Recovery Dynamics’®

Recovery Dynamics’® will be used as the treatment model at the House of St. Francis. Recovery Dynamics® is an in depth study of the book Alcoholics Anonymous as a treatment program consisting of 28 classes and 32 assignments. The Therapeutic Community approach will be incorporated for peer-support where more experienced persons in recovery assist newcomers. The house will additionally use peer counseling and community meetings.

The Texas Tech and Georgia Southern Universities

The Texas Tech and Georgia Southern Universities sent ten students and four faculty members to Ghana form May 17 to June 3, 2012. The Hopeful Way Foundation hosted the group. They went to secondary schools, churches, the Addictive Diseases Unit, hospitals, recovery facilities and spent time at the House of St. Francis. The visit was simply a great one and created the basis for a continued relationship between young people in recovery in Ghana and the U.S. Emily Eisenhart of Georgia Southern University said that ”everything went so well in Ghana, and we all agreed that this was an incredible and life-altering journey for all involved. I feel so blessed to have been a part of it!” The 12 visitors stayed with four Ghanaian families in Accra and at the Oyarifa Oxford House.  Kristen Harper says that The Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery of Texas Tech is “excited and humbled to work with the Hopeful Way Foundation and their faith and devotion to provide service.  The benefits to our students who moved throughout the country with them is immeasurable. We are looking forward to the next stages of our relationship.  

Mr. Larry Gaines

Mr. Larry Gaines, president of the Kelly Foundation, was in Ghana from August 15 to 30, 2011 where he introduced “Recovery Dynamics” to hundreds of Ghanaians. Mr. Gaines says, “It does my heart good to come home to Mother Africa, and to share my experiences, strengths and hopes. I want to return each year to Ghana to help make the House of St. Francis a model for recovery facilities in Africa.”  While in Accra Larry met with personalities at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, the Narcotics Control Board and the Ministry of Health.  

Mr. Byron Merriweather

Mr. Byron Merriweather spent five months in Ghana in 2011 and is on ten month stay until February, 2013.  He is developing more Oxford Houses, heading up the House of St. Francis and carrying 12-step recovery.  He says, "I want to continue my work in Ghana to assist in the development of the recovery movement and to do my part in establishing transitional recovery housing in each of the ten regions of Ghana and throughout the African continent.” He adds, "Further development of AA, Al-Anon and NA meetings, as well as, 12 step/sponsorship training and development is needed to galvanize recovery in Ghana.”

The Official Opening of the House of St. Francis

The Official Opening of the House of St. Francis is expected to take place in late November, 2012 but the House is ready to receive people who want to recover from addiction to drugs and alcohol.  Byron Merriweather and his team of volunteers from the Oyarifa Oxford House are working closely with the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra to get the House ready to do its work. When he met the visiting university students at the House on May 31, Fr. Francis Adoboli said that “it looks like God had another plan for the House of St. Francis; to use it release suffering alcoholics and drug addicts from the bondage of addiction”. Mr. Sylvester Adu of the Narcotics Control Board said that “we are moving away from the DEA style. We don’t want to arrest people only to see them back on the streets. We need to treat those who are addicted”. 

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. 

Hopeful Way House Highlighted on Voice of America News

An article published by Voice of America News discusses the Hopeful Way House and the growing problem of addiction facing Ghana. Click on the link to read the story. http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Drug-Addiction-Strains-Beleaguered-Medical-System-in-Ghana-111800169.html.