Hello ‘Build for Ghana’ friends and family,

I hope this update finds you all well in your environs, keeping safe and positive in these days leading towards the holiday season. 

Full disclosure that this update was spurred on with a family triumph. Our Ghanaian goddaughter Korkor (the wonderful woman who is the reason for our Ghana projects) called us this weekend on Whatsapp. She had news of her growing family (four young children and a new dog!). Some of you may know that her eldest, Eben Jr. (Junior) was born blind with cerebral palsy. This wonderful boy has an amazing family who are always working with him to achieve little triumphs … holding a ball, rolling over, sitting up. We have not been in Ghana since May 2019, so it has been some time from our last visual update. Yesterday, we saw this incredible sight … a photo of Junior standing on his own! It made me reflect on how important it is that we work just as hard as Junior to do what we can within our own worlds.

Figure 1. Eben Junior’s progress!

Covid-19 has reached even the remote regions of central Ghana. There were lives lost, school closures, lay-offs, hard times for all. Our stellar Build For Ghana (B4G) Project Manager, Frank Appiah-Kubi (schoolteacher, community leader, sustainable construction advocate), sends his greetings. Frank has helped so many in our villages to navigate a way forward with their programs and training when local and national government agencies have ceased to operate.

	Figure 2. Frank Appiah-Kubi shopping for Abigail’s nursing school supplies.

We haven’t initiated any new construction since our departure in early 2019, but we have continued to support many of the B4G projects to date:

• Fund maintenance and lighting upgrade to Korkor’s Community Library in Abetenim
• Fund additional electrical supplies to create lighting kits for rural homes with rechargeable batteries in Okorase
• Fund Abigail Nyarko, one of our first students, and a young mother, to attend nursing school. (We hope that Abigail will return to Abetenim to be the village’s first medical staff!)
• Fund medical treatment for our student Samuel Asante. Sam suffers from sickle cell anemia. He was a classmate and first friend to our son Clay when we arrived in Abetenim in 2015). After normal treatments weren’t having any effect, Sam was treated by a traditional herbalist and has made tremendous improvement.

Figure 3. Korkor’s Community Library now 5 years old!

• Fund medical treatment for Sara Asante. Sara is a teenager who suffered from a foot infection which neared requiring amputation. Sara also has sickle cell anemia, so doesn’t respond quickly to antibiotics. B4G funded 6-weeks hospitalization, and extensive treatments of medications. After 4 months, she has recovered to the point of being able to walk with a cane. We continue to fund basic medical supplies for her treatments.
• Fund the remaining five high school students enrolled in our ‘Build for Ghana’ education program.
• Fund two high school graduates further their education. Elizabeth Nyarko is enrolled in the police academy. Bernard is apprenticing with a master mason after completing a 2-year Building Technology program.

So, where from here? Well, there is a lot to do!

• Continue to support our education programs and skills training. Take a look at these junior high girls learning how to sew their washable feminine hygiene kits!
• Expand our renewable solar lighting kits program in Okorase.
• Fund the construction of more waterless latrines in Okorase and Kwaso

Figure 4. Sewing instruction at Kwaso Junior High.

• Fund new high school students who otherwise would see the end to their formal education after junior high.
• Fund the construction of as many touchless hand-washing stations as possible (Tippy Taps), as a defense against the transmission of covid-19 and other diseases.
• Support our experienced rammed earth construction team build new essential community facilities in our district.

	Figure 5. Installing Tippy Taps stations in Okorase.

Please help. As previous ‘Build for Ghana’ supporters, you know that 100% of your donation goes straight to our project work.

Please take a moment, consider the holidays ahead, and choose the gift of a lifetime to our extended family and their communities in Ghana.

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from you.

DONATE to ‘BUILD FOR GHANA’ CAMPAIGN

Resilience, kindness and gratitude,

Your ‘Build for Ghana’ Team, 
Papa Kwasi (Keith), Papa Yaw (John), Mama Affia (Jen) 

 

Contact Info:

Jennifer Corson

jennifer@solterre.com

www.solterre.com