Embarking on my first volunteering experience, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I didn’t know anything about Fafali before joining the program, and I had never been to Africa, so this was a step into uncharted territory for me. With only ten days during the Christmas holidays to make an impact, I was both excited and a little daunted by the challenge ahead. Little did I know, these ten days would turn into one of the most inspiring journeys of my life.

I am Marco, I’m Italian, but I’ve been living in Spain for several years. I work in sales in the IT Sector and had the opportunity to live in different countries around Europe. I have two kids aged 9 and 11. I wanted to use my time during the holidays to do something meaningful. This was my first step into the world of international volunteering.

From the very first moments, I realized this experience would be nothing short of extraordinary. Arriving in the middle of the night, I was greeted personally by Raymond, the president of Fafali, Randy, Head of Sports Programs and Joshua, Head of IT. Despite my luggage being lost, they patiently waited outside the airport for three hours while I tried to sort things out. Their commitment and kindness in such a situation left a lasting impression on me—it spoke volumes about their dedication not just to the organization but to every individual they work with.

One of the most striking aspects of Fafali is its profound emphasis on shaping the next generation with principles that will guide them for a lifetime. It’s not just about providing support or resources—it’s about building character alongside education. The children are not merely passive recipients of help; they are active participants, learning how to contribute meaningfully to their community and beyond.

Through every interaction, it’s clear that the organization understands the importance of instilling values such as integrity, respect, and empathy. These lessons are seamlessly woven into every activity, from daily lessons to community engagements. The children are being equipped not only to dream but to make those dreams a reality.

What impresses me most is how much the entire community now embraces this work. In the early years, Fafali faced the challenge of convincing parents of the value these initiatives could bring. Today, after years of dedication, the program is widely respected, and the entire community understands the importance of the work being done. 

This first impression set the tone for what have been an enriching and eye-opening journey.

As my journey with the program unfolded, one of the highlights was helping to organize the Christmas party. This event was more than just a celebration, it was a wonderful opportunity to see the spirit of the community come alive and to be a part of something truly special. Planning and preparing for the party was a team effort, and it gave me a chance to meet other volunteers and connect with the older kids from the football team who also pitched in to help. Their energy, dedication, and sense of responsibility were inspiring. They weren’t just participants in the program, they were role models for the younger children, stepping up to give back to the community that supports them.

The event itself was filled with joy and laughter, a reminder of how impactful simple acts of togetherness can be. Watching the children light up with excitement and seeing everyone come together to share in the festivities was a powerful moment. It emphasized the importance of building a sense of unity and belonging, values that Fafali continuously fosters.

The standard of work and dedication within the organization is so high that I couldn’t help but feel like I didn’t contribute enough. However, this realization has only motivated me to find more ways to be helpful and to give back even more in the days to come. I look forward to continuing to learn, grow, and contribute alongside this amazing team.

I also want to give a special thank you to Randy, the sports coordinator at Fafali, who was by my side throughout this experience. I was fortunate to see firsthand how much the children respect him. His presence, both at the program and in the community, is truly inspiring. Walking around the neighbourhoods, I could feel the deep admiration the entire community has for him, which speaks volumes about the impact he has had on everyone.

Randy was instrumental in showing me different aspects of life during my time there. He took me to football and golf training sessions, allowing me to see how the kids not only develop their physical skills but also their sense of teamwork and discipline. He also walked me around various neighbourhoods, giving me a deeper understanding of the living conditions and challenges the community faces. Randy even took me on a cultural visit to the Memorial Park on Christmas Day, where he shared his extensive knowledge of Ghanaian history, which added even more depth to my experience. His dedication to both the children and the community is outstanding, and I feel truly fortunate to have learned so much from him.

Thank you for reading!

The post A Journey of Impact: My Volunteering Experience with Fafali – Marco first appeared on Fafali.

Growing up in Europe has offered me many opportunities. However, we sometimes take basic things for granted: free access to education, drinking water, quality medical care for all, or financial security. This opportunity, many do not take advantage of it.

Ghana, where I settled, is a wonderful country, rich in its culture and its people. Ghanaians are warm, caring and benevolent. Despite this, some face immense challenges on a daily basis, including limited access to essential resources. It is in this context that I decided to get involved for a few months, with the hope of making my small contribution.

My first month at Fafali was simply unforgettable. I had the chance to meet inspiring people, individuals with huge hearts, always smiling, who dedicate their lives to serving their community.

During my first two weeks, I discovered the diversity of initiatives led by Fafali: the Golf & Goal project, the literacy program, environmental actions, football training, table tennis, Fit4Fun, and the Drum, Dance and Dream project. All these programs aim to offer young people opportunities for education and personal development.

A particularly memorable moment was my visit to the partner schools in the three main communities with which Fafali works: Kisseman, Christian Village and Anumle. I had the opportunity to share a special moment with the children in their school environment. These moments of exchange, laughter and complicity were wonderful and deeply touched me.

Another project that particularly marked me is the Dzidéfo program. This club for young girls meets twice a week to encourage them to study, believe in themselves and be ambitious. I hope to be able to support them, inspire them to dream big, overcome their fear of failure and aim for the top.

As a physiotherapist, Fafali also gave me the opportunity to launch a unique program. I am working on creating an injury prevention workshop for young athletes from different clubs (football, golf and table tennis). My goal is to give them simple tools to prevent injuries and better manage them when they occur.

A highlight of this first month was my participation in a community clean-up project. Together, Fafali has set an example by encouraging the association’s children and residents to take care of their environment. These moments of collective action remind us of the importance of getting involved in preserving our living environment.

I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the annual Fafali Dreams & Themes Christmas Project, organized by Fafali Organization. This event gives children the chance to learn about environmental cleanliness through a cleanup activity, philanthropic education, and culminates in a grand Christmas celebration—a festive occasion that is often out of reach for many kids due to their underserved backgrounds. It’s a time for eating, drinking, celebrating, and recognizing the children who have actively engaged in the organization’s various projects.

I also want to highlight how Fafali Organization ensures my happiness and fulfillment throughout this journey. From the moment I arrived, I was embraced as a member of their family. The constant support, kindness, and care they provide make this experience incredibly rewarding, both personally and professionally.

What truly sets Fafali Organization apart is the remarkable team spirit that fuels their work. Every member plays a vital role, and their seamless collaboration allows them to overcome challenges and make meaningful progress in extraordinary ways. Witnessing this collective effort in action is both inspiring and motivating.

This first month has been a profound life lesson. I am deeply grateful to have joined such an inspiring organization, and I look forward to continuing this adventure, learning, and contributing in my own way to Fafali’s incredible mission.

Thank you for reading!

The post My First Month In Ghana With Fafali – Edeline first appeared on Fafali.

A Trail of Achievements

Selase’s elevation from Volunteer Coordinator to Chief Operating Officer in itself speaks volumes about his dedication and outstanding contributions. His ability to forge impactful partnerships stands as a testament to his vision and drive. Notably, he orchestrated a fruitful collaboration with France Volontaire Ghana, securing French volunteers and enabling a participant to embark on an eight-month sports volunteering program in France.

Moreover, his collaboration efforts extended globally, fostering a partnership with Fabrica Dos Sonhos in Brazil, paving the way for a potential exchange project sponsored by the Norwegian Government. These international connections highlight Selase’s commitment to broadening the organization’s global reach.

His technological acumen is equally noteworthy, evident in the implementation of an efficient volunteer management system that streamlined operations, enhancing the organization’s overall efficacy.

Leadership Par Excellence

In his capacity as Chief Operating Officer, Selase’s leadership has been characterized by fairness, firmness, and commitment to the welfare of the organization’s stakeholders. Feedback from partners, local and international volunteers alike, echoes a resounding acknowledgment of Selase’s remarkable work output.

Gratitude and Peaceful Cheers

Reflecting on this honor, Atsriku Selase expressed his profound gratitude, stating, “It is an immense honor to receive this recognition. I extend my heartfelt thanks to all who have supported me on this journey, and I humbly share this award with every member of the Fafali Organization whose dedication and hard work continue to drive our mission forward.”

He also offered peaceful cheers to the previous winner, acknowledging their contributions and the legacy they’ve left within the organization.

A Visionary’s Perspective

CEO Senyo Sosu, lauding Selase’s achievements, remarked, “Atsriku Selase embodies the very essence of our organization’s values. His journey is an inspiration, a testament to dedication and the belief in our collective mission. We are immensely proud of his accomplishments and look forward to witnessing the continued impact he will undoubtedly make.”

Atsriku Selase’s trajectory from volunteer to Employee of the Year stands as a beacon of inspiration, underscoring the organization’s culture of recognizing talent and fostering growth from within. His story serves not only as an acknowledgment of personal triumph but as an inspiration to all aspiring individuals striving to make a difference within their spheres of influence.

Thank you for reading!

The post Atsriku Selase Crowned Fafali Organization’s Employee of the Year 2023 first appeared on Fafali.

The event was a national event that brought together junior golfers from all parts of Ghana to compete at the Achimota golf course. Afi Amezado represented the Fafali Organization along with sixteen other children from the Fafali Golf & Goal project.

Afi clinched the prize by overcoming fierce competition from other standout performers in the hole-18 matchup. She had some thankful words for her trainers and what is keeping her motivated to become the best version of herself.

“I am very grateful to God and excited for the opportunity to be among the winners of this award (GGA Junior Open best girl). This wouldn’t be possible without the guidance of my coaches and trainers as well as the support of the Fafali Organization” Afi said. “I have always dreamt of becoming the biggest golf star and I think this is just the beginning and all these things just keep me motivated for the journey of the future” She added.

Afi Amezado is the first child of a family of five (5) children who aren’t well-to-do. She has been a protégé of the Fafali Organization ever since she was born and has shown great signs of becoming the best golfer of her time if given the right guidance and resources. Afi is a multi-talented child who doesn’t limit her abilities by sticking to just one field. She is a member of the Fafali Website design class, and female soccer team, she can dance, and do a whole lot more. She strives for the best at all times so she can become the source of hope for her family as well as every young up-and-coming child from the Kissehman community.

The Fafali Organization was honored to have two winners on the day as Paulo Quarshie won the GGA Junior best Under-10 player after clinching the first spot in the short course competition.

Paulo Quarshie is one of the youngest golfers from the Fafali Golf & Goal project who has over the years shown a great knowledge of the game of golf. His understanding of the game transcends what a child at his age should be preview to, but adequate preparation and good work ethic saw him lift the award for the best Under-10 player.

GGA is the abbreviation for Ghana Golf Association. The GGA is mandated to promote the game of Golf in Ghana, both Amateur and Professional; regulate all attributes pertaining to golf, inclusive of interclub’s disputes, and enforcing the rules of Golf in accordance with the rules of the World Ruling Body, Royal and Ancient (R&A) of St Andrews, Scotland. They also hold the Juniors Open for young golfers all over the country as a developmental project.

The Fafali Organization has also contributed its quota to the development of the game of golf in Ghana. Fafali is a nonprofit organization that is comprised of a dynamic group of individuals of different backgrounds, age groups, race, and educational backgrounds with a common goal to uplift, inspire, and provide resources to underserved children across Africa, starting from Ghana. There are different programs opened to engage children in the Anunmle Electoral Area like the Ball & Brain, STEM project, and the Golf & Goal project among others. Through the Golf & Goal project, the Fafali Organization has developed over 100 talents who have gone ahead to win many national championships since its inception.

Senyo Sosu, CEO of the Fafali Organization, talks about how far the Golf & Goal project has come and how Afi Amezado and Paulo Quarshie’s success at the tournament is going to ignite the flame of the project and push everyone to work a step harder.

“The Golf & Goal project has been in inception for over 5 years at the Achimota Golf Club and we use this medium to dismantle the perception that, the talented poor child cannot play golf. We also try to combine academics with playing the game of golf which is why we named the project Golf & Goal” Senyo said. “Seeing Afi and Paulo excel at such a high level only urges us to even go the extra mile of pushing these kids to the best of their limits so they can attain their goals of becoming professional golfers in the world” He added.

Thank you for reading!

The post AFI AMEZADO WINS BIG first appeared on Fafali.

Blending studies with fun falls right under the core mandate of the Fafali Organization as we hosted over a hundred (100) children for this year’s spring break camp.

The event was a four (4) day program from the 20th-23rd April 2022 in the Anunmle Electoral Area for children of all ages and gender.

The event also explored the two-events-a-day approach where these kids studied in the day from 9 am-11 am and later came back to the playing fields from 3 pm-5 pm. Jerremites Academy hosted the classroom sessions while the Anunmle School Park and the Achimota Golf Club hosted the extracurricular activities.

The Fafali Organization came up with seven (7) practical courses we believed could impact these children’s lives in the long run as far as career choices and community involvement are concerned. These courses include; Financial Literacy, Graphic Design, Environmental Studies, Mathematics & Science, Picture Competition, and Baking, as well as finding problems and finding solutions to issues in the Anunmle Electoral Area.

The Programs Coordinator of the Fafali Organization, Pablo Weeden, narrated how this idea of having a spring break camp for these kids and how the event turned out.

“We as an organization realized the need to keep these children engaged while they were on vacation from school. We noticed that the lack of regular activities pushed these children into some unacceptable practices that do not speak well of the community and is harming all of us. So to curb that, the idea of organizing the Spring Break Camp came up where we planned on keeping these children engaged in activities they would enjoy as well as set them up for life” He said. Pablo added that the event “turned out as expected” which was reflective in the number of children who showed up and how happy they were to be there.

CLASSROOM SESSIONS

There were three (3) days of classroom sessions (i.e. 20th-22nd) and all children were presented with the opportunity of selecting courses they felt comfortable and confident with. The problem finding and provision of solutions to issues in the Anunmle Electoral Area was a general class where all the children were tasked to write down problems they could identify in the community and suggest practical solutions to these problems.

The most prevalent problems mentioned during this exercise were; teenage pregnancy, lack of education, child abuse, sexual abuse, drug abuse, and poor sanitation. They took it a step further by proposing some lasting solutions to these problems like; encouraging parental guidance, education on issues of sanitation and drug abuse, prosecuting people who indulge in abusing others sexually, etc.

After the general sessions, students were split into their classes of choice (Environmental Studies, Financial Literacy, Picture Competition, Graphic Design, Baking, and Mathematics and Science.

Environmental Studies was to enlighten these children about ways of taking care of our community to improve sanitation and also to educate others about how fast we are damaging our communities.

Financial Literacy as a course sought to enlighten the girl child on ways to handle money. Children are taught ways to save money at such a tender age so they have something to fall on when they require it. As an organization, we believe the girl child being financially literate opens doors to them in ways they could use to bridge the gender gap created by our society.

Graphic Design was also a course we added to the Spring Break Camp classes to teach kids to create fliers, posters, and designs as a personal skill. Children developing such a skill will only serve as a means through which they can make some money for themselves.

There was a class for students who wanted to create pictures through our picture competition. Cameras were provided for students to come up with exceptional pictures from the community to be used on the Fafali website.

The Mathematics and Science class also took these children through basic Mathematics and science lessons as part of our STEM project.

Tutor for the Mathematics and Science at the camp, Senyo Sosu, CEO of the Fafali Organization shared his thoughts on the Spring Break Camp and what could be done in subsequent camps.

“Some of these kids are brilliant and all that’s needed is the system to unearth all these potentials. Having these classes gave the kids the opportunity to engage in things they are excited about as we believe imposing subjects on kids just drains them rather than elevates them.” He said. Sosu added that he hopes they can “raise funds to keep this camp going” as well as introducing “summer classes for these children” who need all the support the organization can offer.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Extracurricular activities took turns during the afternoons of the 20th-22nd of April from 3 pm – 5 pm. There was also a grand game day on Saturday, 23^rd April 2022. We had different games available for these children to choose from. There were games like; Football, card games, golf, rugby, etc.

Kids were advised to participate in sports they were not familiar with as we believe children engaging in different games helps develop other parts of their bodies. A golfer playing football will enhance his athletic abilities. A footballer taking part in card games also develops his cognitive abilities to help him/her think quicker.

The grand game on Saturday brought a climax to all activities we had done from Wednesday the 20^th of April. The Fafali Organization used this event to gift out sporting wears (Jerseys, football socks, soccer balls, boots, etc.) to these underserved children and awarded children who performed superbly in the problem statement and solutions to issues in the community.

Nathaniel Lalartor, a young boy from the Fafali Golf & Goal project shared his excitement when asked what the Fafali Organization’s Spring Break Camp meant to him and his colleagues.

“I am very happy to be part of this program (Fafali), I got to study at the school (Spring Break Camp) and have fun at the same time. I wish this event can go on for a long time so we get to learn more” Nathaniel said. Students were awarded based on how punctual they were to the class and how well they contributed to studies, Nathaniel was one of those students who won jerseys as a result of that and has been grateful to the Organization for coming up with such an initiative.

Find more pictures from the program below………

Thank you for reading!

The post FAFALI SPRING BREAK CAMP first appeared on Fafali.