mushroom people, part 2

Over the past few years, some Hope for Life members have become a bit less active for a variety of reasons. Many have still been attending their branch meetings, but because finances were down, some of the other activities that encourage and support HFL members, such as home visitations, significantly decreased, if not stopped entirely. Since I have been back in Ghana, we are building Hope for Life back up with a heavy focus on its original spirit and purpose: coming together as brothers and sisters to support each other, lift each other up, encourage each other, advise each other, etc. Fortunately, there were some minimal funds available that made it possible to resume a few of the activities – in particular our home visits and participation in HFL branch meetings. At the same time, we are planning for and working towards being able to do more in the future. 

So…this is where the mushroom project, introduced in the previous post, comes in. An early donation we received partially went to renovating the mushroom grow house and purchasing the initial supply of substrate (the growing compound). There is minimal overhead to this project, and we are fortunate to have a strong, initial group of people involved.

Christiana, Farm Manager:

We brought on Christy as the farm manager. She is the coordinator for one of our Hope for Life branches and uses crutches and a leg brace and adapted shoe to get around. She was one of those who was trained in mushroom cultivation years ago (mentioned in the previous post), and is fully capable of caring for the mushrooms, watering them, harvesting and weighing them, packaging them, etc. 

Watering her "babies"

 

She is also a baker and was facing some financial difficulties with her baking business. This is an opportunity for her to receive some income for a few months (perhaps longer, if she wants and if there is still a need) to boost up her baking business.

at a program with Steve and Joe

 

Christie loves her selfies

Geoffrey, Marketer and Distributer:

Geoffrey (R) chatting with George

delivering mushrooms

We also hired Geoffrey for marketing and distribution. I worked closely with him from 2009 – 2011 when he was HFL’s executive secretary. He has a below-knee amputation, training and a background in business and a driver’s licence. He has been an uber driver for the past few years, but his car is even more tired than our own and is in need of expensive overhaul repairs. His wife is a school councillor and they are doing their best to continue paying the school fees for their two smart little girls. 

Christie, Geoffrey and George opening a new batch of substrate

Fanny and George, Supervisory Team:

In addition to Geoffrey and Christy, we have George, the HFL president, and Fanny, the HFL administrator we hired back in 2010 (so as to have leadership continuity whenever the lay missionary presence changed). The three of us make up a management/supervisory team. Fanny and George have also been trained in mushroom cultivation from the efforts of 10 years ago.

George also makes traditional umbrellas and other ceremonial decorations for traditional chiefs.

 

with a smaller umbrella and other ceremonial items he has made

Fanny does “beading” work on the side, creating bracelets with Ghanaian beads, doing a decent online business.

 

Fanny is my faithful interpreter at many meetings...just to be sure I get it clearly

Fanny and George, goofing around at home

A story in itself - - someone donated a wheelchair to Dawood to pass on to someone in need...it makes it much easier for Fanny to get around while at home

We have started the mushroom cultivation on a small-scale. Our plan is to build up the business over the first year, increasing production and a customer base. Next year, if all goes well, we will begin training at most 3 people each grow cycle, with plans to help with their start-up costs and to provide follow-up support upon completion of their training. 

New and old substrate

 

acting farm manager while Christie recovers from malaria

Christie, Geoffrey and George, opening up the new substrate