Basket Medium Collage

A lot of people have asked us how the baskets are made.

This is how it works. Our producers cut recycled, plastic water sachets into strips, then they twist the strips into twine.

350 Pure Water Plastic Bags Cut by G-lish Producers

Two producers twist plastic into twine in the shade of a mango tree. The producers twist plastic and cloth on the soles of reused rubber flip-flops (thongs for Australians, slippers for Ghanaians). The background in this picture also shows the need for trees!

Twisting plastic into twine

Then another producer cuts recycled wax print fabric and cloth into strips and twist it into twine.

Producer twisting cloth for recycled Bolga basket

Then another producer, a skilled weaver, weaves the plastic and cloth pieces together into a beautiful RECYCLED Bolga basket. You can see a basket partly formed, below. This is a sample of our new, rectangular picnic baskets.

Recycled Bolga basket in production

Here is a producer working on a “modern” style, recycled Bolga basket in our founding village in Bolgatanga. You can see pieces of plastic and cloth sticking out. This is how the basket looks before it’s tidied up. However, some customers have requested us to leave these pieces sticking out! This producer is working on her first basket for G-lish Foundation in this photo.

A modern recycled Bolga basket in production

And the finished product. Gorgeous, green (metaphorically!), and generous from all of us involved–producers and customers both!

Recycled Bolga Baskets Up Close

Watch our video:

Buy our recycled Bolga baskets online at http://www.bluecaravan.net/glishfoundation/

You can make a great difference to rural basket weavers in Ghana by donating your scrap fabric. Your scrap fabric is better than money because the women basket makers use scrap fabric to weave baskets and your fabric will help them earn a fair income.

Which fabric? Cotton or similar fabric is best as it needs to “catch” and “stick”. Silk, satin or slippery fabrics are not good as they don’t “stick”.

You can send your fabric donations to:

G-lish Foundation,

PO Box 367,

Bolgatanga, Upper East Region,

Ghana, West Africa.

Thank you for your generosity!

See more about g-lish’s activities in our YouTube video: Income Generation Ghana. Please pass this onto friends and family who may wish to donate fabric scraps to G-lish!

Bernice cuts fabric scraps in preparation for twisting and then weaving into baskets with recycled plastic