An initiative led by Campfire Tales, in partnership with The Hidden Story Project, is helping children in Ghana's Volta Region tell their own stories, engage with community elders, and prepare to become mentors themselves.

ADAKLU KODZOBI, GHANA — When Elder Matthew finished telling his story at a community fireside gathering, the children raised their hands. They had questions for him.

In the Volta Region, Ghana, children have traditionally been expected to listen respectfully to elders rather than question them in public, according to Robert Tornu of Friends of Adaklu. But that evening, young storytellers were asking an elder about his life, and he was answering.

“We have stories about animals, moral values and Ghanaian culture and history, but we don’t tell stories about ourselves,” Tornu told the Ghana News Agency in August.

Just 13 weeks earlier, those same children had begun learning to tell their own personal stories and ask each other questions.

Finding the Story in Everyday Life

The program was led by Madam Ryan McAbery, founder of Portland, Oregon-based Campfire Tales, in partnership with The Hidden Story Project, co-founded by Madam Betsy Benoit.

Since July, McAbery and Benoit have led weekly Zoom workshops with 14 students aged 11 to 14 at Adaklu Kodzobi Basic School, which serves approximately 300 pupils. The workshops build on the community's rich tradition of folktales and oral history by helping children recognise stories in their own experiences: a lesson learned, a family memory or an ordinary moment at school.

News of the program had spread throughout the Adaklu district. When the American delegation arrived in October, about 350 community members welcomed the visitors with a ceremonial gathering of Elders and Community Members.

Later, the students, now known as the Campfire Tales Ambassadors, presented their stories before the community of Adaklu Kodzobe, which included elders, teachers and neighbours gathered around a campfire.

The Storytelling Initiative has the support of Togbe Dzegblade IV, Chief of Adaklu Kodzobi, and the community's elders. Headmaster Charles Kugbeadzor played a central role in bringing the program into Adaklu Kodzobi Basic School.

The Power of Being Heard



Photo - Noel and Ryan at the Friday Campfire in Adaklu Kodzobi - Photo Credit: Ryan McAbery

McAbery has long believed in the power of personal storytelling. But in Adaklu Kodzobi, she witnessed how sharing a story could lead to immediate, tangible change.

During a workshop, Noel, a 15-year-old fifth-grade student, told his first personal story. His education had been delayed due to family challenges; in his story, Noel said he dreamed of becoming a farmer, one who could hire and pay workers so that everyone could eat.

Moved by his story, McAbery brought Noel's circumstances and ambitions to the attention of Friends of Adaklu and Headmaster Charles Kugbeadzor. Within 24 hours, they had approved a section of the school grounds for Noel to begin a school garden.

"It's incredible to think that the introduction of personal storytelling can bring real results to people here in Ghana," McAbery said. "It has been amazing to witness."

Before the delegation arrived, Elder Matthew shared a personal story during a Zoom session with Benoit and McAbery. When he finished, he straightened in his chair, extended his arms toward the screen and looked directly into the camera.

“I am so proud of you,” he told them.

“We are proud of you, too,” they replied.

At the fireside gathering, the children showed they had listened closely enough to want to know more. Rather than simply receiving wisdom from an older generation, they were participating in active listening and held a conversation with him. Tornu said the exchange reflected a shift in how children and elders communicate, while preserving the respect for elders that remains central to the community.

The word Elder Matthew used after sharing his story had become the children’s answer to a question McAbery asks after every storytelling session: How do you feel?

Proud.

Teachers at Adaklu Kodzobi Basic School report noticeable improvements in the students' writing, confidence, English-language skills, public speaking abilities and leadership. The program has opened new conversations among adults as well. During a workshop with the school's teachers, McAbery asked them to share personal stories.

“What surprised me most was how little the teachers knew about one another’s personal lives,” McAbery said. “When we learn to tell our own stories and hear the stories of others around us, we feel seen, and real exchange takes place. Campfire Tales and The Hidden Story Project have helped open new pathways for personal communication here in Adaklu Kodzobi.”

From Storytellers to Teachers

The Ambassadors have already visited schools in Adaklu Hehekpoe and Adaklu Dawanu, reading their stories to introduce the program. With support from McAbery, Adaklu Kodzobi Basic School teachers and Friends of Adaklu, they will begin mentoring children in neighbouring communities throughout the Volta Region. Adaklu Dawanu is a likely starting point, with Starlink internet access across participating schools making remote mentorship possible.

This storytelling partnership would not have been possible without Our Future Prize’s donation of 285 Starlink devices to rural schools in Ghana. “Internet access allows our rural children to access the world,” Tornu said when the partnership began.

Teachers at Adaklu Kodzobi Basic School will also receive training to bring personal narrative storytelling into their classrooms. Organisers hope to revive the community’s tradition of fireside storytelling through monthly gatherings where children, parents, teachers and elders can share their experiences. Tomorrow Labs, co-founded by Weston Cox, is developing multilingual technology to help document stories in Ewe and English.

“I’ll be returning in April, during mango season, and I hope to find new volunteers to join me,” McAbery said.

The original Ambassadors began with stories about mangoes, family and school. At the fireside gathering, they stood before their community, speaking with confidence and asking questions of their elders. The project was also supported by Angel “Kikito” Cordona, who brought a story prompt workbook that was quickly adopted into the school and community.

“Our role is to be a bridge,” McAbery said. “We’re helping Adaklu Kodzobi build a personal storytelling tradition that they will lead and carry forward long after we’re gone.”



Campfire Tales Ambassadors telling Stories at the community