Adam

From his own life story, Adam knows the worries and hardships of families with many children. School uniforms, teaching materials and school meals are too expensive for many families and children, with the result that they receive little or no education at all. Born in 1970 in Obogu, Kumasi, his family sent him to Nima, Accra, at the age of 7, where he grew up with friends and did not always have food and a roof over his head. This had a strong influence on him. He got through his youth with decency and cleverness and learned the craft of embroidery at the market.  
Arriving in Switzerland in 2000, Adam immediately found work as a construction worker at Blumbau AG in Wallisellen. He earned his own money right from the start. Adam still works for the same employer 23 years later. He got married in Switzerland and his son Joy and daughter Sophie were born in 2001 and 2003 respectively. He started buying land in Accra 15 years ago with the money he had saved from his mouth. He first built his first house in Ablekuma, a district of Accra. He later built a second house in which he rents out apartments and retail space, thus creating his financial independence for the future. 2014 was another milestone in Adam's life:
He received a Swiss passport and is now a dual citizen. In consultation with his employer, Adam has started to spend more time in Accra in the winter in order to push ahead with his local projects. He will be closely involved in the construction of his school on site and will spend about half the year in Ghana after his retirement to see how things are going.Verena Hauenstein, Adam's partner of many years, also has a strong connection to Ghana. She first traveled to Ghana with her son Willi Hauenstein (percussionist) in 1994 and fell in love with the country and its people. Adam met Verena in Switzerland in 2005. Since then, she has supported him in all his projects in Switzerland and Ghana. Willi Hauenstein learned Ghanaian drumming from master drummer Eric Asante at the end of the 1980s. This became his great passion and led to many training visits to Ghana. He has been pursuing his vocation as a professional musician and gifted teacher for over 20 years. The Issah-Hauenstein family has been running music and cultural workshops in Ghana since 2011. Around 50 culture enthusiasts from Switzerland have already experienced and enjoyed the hospitality and rich drum and dance culture of the local teachers. Many friendships have developed as a result.