Even though there is still no school building on our property in Taha, a lot has happened last year. Of course, we want to keep you up to date and have put together a yearly overview of the past year:
Strong local partner
In 2017, an NGO (non-governmental organization) was founded in Ghana under the name “Northern Educational Alliance“. Their chairman and our long-standing partner, Alhassan Salifu, had the basic idea for the Taha-school-project. The newly founded association aims to create structures for education, especially for girls, in northern Ghana. The NGO consists of five members and is our local partner association.
Exchange with other associations
Founder and chairman Christoph Wenzl took part in an advisory seminar of the organisation “bengo“, a subordinate body of BMZ, in May. The focus of the two-day seminar was the question of how to submit funding applic
ations and what has to be considered, especially in other countries. Christoph also received many other valuable tips on project work and was able to exchange ideas with representatives of other associations and establish contacts. The goal for the new year is therefore to structure the work in Ghana even better and to work sustainably on site. For this reason, a water committee and an education committee have been set up in Ghana to monitor progress and problems and to ensure the long-term success of the project.
Inspired by the impressions from the seminar, we mainly dealt with the planning of the project last year. In this way, we were able to develop a solid basis for all further steps and hope to submit a funding application to the German Federal Ministry for Development and Economic Cooperation (BMZ) this year to finance the school’s main building.
A new borehole for Taha
Our partners in Ghana were also busy last year. They hired a new well drilling company. At the beginning of this year, work will now begin on the new well, which is important not only for construction work but also for the later operation of the school. First of all, however, the well should serve as a source of drinking water for the villagers, as they have so far only had very difficult access to clean water, and we hope to improve their living conditions in the long term.
Thank you!
Finally, we would like to thank you. Without the active support of our members and donors we would never have come so far. Taha-Schul-Projekt e. V. already has 32 members! We would like to thank you for all membership fees, all donations collected at birthday parties and other events and for your help in organizing and coordinating the daily tasks. We would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Robert Wenzl, who redesigned our website last year.
We look forward to an exciting and productive year 2018!
Concert, a journey to Ghana, new plans, many tasks. That’s how we could describe our annual general meeting in just four words. But of course there were more than just four words spoken, especially of the journey to Ghana, which Michael Altmann, Christoph Wenzl and Michael Wenzl made in september. However the members got not only stories to hear, but also a short video clip of the journey to see. In the first half of the video Taha and its residents are shown. This is followed up by a interview with Alhassan, which clearly pictures the current situation. With this video und other pictures of the journey we want to advertise our project even more in the next months. But the three members took not only pictures, they could also meet many responsible persons, such as the chiefs of Taha and the surrounding villages and they could convince themselves of the progress at the site.
The events in Germany last year were also successful for our NGO. On the first place stands, of course, the charity concert of “Lehra und Mehra” in June, were we could earn 6500 EUR.
After last years summary the planing and the further procedure were decided on. The meeting was closed with a group photo. We send the protocol to everyone who is interested in our work.
We will be pleased even more about new members. Just contact us our fill out the form (find it at “conctact”).
Once again there was adrenaline, emotinons boiling up, blood, sweat and black eyes. The Students’ Charity Fight Night took place once again this year at the “Kolpinghaus” in Regensburg. Like last year students from different faculties fought against each other for a good cause. And the guests – all in dresses and suits – cared for the right atmosphere.
Also this year the Taha-Schul-Projekt sent a champ into the ring. Yannick “the punching Apache” Adler fought all the three rounds for our project. He was really compasionate and gave everything. We thank him very much for his performance.
After six further fights the ring was turned into a dancefloor and the guests and the fighters could celebrate till the morning. For everyone who wants to know more about the Students Charity Fight Night or who wants to take part next year, visit them on facebook. For everyone who couldn’t be there, here are some few pics of the evening.
The reasons are two birthdays in July. First founding member Thomas Lehneis, who celebratet his 50th birthday. But he dispensed any presents and instead collected a donation for our schoolproject. Finally he war proud to hand over 400 EUR.
And Margit Schneider also celebrated a big birthday. She is supporting the Taha-Schul-Projekt sindce the Students Charity Fight Night with continous donations. On the occassion of her 60th birthday she want to please also others. And this she did by giving us yet another big donation. We express our sincere gratitude and we congratulate once again.
Choireleader Andreas Ernst hands over the proceeds of the charity concert
What a great donation! 6500 EUR!! On Monday morning choire leader Andreas Ernst handed this check from the proceeds of the charity concerte, which the choire “Lehra und Mehra” in cooperation with the brassgroup “Volles Rohr Blech” and a string quartette hosted in the church “Maria Hilf” on the 4th of June, over to our chairman, Christoph Wenzl.
Not only this amount proves that the Nightconcert with lightinstallation was a full success. The audience was enthusiastic over the music and the interplay between the different ensembles. The minster “Maria Hilf” gave the perfect ambience for the impressive sounds and everything was underlined with Gregor Bauer’s lightinstallation. The concert was completely sold out and this is how the great amount of 6500 EUR came about. The money could be donated to our Taha-Schul-Projekt because every participating player forwent his fee.
We were also excited about this wonderful concert and we are very pleased about the donation. Once again we thank all the participants.
A first big step could be achieved with our borehole completion. This borehole will provide the students with drinking water once the school is opened. Furthermore it already means an assistance at the work site, because now no water e.g. for the concrete has to be delivered costly.
When we began drilling in November, the excitement was big if we will hit water. But then the reliefing news came: The drilling was a success and the workers actually hit water. In fact they had to dig 100 metres, but nevertheless it was big luck, because thus it saved us the costs and efforts of another drilling. The borehole instantly was mounted, which means, that a pipe was laid and a casing pump was connected. Besides a generator and a polytank with stand will be acquired. In total the costs added up to 6000 EUR, which could be covered up with the generous donations and the successful charity events of the last year.
We are pleased that the building of the school is going forward step by step and we count on further help from your side.
Two workers connecting the pump.
What a tough fight, no, what two tough fights! We are still proud of our two Champions Stefanie and Christoph, who boxed for the Taha school project at the Students Charity Fight night on the 19th of November. It was really a great performance. Unfortunatly both of them didn’t win, but they showed a successful boxfight und proved courage. They fought till the end.
The Students Charity Fight Night is a event which took place in Regensburg for the first time last Thursday. The idea behind it is to have a classy evening where students fight against each other for charity. Each participiant got 500 EUR which he could donate to a social project of his own choice. Our chairman Christoph Wenzl was the first to enter the ring for our project. He got brave support from Stefanie Amann who also competed for our project. And yet again we have to highlight the great achievment which both showed. Not only at this evening, also in the previous weeks of preperation they put their shoulder to the wheel for the project. We give a big thank therefor.
We also want to thank the two organizer Dennis Sillah and Stephan Schmidbauer, who made this successful evening possible. All who witnessed it were enthusiastic and for those who didn’t have time to watch it we have a few pictures of the fight.
On tuesday, the 28th of July, it was yet again time for the annual sports festival. The students of the Fraunhofer Gymnasium Cham changed their schoolbooks for running shoes and sportswear and went to the Quadfeldmühle. There they all took part in a charity run for our Taha-School-Project. In Advance the students had searched for sponsors who would donate one euro per round which was 620 meters. They had fifteen minutes to give their best and this is exactly what they did. After a phenomenal achievement the teacher counted 2340 rounds in total. Because of the donators’ generosity, the organizers of the sports festival, Margot Alt and Andrea Rothfischer, could hand over a check about 3010.23 EUR to Christoph Wenzl, the chairman of the Taha-School-Project. We just admire this great engagement of so many young people and we can’t stop thanking. A special thanks goes to the two organizers Margot Alt and Andrea Rothfischer.
With red faces and hurting legs our athlets crawled off the court. But highly content. And this is absolutely right because of such a great performance! In total the 22 runners absolved 196 rounds at the “Guter Zweck Lauf” by the Sparkasse Cham on Sunday, the 26th of July. The distance was 1.325 km und they were given two hours to run as many rounds as possible for charity. For each round the Sparkasse donated 50 ct to the Chamer Tafel, Kinderkrebshilfe Cham and Bürger helfen Bürger. Another 50 ct per round were donated to a free chosen social project and thus our busy runners could raise 98 EUR in total for our assocciation. Amongst those who have taken part was the whole board of management, numerous members, but also friends and relatives, both old and young. We thank each runner for his engagement, as well as the supporters who provided water and motivation for us on the court. Another gratitude goes to the Sparkasse Cham and the ASV Cham for the successful organisation. We wish you all the best to cure out your muscle aches!
Big interest at the Fraunhofer’s schoolfestival
At nearly Ghanaian temperatures we could inform about our project at the Fraunhofer’s schoolfestival on the 17th of July. The Joseph-von-Fraunhofer Gymnasium Cham supports us since the beginning. Last friday we told the parents and teachers about the project in general and the progress taken. The children also enjoyed our stand, they could try out the typical Ghanaian game “Oware”. The next event, which the Fraunhofer Gymnasium will organize for us, will be a charity run on July 28, whose total proceeds will be credited to the Taha-school-project.