We can develop the potential and skills of local changemakers in rural Ghana

Join me in supporting real change. Help us create greater opportunity for rural children and their families.

It seems as if it was yesterday that I visited the Asiafo Amanfro Community and School. However, it's been two years and I can still hear the laughter of the children, the warm welcoming of the community, and the genuine love of every family. Needless to say, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Whether I volunteered at the community school, participated in a soccer game, or searched for toilets that would be installed into the community school, they made me look at life through a different lens. I often think of the children in the community as each and everyone one of them was unique, taught me something new and ultimately impacted my life tremendously. With a smile on their faces and the excitement they had for every activity, they never once complained and made life seem so joyful. They taught me that everyday was a good day, and were my motivation to complete my Senior Independent Study-- in the sense that they were able to go to school, learn a different language, and after a long day, come home and complete "chores" that most would find extremely difficult--therefore writing a "paper" should have been a piece of cake! I hold the Asiafo Amanfro community very close to my heart, and I ask you to open up your heart during this holiday season and join our quest to help the Asiafo Amanfro Community.

This Local People, Greater Potential Campaign is about sustaining and investing in our people in Ghana so that we will have stronger programs and create greater opportunities for children and families in the Akaa community. As we look at how the Akaa Project will expand in the next two years, our teachers will also have expanded roles. They will take on greater outreach activities in other schools and villages, increasing the number of children and families we work with.

We believe in the power of local voices and local people to be changemakers in their own communities. Our people have better insights in the rural context because they live it, they grew up in it, and now, they are part of changing it. They can navigate the bush paths, point out the movers and shakers in a village, and know the best times to hold community wide meetings. It's not easy to learn those things! What can be learned is how to type an email, what monitoring and evaluation is, and best practices for child-centered learning. Our staff have not had the opportunity for this type of growth, until now.

We are raising $20,000, to be used over 2 years, to strengthen the skills of our dedicated people and build capacity in the communities we work in. In these two years, our people will learn important proficiencies and skills such as first aid, financial management and accounting, and computers, as well as problem solving and effective communication. Funds will be used for individual and group trainings, professional mentorship, and other support costs. These activities have a direct impact on what our program outcomes will be – how many children have access to quality education, how many adults become literate, how many families will make informed healthcare decisions, how many people will maximize their land production to better provide for their families.

Our people have the desire to learn and the commitment to better the lives of thousands in their community. Whatever we invest in our people, they will give back to those around them, and so much more. We invite you to join us in our quest to help inspire those who will inspire.