HEALTH
The heat this time of the year brings with it many health problems: malaria and boils leading betimes. Two of our students have had to spend a week each at home for boils and a third left last Wednesday with a dislocated elbow bone. Two others have had malaria for over a week, and one other has had to go home for some ten days now because his wife has been seriously ill. Matthew, our academic dean, could not make it to school last week; he had malaria and diarrhea. I am limping along with a swollen leg and painful back. The teachers held a meeting and decided to relieve me of my teaching for the rest of the term so that I can attend to my treatment and get the needed bed rest. I was able to spend some days at my son’s in Accra at the weekend. I teach only one class a week – the mid-week Bible class on campus, and attend to office duties and supervision. If am better by the first week of April, I shall teach my assigned short courses.
CAMPAIGN
We have had to postpone our Campaign for Christ to March 18-24, 2013 to allow for the recovery of our students. This will be a first for them and so we want to take along all our students, if possible. Also with the change of date, alternative arrangements must be made for lodging and other logistics.
NEEDS
We have three working computers at the school. With a student population of 20 men, this is woefully inadequate. Since many are now replacing their PCs with laptops and notebooks there is the possibility that you may know of a PC that has been packed and not in use. Please, send them to West Coast. Or you may help us buy some refurbished used-in-Europe computers for 250-300 cedis ($132-158 US) a set. With our energy problems and the fluctuating power we shall need UPS for all computers. A laser printer has been in our need list for several years now. We pray someone can get one for us.
On February 17, 2013, the government increased fuel prices in Ghana between 15-20%. A gallon of Petrol went up from 7.00 cedis ($3.68) to 9.22 cedis ($4.85). Diesel now sells at 9.31 cedis ($4.90) per gallon. LPG was increased by 50% and now sells at 24.36 cedis ($12.82) per 12.5 kg cylinder.
These fuel price hikes have affected everything –food, services, utilities, transportation, medicals, etc., and will surely increase our operational costs. We are going to talk to individuals and congregations to raise some additional local support to help the West Coast Budget.
FOOD SERVICE
West Coast is located on a hill and far from the nearest place one could buy something to eat. Used to, students provided their own meals and we allowed 45 minutes lunch break. It took more than 45 minutes to go downhill to the nearest food joint and back. That affected our scheduled classes for the afternoons. There were times one would go down and find what he could afford was finished and must wait for what was on the fire. And there were those who did not have the means to buy any food. The food service, which provides two meals a day, a mid-morning brunch and supper, has really been a blessing on top of the hill. Teachers and students, the main beneficiaries of the service, are grateful to our sponsors for the great relief. This comes with our love and sincere best wishes to you all who pray for us and sponsor the school, individual teachers, and students.
BRETHREN, PRAY FOR US- these are hard times.
Your servant for Jesus’ sake,
Daniel K Ampadu-Asiamah
Click here to see brother Asiamah’s report with pictures.