25 days to go!

I am currently half way through my exams and, thus, thought it would be a good idea to write a little update about my preparations for my time in Ghana! I must admit my head has not really been with my revision, but rather already in Ghana… we will see how that is reflected in my exam results when it is time for those…

The article about my Bake Sale is now out in the Parish Magazine issue for this month

Bake Sale Poster!

and looks great! I have also already received many great cake recipes and ideas from my supporters. So thank you to everyone who has done that and if you have not done it yet, but have a great idea for an easy to make and delicious cake then please do send me the recipe! Posters have also been prepared and are ready to hang up around Shere :)

I am also hoping to go to a car boot sale and sell some of my old things to raise money for the Global Giving partner projects in Ghana. I have already gone through my cupboard and established which things I really do not use. In addition, I have asked my friends and family to contribute any things that they do not need anymore and that I could sell on the day. I am sure all of us have a pair of shoes or a bag that we thought was nice at the time we bought it, but have never actually used, or now no longer fits our

A cake my friend made, hope mine turn out just as well :)

personal style. All money made at the sale will go as a donation to Global Giving. One of my friends (Haoqing) has surprised me, as she has already been able sell her skateboard in aid of Global Giving, which I am delighted about! So if you have anything that you think I could sell on the day, I would appreciate if you could let me know by e-mail (at helen.denyer@arcor.de) and we will arrange for me or someone else to come and collect the things!

On the Global Giving UK fundraiser page that I have created at http://www.globalgiving.co.uk/fundraisers/assessing-the-impact-of-aid-in-ghana/ I am already more than halfway to my target of £400! Thank you so much for all your help and support for this great cause! 

Some good process in my preparations for my upcoming trip to Ghana

As mentioned in my previous blog, I want to keep you all updated about my preparations before I go to Ghana so that you can find out more about the process involved and my thoughts and feelings.

Today I had my first training session with Global Giving UK in their London office in preparation for my time in Ghana as Project Evaluator. It has all been very exciting and I have already learnt a lot! We went over some of the ways that partner projects can connect with new donors and make the most use of their existing networks (which can be much bigger than they might think) in their fundraising activities and how social media can raise awareness about their project. The training has also made me realise the amount of people I know and how I can get, not only them, but also their contacts, involved in this project in many different ways.

Today has not only provided me with great insights into how to evaluate projects, but it has also made the whole trip become more real. Now I am truly excited to get on the plane and fly off, but I know there is still a lot more to do before then!

I have already started fundraising on the Global Giving website (here is the link http://www.globalgiving.co.uk/fundraisers/assessing-the-impact-of-aid-in-ghana/) so, please do take a look at it and pass it on to anyone you think may be interested in the project and could perhaps support it! I would also like to take the opportunity to thank all of you who have already donated!

In my fundraising endeavours, I have also been planning two Bake Sales in my village in Surrey (Shere). I will be holding one on the 23^rd June, before I leave the UK and then one when I am back from Ghana on the 6^th October. I have lived in Shere for most of my life and I am very excited to get some of the community members involved in baking and selling the cakes. If you have any great cake or even cookie recipes please do let me know and I would also be grateful if you could help me in the baking or selling process. I am lucky to already have my younger brother, Frank, on board and hopefully I will also have some friends from my old school join me. I have already written an article for the Parish Magazine about the Bake Sale and my project, so if you receive the Magazine, keep your eye out for my article! All I need now is good weather on the two days.

Not only is there the fundraising that needs to be done before I can leave the UK, but I still need to apply for my visa and start packing. Luckily, I have already booked my flights, got all my vaccinations and travel insurance. 

I hope that with all these exciting things going on, I will still find time to revise for my upcoming exams. 

Thank you to all of you who have already donated to my Fundraiser and I look forward to reporting to you how your donations have helped create change in Ghana once I am out there!

Investing in more effective ways of giving - my quest for summer 2013 in Ghana

Would you like to find out more about International aid? 

With more and more people and institutions debating the impact of international development and increasing attacks on its effectiveness, I would like to invite you to follow my journey evaluating NGOs in Ghana.

Research into the effectiveness of " Radio Guru "  
the Mountain Trust's radio school in Nepal, April 2012

Many of you will have helped me raise funds for the charity I worked with last year in Ghana for 3 months from November 2011 – February 2012 (Cheerful Hearts Foundation) as I helped them reach their target requirement of raising $5000 from at least 40 unique donors, in the Global Giving Open Challenge – which enabled them to gain a permanent place on the Global Giving website. Through this I got to know Global Giving and how it gives each charity, that fulfils certain criteria (for example they have to be registered as a charity in their own country) the chance to receive funds they may traditionally not have had access to. 

Global Giving was set up as a charity fundraising website to change the way people give, offering donors a transparent, high-impact giving experience. In addition, Global Giving supports their partner projects with training and feedback from the UK. This year is the first year that they will be sending volunteers to evaluate the impact and the effectiveness of the projects. I am delighted to be part of the team and cannot wait to get started. I will be evaluating Global Giving UK partner projects on the ground in Ghana, by checking how they use their funds, if they go to the projects they outlined on the Global Giving site, how the funds can be spent more efficiently and effectively and how their projects can be improved. 

Of course, trips like this always require a certain amount of funding. In addition to travelling costs and living costs once I am in Ghana, I will also be making a £400 donation to one of the projects I will be evaluating (the one where I believe it will be used most resourcefully and make the biggest impact) and I will also be paying for the training session Global Giving UK will provide, as they are a charity and are unable to provide these kinds of resources for free, if they wish all donations to go to their project partners. This means I have started my fundraising endeavours and hope that with your help I can raise the £400 donation and the £250 Global Giving cost for training and administration. The £650 is only my minimum target and I would hope to raise more to support these great projects. 

However, this time I do not just want to ask you to donate money, without getting anything in return, but I would like to try something a bit different by giving those that are willing to support me a small reward. Therefore I propose the following:

• Donate £1 and get one BIG Thank you
• Donate £20 and get a Postcard from Ghana
• Donate £30 and get a Video message from me and the people you are helping in Ghana
• Donate £80 and get a traditional African blanket/tablecloth
• Donate £100 and get traditional Ghanaian bag
• Donate £500 and get an original Kente Woven Textiles to tailor make clothing/bags etc.
• Donate £1000 and get a tailor made traditional African dress/ shirt

To Donate in pounds (£) please go to my Global Giving Fundraising Page by clicking here.
If you want to donate in Euros, please visit my fundraiser on the betterplace site by clicking here. 

I hope you find this an exciting project and worth your investment and I believe that in order to make international development work we have to invest in evaluation to see how projects can make every £1 achieve more ! 

I will be writing regular updates on this blog in preparation for the trip, but more frequent updates will follow once I am in Ghana. With those blog posts you can then find out where your donations have gone and what kind of impact they have made. I will also be reporting on my experiences, impressions and what I have learnt along the way.

Thank you!