The Air Cadet Junior Leaders Team made up of 10 Qualified Junior Leaders from Course 20 embarked on a 3 week JTYAF funded expedition to Ghana, to continue the work of the Cadets in 2017 & 2018 in the small rural community of Obom.

Working alongside established charities, the 2019 expedition completed the building of the John Thornton Presby Junior High School. They converted the block shell into a finished building. Works included fully plastering, rendering and painting the building to protect it from the extreme heat and rain, as well as creating walk ways and steps for safe access to the classrooms. The school will now be adopted by the Ghanaian government with funding and provision of teachers for at least 10 years.

The team were delighted to discover that since the completion of the primary school by the 2017 team, regular school attendance numbers have increased and the primary school has had an increase in its number of students of 30% year on year. By providing safe and functional educational facilities the team have created great opportunities for children living in poverty.

The Junior Leaders had the opportunity to live and work in a rural community, learn about the history and culture of Ghana & challenge themselves and their leadership skills in this unique environment. Project management, Stakeholder Management and Communication were core leadership skills that students had the opportunity to develop as part of this project, in addition to the practical construction skills they learnt, and the cultural experience of living and working as part of a rural community.