Meet Madam Isabella. Isabella ran into our arms every morning and night with a big hug and an even bigger smile. She's 4 years old and being looked after by her uncle's wife and two teenage aunts. Isabella's playful imagination and charming personality made us fall in love with her from the moment we met.It is hard to think of such a special child filling her days by playing along the road where her sisters sell oranges when she could be in school. School tuition, books, and uniforms are expensive and with her mother and father absent, school is not easy to afford. With the help of your donations, we've been able to leave money to ensure that Isabella gets the opportunity to go to school. Her family greatly appreciated it and we know Isabella will too someday.
Patricia and Patrina are Isabella's twin aunts who help look after Isabella for their older brother. Their own father is not around to pay for school so they spend their days selling oranges at the side of the road. These bright young women are about to turn 17 and would like the opportunity to continue their schooling. With your donations, we were able to pay for both of their annual school fees to help end the cycle of poverty through education. Patricia and Patrina will not forget your generosity.
This motorcycle is more than just a transportation vehicle for Abraham, a beadmaking cassava farmer. It will be used to carry sick villagers and heavy bead making supplies for an entire village called Sebrino. The town is located in the middle of nowhere on a road in the middle of nowhere and then 2 miles up a mountain in the middle of nowhere. It was the most unaccessible community that we visited during our stay in Ghana, but one of the most welcoming. This motorcycle in the picture was donated many years ago by another NGO, but has been broken down for a very long time. Abraham has no money to fix the motorcycle since he has a daughter at university and another child in high school. (AMAZING!) The sacrifice not to fix the motorcycle to afford education for his children comes with many hardships for Abraham and the entire village of Sebrino. Luckily, we tracked down the motorcycle at a repair shop in town where it was stripped down to almost the bare frame and engine. We were able to surprise Abraham by leaving money with Global Mamas to ensure that the bike is repaired properly. This is sure to make a huge improvement in the quality of life for Abraham and the other beadmaking villagers.
Richard is an ambitious young man who works in the Global Mamas office and quickly became our friend. He came to Cape Coast by himself when he was a teenager to look for his father. A well-wisher named Eli took him in and has cared for him like a mother. Most boys in Richard's situation might have dropped out of school, but he continued to persevere. Richard has been saving his salary for a very long time to afford to further his education at a university. Without parents and student loans, university is a very big expense that is unaffordable for the large majority of Ghanaians. Through his hard work, he is leaving for university in Kumasi this month to study computer science. Richard can barely afford tuition and isn't sure how he will pay for food and housing without working multiple low-paying jobs. To acknowledge his hard work and dedication, we decided to help him concentrate on his classwork by donating money to help with his school expenses.Thank you to everyone who donated and supported us during our time in Ghana.
