Visiting the Rural Villages in the Vakpo District
Our visit today took us outside of Ho to Vakpo Fu and Vakpo Todzi. The churches in these villages were the first projects of this mission program. They are villages “out in the bush” that are characterized as being very rural and poor, but rich in spirit. During our introduction ceremony, we learned that it is an aging community. Young people go into nearby towns for school and then go on beyond to “make the world beautiful”, in the words of the Okyaeme (linguist) of the community, but they do not always return to the village. However, they often bring their children back to be raised by their grandparents.
Many families in the village are supported by a family member who travels to Accra for work, and spends the week in the city, returning on weekends or for visits. This provides support for the families and enables them to build and maintain the multi-generational family compounds where they live. We were welcomed into a modern family home for lunch and then provided the opportunity to walk through the village. The photo below shows at least four generations of cement block buildings in Vakpo Fu, with the rougher mud cement block structures on the left being the oldest and the gray-walled, metal-roofed buildings in the background, which are much newer. The family home is served by the large black poly water tank rising above the buildings.
Other homes in the village bore thatched roofs with bamboo supports, and still others had bright cloth coverings over the open doorways and window spaces in their block walls. It never ceases to amaze me how a village can have thatched roofs and rough mud-walled homes with poured concrete block and finished tile homes spread around them. It seems such a stark comparison here, but really, it is no different than the original farmhouses and towns in the USA that have grown around them. We see a history of construction methods and family life as we look at these villages with an outsider’s eye.
Missions in Vakpo
The very small village church in Vakpo Fu was a thatched pavilion of bamboo supports on Pastor Pat’s first visit. During the welcome ceremony, he and his old friend, the Okyeame of the community who serves as a liaison between the church and the tribal leaders, shared with us the history from thatched pavilion to cement structure with no roof, to the building of the basic church structure with rough slat pews to the sturdy, well-used structure we saw today. Over the years, Pat has led efforts to put decorative bars in the windows for security, painting and application of tile throughout the church, and the development of St. Luke’s, Trappe Preschool. The community also built a Parish House and is now building a guest house to be rented as a sustainable income stream. A large wooden cross made by Pastor Pat, hangs on the wall above the altar.
In nearby Vakpo Todzi the church is a bit larger, and the congregation has begun construction of a library and computer lab. We were able to walk through and view the plans as they are working on installing electrical boxes for power outlets. The construction supervisor informed us that the roof is expected to be installed later today. Work seems to be moving quite quickly. When completed, the lab could serve up to 40 students at one time. A total figure for completion of the project, including computers was given as 300,000 GHC (less than $30,000). Recognizing an affinity with the business teachers and students who had joined us in the welcome ceremony, the Hoffman family of teachers presented a nominal sum to support the computer lab now with the hope that they can gain support to fund the installation of the lab in the future. The team also offered assorted medical supplies, sports balls (which received energetic applause from the senior high students in attendance), and funds for additional needs as they arise. Expect to hear more about plans for support when we return to the USA.
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