Hopeful Way Board Meeting on 17 July, 2014

Below is additional information provided in a summary report to the board of directors of the Hopeful Way Foundation on 17 July, 2014:

Professional Visitors to Ghana – From 2008 – 2014 the HWF/Recovery Africa has arranged programs for 12 professionals from North America in Ghana to share their expertise in treatment and recovery from addiction.  In 2014 visits were made by Dr. David Whiters, Dr. Gerald Marti and Mr. Jerry Moe of Hazelden Betty Ford Center.  Additional visits will likely be arranged in 2015.  Dr. Marti is doing research on the use of drug courts in the U.S. and may be in a position to respond to interest from Ghana in this area. 

 

University Students Visit Ghana – From 2012 - 2014 over 25 students and staff members from “Recovery Campus Programs” at Texas Tech and Georgia Southern Universities were hosted in Ghana by HWF.  The purpose of the visits is to help strengthen the recovery in Ghana and to better the personal recovery of the students.  The visits assist in establishing permanent relationships which are intended to help treatment and recovery in Ghana. From 7 – 11 July, 2014, seven students from Georgia Southern U. were in Accra.  A student from Texas Tech is also in Ghana from 4 June – 25 July, spending most of his time at the HSF.  Shelia StargillA detailed program of activities is available from Dan. 

 

Project Development Policy of HWF – Rather than initiate and take long-term responsibility for recovery from addiction projects in Ghana, the HWF rather wants to support initiatives that will become independent or will become self-sufficient or will be supported by other organizations.  The proposed House of St. Francis is one such project. 

 

Collaborators in Ghana – Numerous organizations and individuals in Ghana are supporting the work of the HWF.  In addition to the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, the Ministry of Heath, the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), the University of Ghana, Chosen Rehab and others, new collaborators include the National Commission for Civic Education, the Ashaiman Federation of Youth and Lord Kenya in Kumasi. 

 

Collaborators in the U.S. –

-          Recovery Africa (RA) – Dan is leading an effort in the U.S. to establish an NGO named “Recovery Africa” whose purpose is to support recovery efforts of the HWF in Ghana and in other countries of Africa.  Dr. Al Mooney, Mr. Larry Gaines, Byron Merriweathe, Kristen Harper and others are also involved with the establishment of RA.  For more information go to the RA website “recoveryafria.org”. 

-          Oxford House, Inc – Mr. Paul Molloy and his staff are making it possible for Byron Merriweather to volunteer for twelve months in Ghana in 2014/15.  

-          Willingway Foundation – Dr. Al Mooney’s not-for-profit receives tax exempt donations and hosts visitors from Ghana.  Until it is registered in the US, “Recovery Africa” operates under the umbrella of the Willingway Foundation. Willingway Hospital, in Statesboro, Georgia, provides excellent training for Ghanaians, including Dr. Dordoye, Edwin Ahadzie and Sylvester Adu. 

-          Kelly Foundation/Serenity Park – Mr. Larry Gaines and his staff train Ghanaians in Recovery Dynamics in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Mr. Gaines expects to visit Ghana again to train staff members of NACOB, the HSF.  Their copyrighted Recovery Dynamics will be used at the HSF.

-          Faces and Voices of Recovery –  The entire staff give guidance to our efforts in the U.S., and post the HWF newsletters on their Recovery Resources Guide-Africa. (http://www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/resources/international/International.php)  They further “networks of support between recovery communities in the US and internationally”, and support advocacy and peer recovery efforts. 

-          The Healing Place of Wake County – HWF supporters, including Dr. Eugene Dordoye, Byron Merriweather, the O’Laughlins and Sylvester Adu of NACOB, have received training at The Healing Place where Recovery Dynamics and Therapeutic Community approaches are used. 

-          DePaul University Center for Community Development – Dr. Leonard Jason’s Center did a survey of the Oyarifa Oxford House, and keeps up to date with our efforts at the HSF.

-          Council of Ghanaian Organizations (COGA) – Mr. Kofi Afful, former chairman of COGA, is a board member of Recovery Africa and helps inform the Ghanaian community in the Washington, DC area about HWF/HSF.  Dr. Dordoye spoke on behalf of HWF at the COGA 55^th Independence Anniversary Dinner Dance held in Washington, DC on 10 March, 2012.