Elubo, Ghana - It was indeed a spectacular event to see participants from Europe and America dancing together to the tune of African soupaced drums at the conclusion of a service project in Elubo March 21-April 3, 2008. Within a very short time Religious Youth Service volunteers were able to learn and sing local songs including the traditional national anthem in vernacular - "Yen Ara Ya Asase Ni." The amalgamation of black and white voices was a quick reminder of one of Ghana's native scholars, Dr. Kwegyir Aggrey, who compared the human race to the keys of a piano. For true harmony to exist, one must play both the black and white keys of the piano. For peaceful coexistence, the harmony of the white and the black peoples can be a source of hope and reassurance to humankind.
For 14 days, participants joined together with many residents of the local community, men and women, young and old, trooping to the project site each day. They cooperated to provide an adequate canteen for the children at the local school. Volunteers came from Ghana, Togo, America, Sweden, Ireland, Britain, and Germany to participate in the program. This year's project theme was "Quality Education and Good Health as tools for Socio-Economic Development of a Nation."
Project Director, Kerim Tseney and community organizers are grateful to Dr. Ron Burr for his guidance and leadership training, and to the speakers on Islam, Catholicism, and Traditional African religion.
Before the commencement of the project, participants took time off to cruise in canoes on River Tano. That was the first time a majority of the participants ever sat in an open canoe. The serene atmosphere and the chirping of crickets and birds brought everyone in close contact with nature. It was indeed an exciting and memorable experience. The speakers and visitations were educational and fruitful, and the friendships and cultural exchange unforgettable.
Note: "God's hand has touched even every small blade of grass which grows in the field… All creatures we see contain God's deep heart and tell the story of God's deep love." Kerim Tseney quoted Rev. Sun Myung Moon as he addressed guests and students on Environmental Sanitation during the July 27 launching of the "Green and Clean Initiative," at Harlem International School Complex, in Asofa, a suburb of Accra. Mr. Tseney was honored by the management and directorate of a Ghanaian NGO - Peoples Environment Culture and Tourism (PECAT) to give a talk titled "The Role of RYS in Community Development." Among the dignitaries present were the Municipal Chief Executive, the member of Parliament for the constituency and the representative of the Director General of Ghana Education Service.