Clean, portable water for students could pose a challenge as evidenced here. It does not take much to transform things for the better. You are our support base.

I wish there was time to teach our American students how to play those Drums. Let me teach you the name of the longer one; it is called “Fontonfrom”. Try pronouncing it. Clue: It sound musically as D-D-D (Fon-Ton-From), got it?

Love Chocolates? Do you know how we get chocolate? Well, it comes from cocoa beans. This is part of the traditional drying process, although China and other countries have developed a more sophisticated one. Ghana is the second largest producer of cocoa. Most producers are peasant farmers, some of whose children attend our schools. While the world price for cocoa has increased significantly, vast profits have not been filtered to compensate these farmers fairly. Some are in dire situations and can hardly pay their children’s school fees.

Compare a homely class wing to where our blur jays have taken a picture. See the contrast? Dear Donors, you wield tremendous collective power to make a child’s dream come true. We have come this far, and your support and belief are sufficient to keep us afloat.

With your help, our school will soon have a more modern style like what you see.

Some of the needs need no listing here. Some are drawn on the wall in the back of the class. Judging from the students’ ages, what do you think they might need to accelerate their learning, knowing these are some of our future leaders?

Without water, students trek a reasonably long distance to fetch water. Can someone Google how much a simple borehole might cost so we can stop these long treks? We are currently self-reliant, but for how long? Please help.

Termites have made mincemeat of the blackboard, but this teacher remains undeterred. He knows your generosity is nigh. Let us extend some love to them. Your money will do wonders, and the feeling you get for helping the needy is priceless. Thanks for anything you could do. Please donate today.

These dedicated teachers from Zion 2 are making all of us proud. It is not the money, which is always very little; it is not the convenience since they go through hardships to and from school; it is not the comfort since the classroom and school environments are relatively poor; it is the firm belief that investing in children assures our future. They are also the hope that donors like you, appreciating their efforts, will do whatever it takes to give them a welcomed reprieve. Please donate today.

During my days, an assembly of this nature may signify different things: prayers before class, Prayers for a general announcement, Prayers before heading home, etc. Look in those eyes—a whole of confidence, fear, and uncertainty but also an audacity for hope. As far as I know, hope never abandoned me. But then again, the level of depravity breeds uncertainties. Well, join me in assuaging their fears and transforming fear into optimism and courage. Thank you.

Our only school bus is brought to the mechanic’s shop for repairs. This happens frequently because it is an ancient vehicle. Commuting students to and from school accelerates the age and functionality of the car. Whenever the vehicle breaks down, schools become interrupted with those depending on the bus having to be absent that day. Well, let’s get 2 huge yellow buses, (like the ones used in America), a 60-80 seater to alleviate the suffering. This will ensure that each bus will haul 80 students each way instead of the current multiple trips per day using the small bus.

Self explanatory.

Here is our first school bus purchased. These kind gentlemen are on hand to do some repairs.

More courageous teachers defy all odds and cement their fate in accelerating the prospects of our leaders-to-be. I want you to know that with your help, their selfless services will not go unrewarded.

This is self-explanatory. Construction and repairs of parts of the classrooms.

Cement is expensive in Ghana. Despite that, I funded its purchase to speed up repairs.

Remember in some of the pictures of the classrooms, there was dirt and pebbles? We figured out the unhealthy nature and defied all odds to cement the floors to make the class more conducive—notice also fresh wooden boards to provide temporary walls and a blackboard.

Impossible for such a structure (Urinal) to cater to staff and male and female students. With your generous donation (which may be tax deductible) you could see a well-constructed, standardized restroom with separate space for female, and male students in addition to a different location for the teaching staff.

I guarantee you that many of these students are studying on a near-empty stomach. I know because I was once like them. Let us change that.

The few, the brave. Here are some of our excellent teachers. They may not have silver and gold, but when it comes to care, sacrifices, compassion, and expertise in their craft, they remain bar none. Kudos, proud educators.

This classroom is devoid of desks and shows no evidence of classes. This is because of the lack of desks, which have to be brought by switching from other classrooms. The bare ground engenders dust, and the lack of covering leaves the entire classroom exposed to the elements.

What we need here is self-evident: better flooring, more desks, better windows, and a ceiling to prevent insect bites and prevent heat.

A solid door, portable water with cover, and some painting for starters.

Various multicultural creative activities are included in our budget plan for all 5 schools. Cultural singing and dancing, usually in traditional regalia or prescribed clothing, highlight our schools’ uniqueness. Here is a group of cultural festivities from American Beacon Academy (ABA), the newest school in the entire area.

We bought sand, gravel, cement, etc. to begin repairing the walls in some of the classrooms as well as plastering.

Well, there is nothing we can hide! This is all we can afford this time, and we are fiercely optimistic that those true lovers of our efforts will swoop in and offer assistance for the much-needed facelift. This is one of the schools’ urinals.

Newly acquired plots of land, later converted into a school garden, allow the students to appreciate flora and fauna while learning how to identify different species and do planting and harvesting.

The Garfield High School Global Technology Academy (GTA) members, the real heroes who came with me to my village, brought computers, stationeries, and assorted materials from the USA to Ghana in an outstanding educational and recreational 17-day trip. They gave me the spark to continue this great work. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

I used part of my retirement money to send something, so these have been temporarily replaced. As we know, those termites voraciously and mercilessly gnaw anything made of wood.

Some of our heroes are from America. They did a superb job while in Ghana. With humility, they stayed at the Dunkwa Secondary Boarding School and jointly worked with their Ghanaian counterparts on setting up the internet, cleaning, going on excursions to the Winneba beach, and combining work with fun. A bond is forever kept between Ghana and America.

As much as we respect green nature, clearing portions of the forest to burn and producing bags of charcoal for sale to raise revenue to maintain the school is sometimes necessary. With your help, we may spare the rest of the greeneries from further destruction (deforestation).

This is self-explanatory. Construction and repairs of parts of the classrooms.

Serious school repairs are in full swing. These workers receive compensation as outside recruits, and we are grateful for their periodic help.

The students’ store will enable trips for selected and interested students to learn about the intricacies of buying, selling, and pricing items. They will also learn how to calculate profit and loss and how the former is determined.

Precarious yet necessary work repairing the roofs.

We need more desks. We need windows that close. The class has no door. A bigger teacher’s table will be helpful. Finally, 2 bags of cement, gravel, sand, and water could give the dusty floor a new look.

A long time ago, these donated computer paraphernalia served their purpose. Now out-dated and insufficiency prevented a vast majority from benefiting from a sound computer education. Thank goodness you are here to help. Please donate now and see how your donation is changing lives.

Teacher Ato Dadzie could not pass up taking a picture with some of our future heroes, even in the inferno of June heat. In the far ground is a picture of the better part of the classrooms. We plan to tear everything down and rebuild one reminiscent of the modern one on the right. Join us on this transformative journey; ‘ a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

After a thunderous rainstorm in the night, the school woke up to near-total destruction. I had to run around to send money to purchase materials to resurrect this wall.

Here is a quiz for all: What are some needs here? Clue: Here is the school market where students line up for nutrition. I could easily list a minimum of 5 necessities.

Similar needs here, too.

Another cultural presentation in one of the 5 schools. In your comments, let us know if you would like to see more student-centered activities.

The class looks spacious and comfortable with fresh air. These conditions are, however, short-lived after school when the class becomes at the mercy of the elements: village livestock, insects, and reptiles of all kinds, not to talk of leaving nasty residues of their dropping. With your help, salvation draws near.

Each of our 5 schools could benefit from sports equipment and attire, shoes, socks, nets, etc., the usual paraphernalia that exists in surplus warehouses waiting to be donated. Among the requests I have received from the schools are soccer, basketball, tennis, and a lot more. I am organizing to go to garage sales and contact companies like Costco, Albertsons, Walmart, etc., for surplus donations.

Our American students were treated to some of Ghana’s delicacies. Here is the genesis of preparing corn dough, popularly known as Kenkey. I am here congratulating the corn mill operator and thanking some kitchen workers. They treated us well beyond our imagination, and we are forever grateful to them and Boamponsem Secondary School for hosting us.

We could inject some fun into these kids, give them a future to hope for, energy to endure the day, nutrition to bolster their energies, and an entire classroom makeover.

I just wanted to let you know that you may want to see the outcome of the repair work done in and around this classroom. Could you take a guess? I wish I had extra money to purchase more cement! With your help, we can happily post a picture of a new classroom.

We refuse to allow the overnight winds to destroy parts of our roofs without immediate repairs. Poor guy. It was a necessary risk, but all went well.

A classroom is in disarray because there are no doors and windows. In the knight, goats and other animals freely roam around, sometimes succeeding in wreaking havoc. We, the donors, are in charge, and things will change rapidly for the better.

More building repair materials just purchased including wood, nails, etc.

Little by little, the tiny bird will complete building its nest. I purchased packets of fresh wood and corrugated aluminum sheets to replace decrepit ones.

You could imagine the situation before placing these walls. There is more work to be done. With your help, you will see a different picture. Please donate today, and thank you.

More roof repair