You Are Making A Difference Here
GHANA
Ghana was, until very recently, one of the poorest countries in the world. Over the past few years, the nation has experienced unprecedented growth and development (IFAD report; African Development Bank). Although the lives of Ghanaians have improved greatly, the country still faces many challenges, especially in the education sector.
In Ghana, 18% of primary school age children are not enrolled in school and of those who are in school, 28% will drop out before completing primary school (UNESCO 2012). Additionally, over 28% of the Ghanaian population is illiterate and out of all the current primary school classrooms, the government estimates that almost a quarter need repairs (World Bank, 2014; USAID 2009).
PoP works with 107 communities in Ghana to ensure that students overcome these and other barriers to accessing a quality education. To date, PoP has impacted over 178,000 lives in Ghana.
VOLTA REGION
The Volta region is located in southeastern Ghana, to the west of the Republic of Togo and just east of Lake Volta. In many of our partner communities in the region, PoP couples school builds with literacy programming in order to create sustainable change.
To date, we’ve built 98 schools in the Volta region and will continue to scale our teacher training and educational programming across PoP schools in the region.
Before a PoP School Build
When we first visited the community of Aveme Danyigba in Volta, Ghana, we discovered students attending class in unsafe conditions. The building they were located in was dilapidated with large cracks and a rusty torn roof. The structure lacked formal windows and doors. As a result, dust and debris from outside, along with noise from adjacent classes and the surrounding environment, easily entered classrooms, which made it difficult for students to concentrate. Furthermore, when it rained, water would pour inside and form puddles, creating wet and messy conditions for the students.
Your Impact with a New PoP School
The Adelson Family Foundation recognized and responded to the needs of the Aveme Danyigba community and their children. Their invaluable support and commitment helped us build a 3-classroom school equipped with ceiling fans, blackboards, benches, desks, doors, walls and windows. Aveme community members supported the project from the very beginning and volunteered to work alongside the PoP team to construct the school. Our group efforts will provide hundreds of students with access to a strong school foundation that will continue to benefit them for years to come.