West Africa AIDS Foundation

Susan Brooks

Susan Brooks is some one very special to WAAF and IHCC She used to work for AIDS Committee of London, Ontario and during one of the partnership visits in 2006, Eddie met her for the first time. Although she had not visited WAAF ever, she already felt very attached to us and starting working on getting some funding for us. In 2006, she visited WAAF for the first time and did a lot. She assisted the Almond Tree with various idaeas on how to promote their business, she also made some donations in the form of foot ball jerseys, foot balls, boots etc to the Orphan project as well as conducted the first ever care of the caregiver workshop for staff of IHCC which turned out to be very successful. She returned to Canada and has always stayed in touch with WAAF and as much as possible assisted us with great fundraising ideas. Susan remains a very dear partner of WAAF and IHCC.

Torsten Herbst, Australia

I worked with WAAF in 2010 and really enjoyed the experience. I would highly recommend WAAF to anyone looking for a volunteering experience in Africa. The organisation is doing some fantastic work here in Ghana and the people are extremely friendly, very generous and there is a great atmosphere in this place. Eddie and Naa Ashiley and the rest of the staff have really made me feel at home.
So what did I do during my time at WAAF? For the most part I redesigned their website, so if you like it let me know :) Apart from that I helped out with any IT related matters and found the experience of working with a small NGO very rewarding. If you have any questions about volunteering with WAAF or the website please feel free to contact me via email: torstenherbst@hotmail.com

Jasper van Duijvenbooden, Netherlands
I traveled and worked in Eastern Africa for six months, together with Karin. Now, 2007, we decided to go to Africa again to enjoy the African life. Something I recommend to anyone who wants to escape the always hasty life in the Netherlands or any Western country. We came in contact with Naa Ashiley, the doctor of IHCC and discussed our opportunities by email. Karin first had to graduate and I had to quit my job to be able to leave for six months. It might take some efforts and sacrifice but it is worth every bit.
At the time of writing we are working for WAAF and IHCC by reviewing the organizational structure and IT. All the staff and other volunteers made us feel welcome. It took some time to understand the daily routine but now we are making ourselves useful as much as possible. People are eager to innovate and together with the staff, we are really able to make a change. Besides this I love to speak to people about their life, our life and the differences. There is so much to learn for me!
If you want to learn and have an open mind, again, I recommend a break to work as a volunteer to anyone, no matter your background or age. If you want to know more, contact WAAF / IHCC or email me: jasper_van_duijvenbooden@hotmail.com

Debbie Ehrenstein, United States
During my month and a half service at WAAF, I have been involved in several projects involving Orphans and Vulnerable Children, (OVC). One effort was to visit the caretakers and OVCs for whom WAAF is paying school fees. Dr. Naa wanted an assessment of their general condition, their family situation and their school attendance. In addition, I have tried to find other resources that would help the families of our OVCs. In the course of that search, support groups which also provide nutritional assistance have been located, and a speaker from the National Health Scheme has been invited to talk to the Income Generating Group about the advantages of health insurance. Also, by talking to the Ministry of Woman and Children's Affairs, and the Department of Social Welfare, I attempted to gather information about other government programs that might benefit OVCs and their caretakers. I have enjoyed the experience of practicing my profession, social work, in another culture.

Gillis Aning

Volunteer, Toronto, Canada. Gillis is working on various in-school educational projects and is currently creating informational brochures and pamphlets about WAAF.

Lindsay G. Little:

Intern, University of Texas, United States. Lindsay is currently carrying individual case loads, working on administrative tasks, and will be implementing the Miss Positive Accra pageant for the women of the Almond Tree Project.

Sara Mian

Volunteer, NYU, United States. Sara will be taking over the Healthy Mother equals Healthy Baby project to educate women on nutritional informational to improve their overall health.

Anna Rose Ott

Volunteer, Wisconsin, United States. Anna Rose is currently working on the Orphans & Vulnerable Children Project, and is implementing Station Days for children to receive counseling and education using a fun approach.

Megan Rodriguez

Volunteer, NYU, United States. Megan will be working on an educational outreach program, the Passion Squad School project for schools in the local area.