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ICV PERSONAL CASE STUDY
NAME: LIVINGSTONE DELALI AGBO
PROJECT: ADAKLU WAYA LIVELIHOOD PROJECT
CYCLE: 1
“I WILL LEARN TO UNDERSTAND THAN TO BE
UNDERSTOOD ALWAYS”
INTRODUCTION
My name is Agbo Delali Livingstone. I come from Tefle in
the Volta Region of Ghana. A graduate of the University
for Development Studies, Wa in the Upper West Region
of Ghana. I decided to join the ICS Program because of
the positive feedback I received from colleagues who had
the opportunity to volunteer in both the Cape Coast and
Abrobiano projects.
PLACEMENT
I was placed with other volunteers in a community called
Adaklu Waya in the Volta Region of Ghana. This is a
farming community with the majority of people engaged in groundnut, maize, cassava, and
vegetable cultivation. This was the first time ICS has been to the community, and I am glad to be
part of Cycle 1 of the Adaklu Waya Livelihood Project which happens to be the foundational cycle
for subsequent cycles to come. Our target groups were the women and youth, who were also
our primary stakeholders. We also worked with the District Assembly (project partner), Anfoe
Youth Network, the Chief, Queen mother, and elders of Waya. The objective of the project is to
identify the challenges of the livelihood activities of the people in Adaklu Waya and suggest ways
and ideas to improve their livelihoods. We also worked with registered groups that were
successfully formed by the team in both Waya and Anfoe. Our focus community was Waya but
we made success with most of our activities in Anfoe because of the relationship we built with
the community folks for staying there.
PERSONAL GOALS
Since personal development is one of the core areas of ICS, we were made to set personal goals
for ourselves. The three goals I set for myself were;
1. to increase my knowledge, skills, and experience in community development
2. to learn how to work with people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds
3. to provide more opportunities for possible employment
In terms of community development, I got a better understanding that it is not all about putting
up physical structures but empowering and sensitizing people to develop themselves to change
their world. “Being in a team with UK volunteers has given me the experience of working with
peoplefromdiverseculturalandethnicbackgrounds”. I used to have a perception that, it is very
difficult to communicate with people overseas especially if you have not stayed with them for a
period of time. At the initial stage, it was sometimes difficult to hear some of the UKVs speak
because of their strong ascent. This perception changed when I started getting along and could

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understand whatever they said. To provide more opportunities for possible employment, I know
I have written my CV in the minds of colleague volunteers, who can recommend me when such
opportunities arise. I will also add these experiences to my CV which will place me ahead of
potential applicants in job interviews.
COUNTERPART
I was paired with Cameron MacFarlane
Ovenell from the South of England. He is 19
years old, and has completed college.
Despite our conflicting characters and
differences, we were able to compromise
to live together peacefully. He is friendly,
able to start up a conversation, and accepts
his faults whenever he is wrong. These,
among other characteristics of him come
into play to make him the unique person he
is. We won “the star counterpart pair” in
the 8th week of our stay in the community.
This is done every week to acknowledge
counterpart pairs who through the thick and thin stayed, overcame and achieved together.
HOST HOME
I was hosted in the same home with my counterpart by Mr. Justice Edem Zorh. He is the liaison
officer for the Adaklu Waya Livelihood Project, and also works with the Social Welfare and
Community Development Department of the Adaklu Waya District Assembly. He was my host
dad and coincidentally comes from the same village Tefle, where am from. I got along very well
with him because I understood our Ghanaian culture and never hesitated in helping him out
with the house chores. It was a compound house with various households so we had to share
the bath room, and a place of convenience together. That wasn’t a challenge for me because it
is the same situation back home.
PERSONAL DISCOVERY / REVELATION
On the placement, I realized there was a particular positive attitude I was lacking.However, I was
motivated and guided by a special quote I heard from some volunteers who presented during
“Nyanukemenya” (Know what I know) Day. I wrote this quote “I WILL LEARN TO UNDERSTAND
THAN TO BE UNDERSTOOD ALWAYS” and placed it where I sleep to remind me every morning
before I step out for team meetings. This helped me to respect other people’s views and
appreciated the brilliant ideas which made our work a success. I also discovered that I had a
potential for acting because of the positive comments I received from volunteers and community
folks who witnessed a role I played in a drama performed by the team during the second
awareness event themed; “the importance of savings”.
PARTICIPATION IN GROUP ACTIVITIES
I was in the monitoring and evaluation team as well as the groundnut team. As part of our work,
we conducted a survey to identify the challenges of the livelihood activities of the people in

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Adaklu Waya. I was instrumental in the data entry and designed a database in excel from the
survey. I also played a special role in our engagements with the groundnut groups in Anfoe and
Waya to facilitate sessions because I was one of the few volunteers who could communicate well
in the local dialect (Ewe). I also played the MC role in both Awareness Raising events which has
increased my confidence level
especially before a larger crowd
of people. I used my talent in
art to design the team’s
banner and paint
inscriptions to
identify our new office in
Adaklu Waya. I was also
part of other volunteers
to paint beautiful
educational
themes on the walls of a
classroom in the Glory Be To
God E.P. Primary School,
Adaklu Waya. I also used
my talent in music to compose
a song for the team. As part of
our side project to teach in a summer
school we started for the primary and Junior High Students in Anfoe, I handled a section of the
Creative Arts subject, where I taught the kids some basic knowledge in arts and colours.
PERSONAL CHALLENGE
I used to find it difficult to be on time for group activities but being on the project changed me
when I saw how serious colleague volunteers were always on time and I had to fall in. I used to
have a problem with our meetings being scheduled in the evenings because it never gave room
for my personal space but this changed after MPR (Mid Project Review) when allmeetings except
socials and open mic, were changed to the day time.
IMPACT
The presence of ICS in the community has had great impact on the people especially through our
awareness raising events. The message reached them as we expected and majority of them
participated in our activities. Although there were few challenges our short term outcomes were
achieved. On the other hand, I was greatly impacted by the culture and hospitability of the
people. Even though I am from the Volta Region the frequent cultural display by the cultural
groups in the community, the dance and other festivals we witnessed from other communities,
have enlightened me more on the culture of my people.