I would like to thank the staff and consultants of ATE in Lawra for showing us around so generously on our latest visit. I have been fortunate enough to witness from the sidelines, life before ATE and the journey it has taken. What really struck me on my visit, three years into the life of the organisation, was the strength of the staff In Lawra and the relationships that they have formed with small business owners, schools and families. The following struck me as illustrative of this.
- Habib deftly tailors his interactions, depending on the person he is addressing. He kept us in check to ensure that we did not appear rude, asked searching questions of young new business owners to ensure that they understood and took their responsibilities seriously and showed great respect and understanding to an elderly farmer who was just entering into partnership with ATE
- Edith is relatively new to the team but is confident and self-assured. Habib took care to allow her to lead us in the geographical are she is overseeing and she did it very effectively. It is clear that she has built open and trusting relationships with the people in Dowine that ATE has partnered with. The cooks at Dowine JHS were proud to show us their kitchen and the food that they prepared was delicious. Edith also had all of the facts of the small businesses she was overseeing at her fingertips.
- Kenneth, as a consultant for ATE demonstrated the same passion for ATE;s work and a remarkable depth of knowledge of the people ATE is partnering with. As we rode away from visiting John who had been given a grant to kick-start his pot making business, Kennth casually dropped into the conversation the story of how he came to need the grant. John had been learning the trade from his brother when his brother died, leaving his wife and children in John’s care, in addition to John’s own wife and children. With ATE’s grant, John has quickly set to business producing an impressive pile of cooking pots in blistering heat. When it became apparent on the visit that one of the children John’s care was deaf. The staff quickly suggested that they could attend the SNAP meeting the following week to access further support and services.
Ellie and Alice on their recent trip to Lawra
In short, what so impressed me was the calibre of people working for and with ATE. The ATE staff have build strong relationships and show genuine care and concern for the people they work in partnership with It was a privilege to see them at work and learn about progress they are making together.
Ellie Barrett