CHALLENGE As many of you are aware, I have been supporting the village of Akplamafu, Ghana since the early 2000s. While the country saw some improvement in the expansion of government support and a period of growth occurred in the community for a few years, it has unfortunately been declining once again at a rapid pace and they need our help! The school there is once again facing extreme challenges and the current headmistress has appealed to the government since Fall of 2024 with no success. The community has remained active in fundraising efforts, however, the focus in recent years has been on the healthcare of the community. One of the school blocks in particular (the oldest block now) is in dire need of repair (see details below) as it has been deemed unsafe. In addition, Ghana has unfortunately been hit harder than most when it comes to economic crisis in the post-covid world. Over the last 15 years, the value of Ghana's currency has continuously declined with one of the worst-performing currencies in the world last year. This, combined with post-Covid impact, has resulted in a record 53% inflation rate in just a six-month period. Unfortunately, the country has just had to seek out yet another IMF (International Monetary Fund) bailout and the country will likely see struggles for years to come. CURRENT CRITICAL NEEDS (updated as needs evolve) - Education Infrastructure: while our efforts to build and repair school blocks throughout the years have been wildly successful and brought significant impact to expanding education in the village, one of the existing original buildings offering classes for grades 3-6 is in a critical state of disrepair and has "become a death trap." Recent rains turned the classrooms into pools and necessitated the closure of those class levels to protect the lives of students. In addition, the walls are weak with multiple cracks and perforated roofing making learning difficult during the rain. The construction has poor ventilation which creates an incredibly hot and stifling environment to the point that often classrooms must be held outside under a tree for the safety of the children. Realistically the building should be torn down and completely rebuilt. Latrines: imagine going to school without a bathroom. This is the case in Akplamafu. Students must relieve themselves in the jungle, where there "have been cases or snake bites and assaults. In addition, many will leave the school and not return for the day." Our hope is to build latrines so that students can quickly relieve themselves in a way that is both sanitary and safe, and allows them to return to the classroom quickly. Materials: the school needs cupboards to store materials (often students are walking very far to reach class and thus do not bring necessary supplies given the heat and distance), printers for materials, and a variety of needs for the computer lap including fans, windows, furniture and laptops. SOLUTION As we've done many times before over the last 15+ years, we can make a significant difference in the education of hundreds of students over the years to come. While the entire globe has been hit these last few years, the people in Ghana are struggling more than ever to put food on the table. We must keep kids in school so they are not pulled into the workforce at young ages to bring in income and a key way to do this is by providing safe and healthy environments for students. While it will take quite some time to rectify the issues above, the overall long-term goal is to continue focusing on education and building economic wealth in the village. We will update projects according to need and keep updates flowing here as they arise. Please keep in mind that progress is often slow and delayed in Ghana due to a lack of materials, resources, etc and can often take longer than anticipated to complete. CONCLUSION Thank you in advance for your partnership. Together we can continue to make a huge impact. If ever you want to collaborate on something bigger or join on a future trip to Ghana, please don't hesitate to let me know!
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