Ghanian school teacher visits Edge Hill

Edge Hill welcomed school teacher Samuel Ofori, 36, from New Koforidua, Ghana on to campus this week.

Samuel teaches at DA JSS School in Garstang's twin town and the Fairtrade cocoa farming community of New Koforidua, Ghana.

The visit heralded a new relationship that will see an Edge Hill and Ghanaian student exchange programme that will give final year sports students the chance of travelling to Ghana to work in the community, sharing vital sports therapy and first aid skills.

During his visit to Edge Hill, Samuel was given a tour of several departments including Sport and Physical Activity, Geography, Media and Health. Samuel commented that it was definitely worth boarding a plane for the first time in his life to have the opportunity to visit the Ormskirk campus.

Mark Leather, Senior Lecturer in Sports and Physical Activity at Edge Hill, is from Garstang and has an involvement with the link project between the two towns. The project helps link people in the two towns and currently has links with churches, primary/high schools etc in Garstang. The people of Garstang have recently helped raise money for a community house in New Koforidua and help with other fundraising activities.

Oxfam's 1999 annual Fast held in November ran on the theme "Give it up for Ghana" promoting Fairtrade by focusing on cocoa farmers in Ghana. The Garstang Oxfam Group (GOG) took part in this and worked with Garstang High School on the subject of chocolate. Particular emphasis was put on Kuapa Kokoo (Ghanaian for 'good cocoa farmer') the cocoa farming cooperative in Ghana that have part ownership of the Divine chocolate company who produce the Fairtrade Marked chocolate range Divine and children's Dubble bars.