NSS - GOOD OR BAD
“We can make our own plans, but the
Lord gives the right answer” Proverbs 16:9 NLT.
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| Mr. Zor |
Never did I thought of going to the
interior part of this our peaceful country, Ghana for a mission.
I have always being optimistic about
spending all the moments right in the nation’s number one city, Accra.
On the contrary, when I checked the
placements on the internet, at a spot my optimism was truncated.
I was posted to Wa, the regional capital of
the Upper West Region to undergo a voluntary patriotic national
assignment as the National Service Scheme as being called for all
graduates from the tertiary and willingly applicants across the country.
In fact the posting made me asked this
multiple million dollar questions- Do I deserve it. Why Me? Is the NSS
being subhuman towards me, and many more.
My mind progressively reminded me of a
saying that;”To be successful in life, one must expect the best and
prepared for the worst” , made me blanked out the above questions.
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| Mr. Zor |
However my posting to the Nadowli Sampina
Junior High School (JHS) in Wa on the National Service Scheme catapulted
me as pupils’ teacher.
I had no choice than to kowtow to the
demands of the secretariat since it general serves as the heaven gate
towards employment in the years ahead.
JOURNEY.
At exactly 9:00 pm on Monday, October 3,
2011, I boarded an O.A travel and tour air condition coach with a 14
inches plasma television from circle-Accra to Wa, Upper West.
On the way to the said geographical
location, the coach with passengers was given a police escort with the
notion of cracking down the antics of criminals when it springs up.
For me, it was a thirteen hours peregrination to
Wa. My journey to Wa highlighted some sceneries, places like Techiman,
Nkwakwa, Mole park and several hidden towns and tourist sites.
Then, the next day I was in Wa around
10:00 am. As it has been structured, I went to the regional national
service secretariat to fill some requirements.
IN WA.
Meanwhile there were over two-hundred
national service personnel from other part of the country to undergo the
registration. I must confess that it was a tiring and unprofessional on
the part of workers as the place was totally disorganized.
The national service personnel have to
queue for several hours for the appointment letter to be endorsed by the
regional director due to insufficient work force.
In spite of such a welcoming frustration, I
passed through the mill to have my letter of appointment stamped and a
photography snapped for identification cards (ID).
Fortunately and unfortunately, being a
stranger coupled with the fact that there was no chance for me to get a
vehicle to Sampina, through a friends effort in
Bolgatanga, i passed out the night with his friends in a hostel.
These good Samaritans were Eric and Yaw
both students of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Wa.
The next morning, I boarded a cabby to the
Wa lorry station and join a bus popularly known in the national circuit
as ‘kuffour bus' to Nadowli where I have been posted to practice the
service.
Initially I was supposed to visit Sampina
JHS to have my forms stamped by the headmaster before handing over to
the district for another registration. In any case I did the reverse.
By so doing, I registered again at the Nadowli
district service secretariat when I bought a fuel in the sum of 7GH¢ for a motor cyclist
to ride me to and fro Sampina JHS to have the forms endorsed by the
headmaster.
Suddenly, I came into contact with the
assistant headmaster, Mr. Timothy Anchiihe Balee who assigned his
signature on my documents in place of the headmaster. That day was
Wednesday, October 5, 2011.
Again I confess that it was a hectic moment
for me when I did not know whom to turn to immediately after the
registration at the district.
Coincidentally the Lord revealed five
angels to take me to the said place. They were the driver, conductor,
the assemblyman and two P.T.A executive members.
Dramatically the conductor did not spared
me as he commanded to pay 10GH¢ for my luggage. I must say that the
presence of these denizens of Sampina inspired and instilled into some
spectrum of confidence as a practicing pupils’ teacher.
ARRIVAL
Upon my arrival at the town, I was taken to
the Sampina Naa (chief) where after series of verbal salvo I was given
an accommodation.
After spending some weeks as a temporarily
bachelor, I went to the Wa market to purchase some foodstuffs to put my
culinary skills to test.
I fully started teaching forms one to three
classes Social Studies and English on Monday, October, 10.
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| With somw pupIls' |
Apart from my teaching onus, I was their
chaplain and Physical Education (PE) master.
Aside this, the saying ‘God time is the
best’ materialize on October, 24 when another
national service personnel from the University of Ghana Legon, Mr.
Ebenezer Nana Okyere Akrofi joined me as room mates at Sampina.
We used part of our time to visit the Black
Volta which separates Ghana from Burkina Faso.
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| Black Volta |
I was on the rest of the waves as I did
expect such moments to transpire.
PROFILE OF SAMPINA-SAAN
Sampina is a town under the charikpong
community with its distict as Nadowli. Nadowli is made up of twenty-five
communities. Sampina consist of six towns. Namely Saan, Naribu, Base,
Kuo, Ka kala including Sampina.
SAMPINA-SAAN CHPs ZONE
Sampina-Saan CHPs zone ling between
charikpong as a sub district to the south and to the east boarded by the
Black Volta. The communities are linked by feeder roads and footpaths.
LANGUAGE
The main languages spoken are Dagaare and
Wale.
OCCUPATION
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| Ghana's longest traditional beer, Pito |
The natives of Sampina mostly farmers,
fishermen and pito brewers. The dominant crops cultivated are millet,
maize, rice, bambara beans and groundnuts.
RELIGION
The people are mainly traditional
believers, Christians and few of them Muslims.
BUILDINGS
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| The apartment |
All buildings in the communities are put up
with either mud bricks and roofted with zinc and wood.
HEALTH FACILITY
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| Sampina-Saan CHPS Zone |
There are two health facilities; charikpong
health center and Saan-Samlina Community Health Protection Services
(CHPs) zone managed by trained health persons.
SCHOOLS
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| Sampina JHS |
There are three (3) day care centers, two
(2) primary schools, two (2) Junior High Schools (JHS) and one (1)
vocational school.
RESOURCES
Sampina-Saan communities have the following
resources like gold, diamond and others.
WATER
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| Mr. Zor |
Sampina has got more one bore holes
supplying the denizens with water.
CHALLENGES
The biggest challenge there is the poor
lighting system. The town has no electricity power when wire cables have
been laid through out the place. Again there are less recreational
facilities and this is not auguring well for them.
To be continued.
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