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OLE Ghana’s activities over the period has been characterized by two main thinking patterns:

1.       Position OLE Ghana among the community of the country’s education service providers, especially those who are championing quality universal basic education by 2015

2.       Solicit for support and partners to carry out its flag ship project, A National OER Library (KIDS Library)

With regards to thinking pattern 1 above a number of activities have been initiated. Discussions have been had with notable institutions such as DIFID, UNESCO, UNDP, The Curriculum unit of the Ghana Education Service and the Planning, Budget, Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the Ministry of education. These discussions has culminated in an understanding of what OLE Ghana has to offer and the decision by UNESCO to carry out a number of joint activities with the organization ie two workshops on QUBE and Teacher Development and a mapping exercise.

Very recently the contract to support the workshop on quality universal basic education was signed between UNESCO and OLE Ghana. The arrangements are now being put in place to successfully organize this workshop on the 20th of May 2010. We are pushing for the contract for the second workshop to be signed as well as to make progress on the mapping exercise.

In furtherance of achieving thinking pattern 1 we have come out with a brochure detailing OLE Ghana’s aims and mission etc as well as its links with OLE Network and OLE International. We are working on a website with technical advice from Chris and hope to launch it mid next month. To complete the cycle of activities for thinking pattern 1 plans are under way to come out with a newsletter very soon

With regards to thinking pattern 2 we received the unexpected news that MTN after leading us on for the past two years into thinking that they would fund at least a part of the proposal we sent to them was no longer interested in the project. This has made us to treat the news from the Ecobank foundation that they would fund a part of the project proposal we sent to them with a lot of cautious optimism since we do not have any documentary proof yet despite our persistent call for such.

The Board mandated that the KIDS library project proposal be giving a second look. The idea is to break it into mini projects, each mini project complete with its own budget and capable of producing a tangible product.  The mini projects when completed will result in the KIDS Library project. Hopefully this approach should be more appealing to potential funders who could fund a mini project or two instead of being asked to fund the entire project. The proposal is in its final stages and is currently being reviewed externally by OLE International and internally as well.

The next couple of months would be crucial to OLE Ghana as it embarks on a drive to seek for funding for its flagship project. Copies of the proposals would be sent to both local sub and regional as well as international bodies  to seek funding for  the mini projects (the bits and pieces) constituting the KIDS library.