"Meat and potatoes" at AGSHS

Our last News Update was so satisfying for us---Graduations! Missions accomplished! Young people launching the next phase of their lives!

This one is more prosaic…but we want to share it anyway because it’s just so great in its own way…J

First a bit of background:

In 2009. Axim started its Axim Girls Senior High School with 23 students, after years of work and the support of Chief Awulae, Member of Parliament Catherine Afeku, Founding Headmistress Mrs. Bonku, businessman and Western Heritage Home Chairman James Kainyiah, and so many other local leaders. As Chief Awulae said so many times:

 “Educate a woman and you educate a family.”

AGSHS became “certified” as an accredited senior high in 2012. We published a News Update about it back then: http://ghanatogether.blogspot.com/2012/05/axim-ghana-all-girls-senior-high-school.html.

We’ve helped the school a bit over the years---some science resources, scientific calculators, “Science News” magazines, internet-in-a-boxes, a few scholarships, renovated a building to be an assembly/dining/meeting hall, and repaired the damaged school bus. The Tullow Oil Company came through with 2 classroom buildings, a 200-bed dormitory, and two computer labs.

By September of 2016, the Axim Girls Senior High School had 88 new first-year students. Each student paid hefty fees for tuition, books, lab fees, supplies, and room and board….beyond most families economically…especially for daughters.

Then…WHAT A CHANGE! The newly-elected Ghanaian government implemented the long-held national dream/promise to focus on education—for sons AND daughters. It started funding “free” academic senior high school for newly incoming freshman---even including room and board if needed.

What a change! AGSHS had 210 new first-year incoming students in September 2017!

The “free” SHS has now extended to all three years. So, when Maryanne Ward visited the school in May 2018, there were just over 350 students in the entire school. More than 500 are expected in September 2018! We are hoping/praying that Ghana can somehow keep this all going…not easy.

What a challenge for Principal Madame Theodora Appiah and her staff! To go from 23 students to more than 500 in not quite 10 years! 

When Maryanne asked what she needed, Madame smiled. 

---How about a new dorm for 500 girls? Completely furnished! And yes, with modern toilets, showers… and please throw in a completely reliable source of water! 

---Always-on electricity would certainly be welcome! 

---And, oh, could you throw in a complete, fully-equipped science lab so the girls don’t have to take the bus to Nsein Senior High School, a half-hour ride each way at least, way over in the next town, for once-in-a-while physics and chemistry labs…since, of course (!), they are deeply into “STEM”--- teaching those girls science and technology and math... 

--- and, oh, for sure…we need an assembly/dining hall that’s at least 3 times as big…and…

Well, all that was a bit beyond our bank account, but we did settle on Mrs. Appiah’s TOP PRIORITY…a...PHOTOCOPIER/PRINTING MACHINE. 

Yes! That we could manage, so...our Ghanaian Western Heritage Home Operations Manager Evans Arloo traveled to some schools to check on their machines, and to the city of Takoradi, and here we are...in time for the September start of the 2018-2019 school year!

How does this thing work, anyway??

Wow! 21st Century Technology Coming to good old Axim!!

Principal Theodora Appiah and Her New Machine! Thanks you all!

And, well, if you know someone who can help her with all the other stuff, you know who to contact!

Ghana Together
website: http://ghanatogether.org
email: info@ghanatogether.org

They DID It!!

Remember those Western Heritage Home Scholars(?)…the ones we’ve written so much about over the years? Well, as of about a week ago, SIX of them have graduated!

And we are pleased to give each of the four senior high graduates the “Leif Pederson Graduation Award” in the amount of $300 US --- about 3-4 months income for basic work in Axim, Ghana.

We lost Leif, one of Ghana Together’s founding members, in 2010, but the children remember “Uncle Leif”, and his computers and just his fun ways with them, and we know he would be so very proud of them.

We got to know all six because they spent their early years living in the Western Heritage Children’s Home. Western Heritage Home, our associate NGO in Ghana, and we have supported these young men and women in one way or another since 2007, so yes, we are proud of them!

Western Heritage Home Children in 2007. Our newest graduates are somewhere in this pic!

Dorothy has graduated with an Nursing Associate degree from the Asante Nursing School. She will be placed by the Ghanaian Government in a locale needing medical staff in the near future. Meanwhile, she is supporting herself by working with the cleaning staff at the Lou Moon Resort not far from Axim.

Peter graduated from Nsein Senior High School. He took all the "extra" classes in science and math, and dreams of becoming a computer engineer. His WASSCE test scores (like our SAT) will be available in September. Meanwhile, he is considering offers for two teacher positions (math and science skills are scarce and so even at this stage he can help younger students) and/or a position in a bank until his future educational plans materialize.

Ernestina (left) and Gifty have graduated from Axim Girls Senior High School. Both have already had some experience in market selling, and plan to use their Graduation Awards to start their own businesses

Kingsley has graduated from the Axim Community Development Vocational and Technical Institute. He has specialized in Welding and Fabrication. He has done some apprentice work, and his training at CDVTI included business and computer skills, English, and entrepreneurship as well as training in his technical specialty. He is looking for a job!

Godwin has graduated from Manye Junior High School. He will next attend Kikkam Technical Institute, which offers a wide range of vocational/technical classes for further training. 

We (and they) have so many to thank!

-James Kainyiah, Founder/Chair of Western Heritage Home, and Evans Arloo, WHH Operations Manager who managed the relationships with the schools, teachers and keep the program going, no matter what!

-To Sue, who generously provided the funds for the awards

-Mindy and family who supported Ernestina all through senior high

-Gary and the Mount Vernon, WA Kiwanis who supported Peter for many years, and also the Bentil family in Axim who gave him a home and some business experience during his vacations

-Bonnie who supported Dorothy through nurses training

-James and Beatrice Kainyiah who took Godwin into their own family home along with their own children, for his entire primary school years, until he became a Junior High Boarding Student at Manye Academy (common in Axim)

-Madame Felicia Attah, teacher and now Headmistress of Manye Academy who took a special interest in these children, and also Madame Safiatu Seidu, Director of the Community Development Vocational/Technical Institute, and Madame Theodora Appiah, Principal of Axim Girls Senior High School, and the teachers and staff of each of the schools

-And all of you wonderful “investors” who enabled us to support these children for their entire schooling, in one way or another.

We give these new graduates our congratulations, and our confidence in them, and our best wishes as they launch their adult lives!

AND, we're not done yet!! Come September and start of the 2018-2019 school term, we hope to support 70 students in one way or another. (Did we mention how much fun this is?) Stay tuned!

Thank you...thank you...

Ghana Together
http://ghanatogether.org
info@ghanatogether.org