Ghana 2019: Improving Educational Opportunities with EPI

I am a board member of Empower Playgrounds and as such I have the opportunity to go to Ghana.  While I could talk about the the lush green jungle, the crazy markets with people carrying all sorts of even crazy things on their heads, or the poor roads with no signs I, instead, want to talk about what an amazing experience it was to go support the improvement of education and thus life opportunities for children in rural Ghana.

While I was in places such as Adorkope to Zipponuinui and everything in between I could see first hand how life is without electricity and the real struggles to survive.  And yet, these kids want to learn and are happy.

I'll admit it was a very National Geographic moment to be the first white person one of the villages had ever seen or met. Kids loved me, babies did not!

The kids taught me ampe, let me dance with them (okay, they danced...I did some white person attempt), and laughed with them.

We inspected Merry Go Round installations and had the community help.

We handed out additional lanterns (one school had 15 additional students come after only 5 weeks of having their merry go round installed!).

We trained teachers.

We surveyed students to see how we can best support their education and are performing analysis and research into STEM education.

And, we spoke to almost 100 young girls and their parents training them on Days For Girls kits and then delivering kits.  These young women want to learn and now have a greater chance of success, and they are excited about it.

While there is still much to do I was grateful to have the experience to see first hand the immediate positive impact of these projects we are working in rural Ghana.  If you would like to know more about Empower Playgrounds Inc and their various projects please visit:  http://www.empowerplaygrounds.org/

If you want to see additional pictures I've taken please visit my photo album at TrekkingTrego Public Gallery. All pictures are available for purchase.