Ghana Star Pupils Need Your Help

Hi there!!

A long time reader contacted me about an organisation that needs a little assistance from you.Reach for the Stars is a small group of committed people with strong links to Ghana. Much like myself, some of them spent time volunteering in Ghana and developed close connections with the children they worked with, in particular.

When I received the notice about their work, I totally understood. I also connected with the students I worked with and can understand the need to want to see those kids have a chance to succeed.

The main problem for many students in Ghana is finding enough money for school fees. The amounts needed are small by Western Standards, but go a long way here in Ghana. It's all relative.

If a parent takes home 100 Ghana Cedis per month, but school fees for one child are 20 Cedis per month, then they pay 20% of their income towards their child's fees. I'm not sure what you make per month, but could you afford to pay 20% of it per child per month for their education?

This is a big problem here. Most parents can't afford that kind of ratio. Often the ration is much higher. As a result, Shallee and a few others have developed an organisation to help some children go to high school--the final years.

It's a make or break time for these kids. The difference between toiling as labourers or possibly being able to go on to higher education. You can make a difference with a donation as small as US$5. I know you read this all the time. But it's true. Even better, $50 will help in the same way that $500 would help in the States or the UK. Possibly more, because these kids don't have a fall back option.

I hope you'll check out the site Reach for the Stars and click the icon on the right to make a contribution!

Thank you!

Are You Mad: Young People

You can read the next in our serious Are You Mad: Young People at G-lish. This post focuses on the differences we can make in the lives of children and youth around the world.We hope it inspires you to shake things up in your part of the world. Here is an excerpt:

'Unfortunately, in much of the developing world young people don’t have a voice. Many factors underlie this including socio-cultural norms such as “children must be seen and not heard” (Ghana), or there is no youth policy to address specific youth needs (Ghana, too).

If you’ve traveled in developing countries you’ll know that many children begin working from the moment they can walk. Here, where we live, I’m no longer shocked to see four, five or six year old girls carrying their baby siblings on their back, wrapped in cloth, while simultaneously carrying oranges on their head to sell for 5 cents in the market so they can make a few cents for the day. This is completely, abhorrently, normal. This also touches on education—denying these children an education because they’re outside making money trading on the streets.'

Check out ways you can make a difference and read the whole post at G-lish, Are you Mad: Young People.

Download Ghana guide and see inside the guide before buying.

Ghanaian students contribute to virtual library

An interview I conducted in 2009 was recently published at Global Voices Online. You can check out the whole interview there at Ghanaian Students Contribute to Virtual Media Library. 

In July 2009 I had the privilege of catching up with old friends and meeting some new faces when Jonathan Thurston, his wife Kristi, and past and present students arrived in Ghana to carry out a book making project with students at a primary school in Elmina, in the Central Region of Ghana.

What’s so special? They use simple, portable technology to inspire creativity and facilitate learning among Ghana’s poorest students. And they use ‘social media’ to establish networks with like-minded individuals and organizations internationally, enhancing development opportunities and increasing the possibility of involving other communities and countries as the organization grows.

Are you MaD?: Education for change

We're doing a series on Making a Difference at G-lish. This is based on our new page, Are You MaD?, which gives you simple ways to make a difference in the various fields focused on the developing world, from education, to micro-finance and peace-building, to name a few. You can check out our post from today, Are you MaD?: Education at www.g-lish.org.

See Inside the Insider's Guide to Ghana