2019 Update for Hope Child Education Center

Hope Child News 2018

 

We have had a great couple of years at Hope Child Education Center!  The school continues to grow.  We currently have 52 students, 3 teachers and a principal.  Two cooks, including our friend Dorcas, prepare a protein rich meal three days a week.  Clean water, farm animals and health education have been provided.

Water:

In 2017, thanks to some generous donors, we were able to dig our first borehole (water well) for the village.  We found water but not enough for the school and the village.  We were somewhat disappointed because we had hoped to supply enough for the village itself.  The borehole company promised to dig another well for half price.  Again, with donations and savings, we were able to dig a second borehole in early 2018, which was much more successful, 200 gallons an hour!  I have shared before just how precious water is to the people of Northern Ghana.  Women and children walk a mile or more to collect a bucket of water from the river.  Now the village has clean water! We can not even imagine the difference this has made in lives.

Visit and Well Dedication:

In June, Gary, Jim Dopkus and I traveled to Ghana to see the school and to dedicate the wells.  Our first stop was in Tamale where we were able to see John Inusah graduate from Seminary.  Now he is a pastor as well as the director of Hope Child and a police sergeant.  Next we traveled to Yendi to see the school.  We were very pleased with the progress of the school.  New paint, new landscaping, textbooks and happy children.  The village turned out for the Borehole dedication including the village chief, a local pastor, parents and friends.  The students and the women from the village performed dances to the drumming.  To our surprise we were honored with the titles Chief of Happiness and Queen of Development.  This was a huge honor coming from the chief and the people of the village!  The picture above shows in our new attire dedicating one of the wells.

From our Visit and Meeting with Teachers:

• The teachers and the principal report that many more children want to attend school.  The students that move on the the government school are much more advanced than their peers.  The principal would like to see us add grades 4-6.
• They dream of computer labs, more classrooms and more teaching supplies.
• Students are supplied new uniforms when they start school but many of their uniforms are worn thin from the daily wear.  
• Playground equipment

John, our friend Williams, and we discussed how the people of the village can begin to take on more of the responsibilities and help finance the school.  Ideas generated were:

• Creating a water committee to take care of the wells, including collecting very small fees from the villagers to help pay for future maintenance and repairs.
• A "piggery", that is the raising of farm animals by the parents of the school children to help pay fees.
• Since the well water is of such high quality, making water sachets to sale.  These small water bags are very popular in Ghana as they are an inexpensive way for people to have clean water.
• Making and selling shea butter products.

Our ultimate goal is to encourage the community to develop the skills, means and confidence to take over the control and support for the school, water systems and projects, thereby fostering independence and self-reliance.

Since our visit donors have supplied the village with four goats to get them started raising animals to support themselves and the school.  On February 22 our first baby goat was born. This fall  playground equipment was installed.

How you can help:

Visit us at hopeforyendi.org and click on "join us" to make a paypal payment
Checks can be written to Hope Child Education Center and given to us directly or mailed to:
     27548 6th St
     Junction City, OR 97448

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