2007.03.29: March 29, 2007: Headlines: COS - Ghana: Service: Fund Raising: NGO's: Bonita Daily News: RPCV James Lancaster raises funds for the African Literacy Art & Development Association (ALAD), and organization he founded in 2002 to empower impoverished families in Ghanaian rural villages to become literate and to assist in the development of small business projects
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Ghana:
Peace Corps Ghana :
Peace Corps Ghana: Newest Stories:
2007.03.29: March 29, 2007: Headlines: COS - Ghana: Service: Fund Raising: NGO's: Bonita Daily News: RPCV James Lancaster raises funds for the African Literacy Art & Development Association (ALAD), and organization he founded in 2002 to empower impoverished families in Ghanaian rural villages to become literate and to assist in the development of small business projects
RPCV James Lancaster raises funds for the African Literacy Art & Development Association (ALAD), and organization he founded in 2002 to empower impoverished families in Ghanaian rural villages
A Wednesday night gala held in the Antler West banquet room of the Naples Elks Lodge was an eye-opener for a number of the 140 guests not already familiar with the project. The African Literacy Art & Development Association (ALAD) sixth Annual Dinner and Cultural Day, a fund raiser supporting the peoples of Ghana, West Africa, included silent and live auctions of objets d’art and contemporary paintings; stories of contemporary Africa; and dinner and garb that was African in ambience. By evening’s end, Jim Lancaster said he expected net proceeds would reach $25,000. ALAD plans to ship and distribute at least 40,000 books to schools in 2007 and complete at least one additional community library as well as a preschool/adult literacy center.
RPCV James Lancaster raises funds for the African Literacy Art & Development Association (ALAD), and organization he founded in 2002 to empower impoverished families in Ghanaian rural villages
Fund raiser focuses on improving African quality of life
By By SUZY DORR, Special to the Daily News
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Caption: Johnny Young, former Ambassador to Togo, Sierra Leone, Bahrain and Slovenia, chats with Mateus Tosta,16, of Naples, and Rami Ziara, 16, of Beaverton, Ore. Photo: Tristan Spinski / Daily News
A Wednesday night gala held in the Antler West banquet room of the Naples Elks Lodge was an eye-opener for a number of the 140 guests not already familiar with the project. The African Literacy Art & Development Association (ALAD) sixth Annual Dinner and Cultural Day, a fund raiser supporting the peoples of Ghana, West Africa, included silent and live auctions of objets d’art and contemporary paintings; stories of contemporary Africa; and dinner and garb that was African in ambience.
Photo Gallery
The auction items came from not only Ghana but also around the continent. The authentic dinner menu featured sooya (meatballs in tomato yogurt sauce), akoko kerri (curried chicken), omo kerri ke sitkli wobii (curried rice with raisins) and bassi or couscous.
The atmosphere was made more authentic with recorded African tunes, a video on ALAD projects and colorful African garb. There were smocks fashioned of kente, an Asanti ceremonial cloth, and ladies’ costumes bought during a recent ALAD familiarization tour of Africa and Ghanaian villages, all contributing to the event’s exotic flavor.
Emcee/auctioneer Jay Shaplow introduced Naples residents and evening hosts James and Harriet Lancaster, respectively ALAD president and vice president, both of whom formerly worked with the Peace Corps in Ghana. James Lancaster founded ALAD in 2002 to empower impoverished families in Ghanaian rural villages to become literate and to assist in the development of small business projects.
The Lancasters in turn accepted a ceremonial check for $6,888 from Daniel Bumstead, presented on behalf of the Naples Council on World Affairs. It is anticipated that these funds will be utilized in the construction of a village literacy center, school and library in Ghana.
Keynote speaker Ambassador Johnny Young, retired career member of the U.S. Foreign Service, was former ambassador to Sierra Leone, Togo, Bahrain and Slovenia. He described the increasing maturation of African society and governments in contrast to the one-party states epitomized by “big man leadership” in the 1980s. His positive assessment is that today’s society there is increasingly better, and that good things are happening.
By evening’s end, Jim Lancaster said he expected net proceeds would reach $25,000. ALAD plans to ship and distribute at least 40,000 books to schools in 2007 and complete at least one additional community library as well as a preschool/adult literacy center.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: March, 2007; Peace Corps Ghana; Directory of Ghana RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Ghana RPCVs; Service; Fund Raising; NGO's; Peace Corps Library; Peace Corps Directory; Peace Corps History; Bulletin Board; Peace Corps Headlines
When this story was posted in May 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
 | PCOL serves half million PCOL's readership for April exceeded 525,000 visitors - a 50% increase over last year. This year also saw the advent of a new web site: Peace Corps News that together with the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps serve 17,000 RPCVs, Staff, and Friends of the Peace Corps every day. Thanks for making PCOL your source of news for the Peace Corps community. Read more. |
 | Suspect confesses in murder of PCV Search parties in the Philippines discovered the body of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 17. Director Tschetter expressed his sorrow at learning the news. “Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served,” he said. Latest: Suspect Juan Duntugan admits to killing Campbell. Leave your thoughts and condolences . |
 | Warren Wiggins: Architect of the Peace Corps Warren Wiggins, who died at 84 on April 13, became one of the architects of the Peace Corps in 1961 when his paper, "A Towering Task," landed in the lap of Sargent Shriver, just as Shriver was trying to figure out how to turn the Peace Corps into a working federal department. Shriver was electrified by the treatise, which urged the agency to act boldly. Read Mr. Wiggins' obituary and biography, take an opportunity to read the original document that shaped the Peace Corps' mission, and read John Coyne's special issue commemorating "A Towering Task." |
 | Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments. |
 | He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor. |
 | Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process. |
 | The Peace Corps is "fashionable" again The LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace. |
 | PCOL readership increases 100% Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come. |
 | History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help. |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: Bonita Daily News
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Ghana; Service; Fund Raising; NGO's
PCOL36764
70