Village to Village: Mafi Dove, Ghana to Ashfield, MA

Susan Bagg Todd, St. John's, Ashfield

Over 25 years ago, St. John’s Church in Ashfield began a partnership with a small village in Ghana. The village is called Mafi Dove, and it sits on the Volta River, about three hours by car from the capital city of Accra.

A young parishioner, Nellie Todd, was a Peace Corps volunteer from 1997-1999 and through her, many development projects were initiated that St. John’s agreed to help support. The vicars during that time were the Rev. Beth Long and the Rev. Gordon Dean. The projects included:

• Providing pumps for the bore holes to provide clean water for drinking

• Collecting clothes to be sold for revenue to reopen the long-closed kindergarten

• Raising funds for the construction of household latrines (A $100 donation would give you a named latrine in Ghana.)

• Supporting the building of a new junior high school

Looking back, a lot was accomplished during those years, but once Nellie returned home and entered the rest of her life, the partnership went into a hiatus. In 2011, however, the Rev. Eliot Moss, Robert Harris, Thomas Kreek, and Nellie returned to Mafi Dove to set up a computer lab in the junior high school. One year, not long after that, the Rev. Dean engaged his large and loving family in a Christmas tradition of supporting a charity, rather than giving one another a gift. Mafi Dove became that focus, and so $300 was raised. As no trip was planned the money just sat in a designated account, patiently waiting. Contributions to the village have to be hand delivered in cash or wired to a village representative.

After Thanksgiving this past year, Nellie let us know that there would be a funeral for the chief of the Village during her time there—Chief Togbe. She enticed a few of us to accompany her, and on February 1st, we set out. In preparation for the trip, we asked what the village needed so that we could bring a gift in memory of the chief. Their request was for money for their new kindergarten, begun six years ago and now sitting idle, waiting to be finished. Primarily it needed a roof and floors. Through the generosity of the Global Mission fund, St. John’s Church, and several friends, we were able to bring the village $3200 (including that $300!) to make a presentation to the village leaders following the funeral and religious services. ($3200 goes a long way in Mafi Dove for much of the labor is volunteer.)

This history was unknown to many of the current members and friends of St. John’s, so the trip to Ghana was a chance to recount the past relationship. As Nellie is my daughter and I, of course, was a part of the congregation during the late nineties, I related the story of St. John’s and Mafi Dove.

What most of them also did not know is that the wooden cross in the nave above the altar of St. John’s came from Ghana. This is the story I told on January 22nd:

“Toward the end of Nellie’s service, Peter Elenois, senior warden at the time, came to me. He said, ‘Ghanaians do beautiful wood carving. Do you think Nellie could find someone to make us a cross for over our altar? The one we have was always meant to be temporary.’ We know how that is. Nellie found a man named Christian, who worked at the now closed American Club in Accra. We were to send the dimensions, shape, and design to him. Beloved parishioner Herb Libby took the proportions of our brass cross at the back of the church. [I asked those present to turn around and look at it and then look at the cross behind the altar. They could see that the two crosses speak to one another.]

Herb made a drawing of the brass cross and figured out the size the new cross should be. He made a drawing with all the measurements on it, and we faxed it to the American Club. We paid Christian an amount that I don’t remember –perhaps $100. In November of 1999, Nellie flew home with the cross on her lap.

Anne Judson, former librarian in town, put a finish on it. Gifted carpenter, Arnold Jones, figured out a way to hang it on brackets at the right level so we could easily lift it off on Maundy Thursday. It was blessed by the Rev. Gordon Dean and the Bishop of Kumasi during one of our diocesan conventions where he was a guest speaker.”

When the financial gift has been used toward the completion of the kindergarten, the village council will send along pictures of the work to St. John’s. We can then assess together what they would need to finish the project. $600 has been set aside as a Mafi Dove line item for the future. It gladdens the heart that a partnership from 25 years ago has been rekindled and is still full of possibilities. ♦