The Bahamas' Ralpha Moxey was among nine men and women from Generali Worldwide to learn the true meaning of the word "Ubuntu", which means "I am, because we are", encompassing the idea of teamwork, collective ownership and compassion for others. Moxey and the nine other men and women have returned home from a life-changing trip to northern Ghana, where their objective was to learn more about the impact of Generali's partnership with Afrikids and Alquity.
Afrikids delivers award-winning projects that help the communities the volunteers visit during their trip.
Alquity's mission is to transform how people invest, and to achieve significant returns while creating a better, fairer world for all. It does this by investing in companies that care about the communities within which it operates, and by allocating up to 25 percent of its fee revenues back into the economy.
A percentage of the investments Generali has made into the Alquity Africa Fund has been supported transformational projects on the continent and helped people to lift themselves out of poverty.
As well as learning about the charity's work first hand, the team spent three days living alongside host families in a remote village.
In northern Ghana, 70 percent of the population lives on less than $1 per day. Team Generali and the Ubuntu Challenge raised over $12,500 toward supporting Afrikids' Opening Doors to Schools project. The initiative aims to improve basic education for children in 60 schools in the Talensi, Nabdam and Bolgatanga districts in the upper east region of northern Ghana.
The project has already touched the lives of over 25,000 children. Enrollment at schools has increased by 20 percent; completion and pass rates have also increased. From buying school uniforms to improving enrollment, retention and academic achievements, the project is said to be making a real difference.
Moxey and the team spent their first day in Bolgatanga, Ghana, the capital of the northern region, learning about Afrikids' work and how the Generali-Afrikids-Alquity partnership is making a real difference in Ghana.
The team witnessed the impact of projects like the School of Night Rabbits, which was set up to get homeless children back into the education system and out of the never-ending cycle of long-term poverty.
"The most challenging aspect for me was the language barrier," said Moxey. "My host, Alizeta, spoke absolutely no English; and though we were provided with a few common FraFra phrases, it was still quite difficult to communicate in a really meaningful way. Thankfully though, two of Alizeta's older daughters speak a bit of English, so when they were home from school we had means for translation."
The farewell gathering in Sirigu was one of the things Moxey found touching. It was there that she learned her host doesn't speak any English because she never had the opportunity to go to school; because of that reason Alizeta does all she can to ensure that her children go to school.
"It really reinforced the point that many of the things that we may take for granted as rights, are privileges for them," said Moxey.
"I was incredibly impressed by Alizeta's tenacity and work ethic. Every morning she was up before dawn getting the kids ready for school, making breakfast and preparing for the market. She and her family manage a stall selling grains, beans, seasonings etc. We would return home in the evenings to fetch water, clean up and begin preparing for dinner, which most nights Alizeta would cook well after dark, somehow balancing a flashlight between her face and shoulder with incredible talent."
Moxey's favorite memory is of her final night at the compound.
"We were all sitting around in the common area -- Alizeta, the girls, her mother, and a couple of the neighbors. One of the neighbor girls, Aliatu, said that she wanted to share some of their traditional stories with me. The stars were so majestic that night, and the thought that I was sitting there listening to stories that had passed on from generation to generation -- that were now being passed on to me, literally brought tears to my eyes. Someday I hope to share those stories with children of my own."
In Ghana, Moxey was joined by Generali ambassadors from around the world -- David Quinn, Navan, Ireland; Bernard Haughey, Navan, Ireland; Ian Hackeson, Guernsey; Jo Smeed, Guernsey; Paida Mudzi, Guernsey; Nicola Shakerley, Guernsey; Lorna Carolan, Navan, Ireland; and Rick Felbabel, Guernsey.

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