"My name is in America"

There is a bit of a back story to this photograph, taken four months ago at Anani Memorial International School.

I met Mr. Abdullah four years ago.  He has taught French at the school for close to forty years.  He is one of the most dedicated and energetic educators I have ever met.

Anani School is a small private school that serves the children of many struggling families in the slum of Nima.  The parents often make about $2.00 a day, and many of the pupils are orphans who are being raised by grandparents or others.  Parents make big sacrifices to send their children to this school, as the available public schools are overwhelmed.  But they are not always able to pay the fees, so the school often struggles and the teachers, such as Mr. Adbullah, often suffer.

We believe strongly that Yo Ghana! should always help in a way that encourages local initiative, so our board decided that the best way to assist the school was to ask parents and other community members to donate goods (such as onions) or services (such as music lessons) to the school, and we would match their contributions with cash.

The project was very successful.  It not only raised goods and services and money for the school, it also increased parents' pride in and commitment to it, and they loved the certificates.  Madam Samira says that she hung hers in her room "so that I can see it every morning and tell myself to contribute more because my name is in America."

I tell  you this story because I think it illustrates how careful we are with the money that you donate to us, and how hard our partners in Ghana work to do their part, often against great odds, in giving their children and their students a chance at a better life.

We are trying to raise $5,000 in December, about 25% of our budget for the coming year.  So far we have raised $1,100, so we need your help.

To contribute, just to to http://www.yoghana.org/donate.html -- or e-mail yoghana.org@gmail.com and ask for my mailing address.  As we are a 501(c)3, deductions are tax deductible.