Friday, August 5, 2011

Update From Accra

It's been five months since our last posting.  Lots of things have been happening with Hopeful Way Foundation this year.  Byron Merriweather has been with us in Ghana and living in the Oxford House for five months and returns to Richmond on 8 August, Dr. Al Mooney was in Ghana for a three week period in June, Mike Conway came for two weeks from South Africa and led two Big Book Study sessions and Larry Gaines will be coming for two weeks in August.  The Hopeful Way Oxford House had an open house on 18 June and is now also known as the "Bill Moore House".  Three volunteer Hopeful Way Extension Workers were appointed in May, two for a period of six months and one for three months.  They are charged with making an extra effort to make the Oyarifa House a success, to move towards the starting of additional houses and to go to extra lengths to carry the AA message.  A Steering Committee has been put in place to help strengthen the Oyarifa House and to help start new houses.  Dr. Eugene Dordoye will be travelling on 7 August to begin a ten month Humphry Fellowship to study addiction and recovery at John Hopkins University in the U.S.  This committee will be inaugurated on 6 August where Byron and Dr. Eugene will be given a send off party.  Seminars have been held for healthcare workers at hospitals in Accra, Koforidua and Akosombo.  People are again talking about starting Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).  Mary Bapuuroh and her supporters are doing good work in Way where Byron went for four days in May.  Damien will be coming from Wa to spend a week at the Bill Moore House.  He will learn the Oxford House approaches and perhaps set up a house in Wa.  Visits are being made to Nsuta in the Volta Region where AA meetings are being started.  More will be written about the above in the coming days.