An account and the start of raising funds

The summer is nearing an end and I still have a lot of work to do. Fortunately I have been able to speak at 2 more churches and a couple more clubs.

Good news came about 12 days ago as Bethany Lutheran Church (of New Lisbon, WI.) decided to hold onto any of the money raised for the project. This non profit account was the first large hurdle to clear and it gives much needed support. I am now in a position to focus on raising funds solely for the school project.

While trying to speak at more places and set up more meetings I have realized I cannot do this on my own. I need help doing this. If you are able to give money please send it to:

618 W. River ST.
New Lisbon, WI.
53950

Make sure to designate checks payable to Bethany Lutheran AND on the memo line write Ghana Project, or School Project. I believe all gifts of money are tax deductable and receipts would be given at the end of the year.

If you know someone else that could help but they would want to hear about the project from me, or you are a part of an organization that may be able to fundraise please contact through email at jake_snake12@hotmail.com or godwinamwayschool@gmail.com. I am completely open to speaking anywhere or meeting with anyone.

Thank you for any support -most recently the support from the people I work with and work for who graciously donated more than 1300 dollars total in one day.

Mid Summer

So the craziness of another summer has set in, despite this I have been keeping in touch with my friends overseas. I have been keeping very busy at work, the days are beginning to feel more and more like minutes passing by.

A couple of great things have happened in regards to the project... I have been able to meet more people through my job, whom have become instrumentally supportive. Additionally, ideas for fundraisers have come out in the open and will be occurring before the end of the summer. As far as the funds are concerned; although I am not deliberately seeking out funds for the project at the moment, money has still come in. A few supporters have maintained reoccurring financial support and even the largest single amount has been received. This is good news but demonstrates the importance of a timely move for an account.

In the last couple weeks I have had the opportunity to speak at a couple places to present the situation. Nearly 2 weeks ago I was able to speak at a church council meeting, and even more recently I spoke at a Lions Club meeting. I am trying to schedule these opportunities in order to speed this project up. The suggestions, financial support, and kind words have all been encouraging.

A friend of mine (Rachel) had the opportunity to travel to Ghana a few weeks back. Knowing this, I was able to send a suitcase to the Orphanage, as well as my friends at the Organization in Ghana. She is currently there trying to help with our school project since I gave her a list of items that would hopefully get figured out. Not long ago she sent some pictures to confirm her arrival and the delivery of the suitcase, which was great to see -thank you Rachel! I sent a photo album which is seen in the picture to the right...

Starting Summer

During the start of the summer it has become a bit more difficult to raise funds for several reasons. First, I needed to move from where I had been living, which took a lot of reorganizing and time since it was very tedious.

Second, I have been at a crossroads trying to find a nonprofit organization that would hold onto the charity-money. I have tried a few different options, but found that they are only dead ends. I was able to make some progress in that I have more contacts that understand what we are hoping to do. I wasn't able to obtain an account with the church I had been trying to, but this is not the end of fundraising, only a temporary hold up. I have several other options which I will be exploring. This includes non-religous groups that might hold onto, or team up with me in order to tax shelter the money received. Since I have become aware that this will not be easy I have become frustrated at times with the some of the beaurocratic procedures, that seemingly have a sole purpose to make this more difficult.

Finally, I have had to find another place to work. This has not been easy either, but I will be continuing to work where I have been for the last 6 years, during this summer. I will be anxiously waiting to return to Ghana while I raise money and hopefully bump into the "right" person, or people while at work. In the meantime, I have been able to speak with Godwin, as well as the other volunteer staffers overseas. Most recently I learned that Godwin is hoping to purchase more land in addition to the 6 acres where the future project site is located. It has always been great to hear from him as it keeps the direct connection of what can come out of this hopeful project.

In addition to the project I have been involved with the volunteer organzation I discovered while I was in Ghana (called GCS http://www.gcs-np.org/sites/node). Several prospective volunteers have inquired further into different programs that we are offering and how the experience was for me while I was there. I have become more invloved since taking on the role of a staff member of the organization, and I continue to hear from all of them, in addition to Godwin.

For questions or further details regarding the project please email godwinamway@gmail.com. I am open to any suggestions that would also aid this project. Thank you all for your continued support.

The New Site

In the last couple weeks i have been able to make some progress with the school project. I have received the site plan from Ghana (it is posted below).


It is on a 5 acre plot, with the remaining 5 acres to be bought by Godwin. The school drawing is not definite yet, but has been drawn up. Along with the site plan and that drawing there is a estimate sheet I was able to obtain. I went to Menards to have a contractor draw it up. Although the estimate only shows what it would cost if it were built here in the U.S., it gives a good idea as to what we should look for in a rough price figure. Often times the foreign businesspeople try to make a larger profit off of others (especially foreigners), which is why this estimate is helpful to a degree.

I would also like to thank those of you who have already contributed. Some of you have given a lot and it has been incredible. The support is always encouraging! I believe that soon enough a school will be built. But given all the circumstances it's important to be patient and look at the long term goal with persistence. I am also trying to get the right information on getting a nonprofit status or partnering with an already existent organization but it all takes time. I will try to keep everyone posted...

The Oprhanage and Godwin

The building is made of concrete as are all the other buildings in Ghana, due to the termites and price of wood. The Orphanage is able to care for about 10 kids. At the moment there are 8 orphans staying there. Delali is Godwin’s sister who takes care of cooking and cleaning. More or less she is the house mom. Although she takes care of the things at the orphanage, it just isn’t enough for some of the kids. Maybe the kids need a more personal role model or maybe she isn’t educated enough to take care of the physical ailments of the kids. Nonetheless she is a hard worker and shares the burden to care for the poor orphans.

Godwin (Galley is the last name) started the school in 2004 with only 15 students and 2 teachers. His vision he told me;

"to establish free education for the needy street children and orphans"

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As a cultural norm, Godwin (pictured below, on the right) has a close family. Sadly his mother passed away last year (2008) which “pains” him. However his father, John, still lives in Kpetoe and is active in supporting Godwin. He has 2 sisters, and other half siblings. 1 of his sisters lives in Gabon and is able to aid him when necessary. As noted above Delali is his other sister who contributes her daily life to the orphanage. She has 2 daughters (Innocent and Seraphine) that live at the orphanage as well. The 2 girls are able to go to a regular school and therefore are able to speak English well.

Common occurrences in Ghana that we do not see in the U.S. include an extreme recklessness when driving (which yields a large amount of deaths), deaths from simple illnesses (treatable diseases), and deaths from snake bites. Altogether this makes it more common to be orphaned. Maybe they eat 2 meals in a day, some days maybe not. Hopefully this gives a little more perspective into the routines and lifestyle over there.



I would like to share only 2 snippets of the kid’s lives on the blog (I asked if I could use this information) …


Delight Dzreke






This is Delight; she is 10 years old now. No one knows who her father is. When she was 2 years old her mother was about to deliver another sibling. At the young age of 2, her mother died due to pregnancy complications along with the newborn. She only has some distant relatives like her grandma whom she stayed with until she was 6. Because she needed more support the orphanage took her in.

She is now 10 years old and only in grade 1. She hadn’t been in school before, but now she has a chance to learn. Delight likes to smile (if you look at her).



Komla Gbotso (Kente weaving)



This is Komla, he is 11 years old. While driving at night from Togo to the city (Ho) a vehicle struck the vehicle his father was traveling in. He became fatherless at the age of 3. Shortly afterwards the mother, unable to support his 2 sisters and 2 brothers, fled. It is believed she sought out work in the area of Lagos, Nigeria. However no one has known of her whereabouts for the last 5-6 years.

He has been in the orphanage for 2 years since his distant relatives are unable to provide the necessities anymore. Yet they are still caring for some of his siblings. At 11 years old he is in grade 4. Komla is extremely good at math given his situation.

The School

Below: About 90 of the students and a few teachers.

Created in 2004, the school began small in size, by Godwin in the village of Kpetoe. As noted on the main page, the school presently contains a roster of about 140 students. These students cannot afford a regular education therefore they have to resort to a free school. Many reasons lead to their enrollment; being orphaned (about half that attend are orphans), lack of funds for school, and not having anywhere else to go or anything else to do while their caretakers farm or earn money. These kids are picked up in the van by Godwin (shown in the back of the photo) around 7 in the morning and taken to "school".

The school is run by about 6 teachers which have a high turnover rate. Madam Francisca, located in the top left corner, has taught at the school since it opened. Other than her, 3 teachers have been there for about a month, and the other 2 for about 1 year. Godwin and the others that help administrate (Mr. Scott and the Secretary) are able to pay a very minimal wage of about 40 cedis a month. This converts to roughly 28 U.S. Dollars. Recently (Spring of 2009) they have been seeking a raise. Although this may seem problematic, the teachers have heart, but need more motivation and structure. They are good people aiding the disadvantaged.

Grades K-6 are taught here, and the largest class is the Kindergarten class of approximately 55 kids. Subjects taught in school include English, Math, RME (Religion, Morals and Ethics), Science, ICT (Computer Technology), CE (Citizenship Education), French, and Ewe (the local language).

The "school" is made up of 3 huts and a mango tree. This is hardly something that is conducive to a good learning experience as many distractions inhibit the learning experience. Since it is located out in the country (they call it the bush), they have to constantly clear the grass in area by way of a cutlass on Fridays. This clearing yields the dirt floor you see in the pictures above and below.

The reason why they do this is mainly to discourage snakes from disturbing them. Additional obvious problems are; having to fetch water daily on the way to school, hiding from the rain (which cancels school), playing in the dirt makes their uniforms dirty, and the heat.

Finally, since the government does not aid this institution they have very few resources. Just one example of this is the 1 Math book class 5 has to learn from. Therefore they lack books and even workbooks to write in. The last and possibly most important form of aid that they do not receive are meals. They struggle to eat something before or during school. The kids arrive around 7:00 and return to their homes around 3:00. Concentration becomes more difficult since they rarely eat 3 meals a day, or even a lunch.