Wpeople are living in ignorance and

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1 Volume 2 Number 9 September 2014 Educating for Eternity USA P. O. Box Dallas, TX Tel: Tel: [email protected] e live in a country where most Wpeople are living in ignorance and poverty. Unfortunately, ese two factors have created components of a vicious cycle, feeding each oer and wasting e lives of many. Education plays an important role in ending bo ignorance and poverty. That is why we take education very seriously at Village of Hope. We ensure at every orphan, abandoned or destitute child at has been entrusted under our stewardship receives education as far as his or her abilities will take him or her, up to e attainment of a bachelor's degree. Not every child is able to pursue studies in e academic field. Some are geared more towards hands-on practical work. We help ese children to learn vocational skills and assist em wi equipment and capital to become gainfully employed. Village of Hope runs four schools for e education of children Hope Christian Academy and Church of Christ School are bo basic (elementary) schools; is a high school and Hope Training Institute is a vocational training/trade school. These schools do not only educate e children in e orphanage/children's home but also provide opportunities for many oer children to receive quality education. We believe at education at only informs e mind is incomplete. Holistic education touches e body, soul and spirit. For years, we have worked hard to nurture each child in love and discipline, inculcate in each child Christ-like character, a desire for knowledge, selfless servanood and servant leadership. We equip each child to triumphantly face e realities of life. Our goal is to transform e world for e better and to be able to do at, we must begin from somewhere. We begin from e hearts and minds of e children in e orphanage and our schools. What is e use of an education at only produces adults who know how to read and write but cannot ink clearly, analyze critically, live responsibly, act eically and deal compassionately and respectfully towards fellow human beings? What is e long term value of an education at prepares you for life only on ear and not beyond? Since e human being has a soul at outlives e body, our responsibility as caregivers and educators is to care for and educate children for eternity. We have been charged wi a huge responsibility to educate more an 1,200 children every day. [Hope Christian Academy = 750+; Church of Christ School = 300+; = 135; Hope Training Institute = 60]. Please join us to educate ese children for eternity. GHANA P. O. Box GP Accra, Ghana Tel: Tel: [email protected] OVERSIGHT Village of Hope is under e oversight of e Elders of Springtown Church of Christ, Springtown, Texas, USA and e Elders of Vertical Centre Church of Christ, Community Six, Tema, Ghana. MINISTRIES Hope Children s Village Hope Training Institute Hope Christian Academy Hope Christian Hospital Church of Christ School Hope Farms Church of Christ at Village of Hope Ayawaso Church of Christ Evangelism Church Planting and Strengening

2 A Word from George Welty George Welty (center) is e You Minister at e Church of Christ at White Station in Memphis, Tennessee. In e picture above, George is on e Village of Hope Campus wi his own son and, Andrew Vitashie, a child of Village of Hope. I am about to board a plane at will take me once again to e Village of Hope, and I could not be more excited. I visited e village for e first time six years ago. I was anxious about going. Even ough I love seeing new places and meeting new people, I was nervous about leaving my wife and young son for such a long trip. We arrived late at night and it was so dark I could not see any of e scenery or e buildings. I awoke e next morning not fully aware of where I was. Disoriented, I stumbled out into a grassy area behind e children's houses. It was a place unlike any I had ever seen. I saw white houses, children playing all around, and machete-wielding eight-yearolds cutting grass in every direction. I sat down in e middle of it all trying to get my bearings and take it all in. While I was sitting ere, a young boy from e village came and sat in my lap. He did not say a word, he just sat ere rubbing my arm as if to reassure me everying was going to be okay. On at trip, I got to know ree young men very well. The first two were twins named Se and Stephen. Wiin e first few days, it was like I had known em forever. They were always talking and always laughing. They had an incredible sense of humor. They made me feel instantly comfortable. The ird young man was named Andrew. He was quiet and humble. He was always smiling. Andrew, even at an early age, was comfortable talking about his relationship wi God. All ree boys, my son's age, were so full of life and all rescued by an organization dedicated to restoring hope. They showed me love wiout any expectations and accepted my love in return. As I was leaving, Se and Stephen brought me a letter to give to my son. Andrew brought me a letter and a Hot Wheels car for my son as well. It was en I decided I could not wait until my son was in high school to bring him to e Village of Hope. I wanted him to meet my ree new friends as soon as possible, and I wanted him to see Ghana wi a child's imagination. So, a year and a half later, my wife and son joined me on a trip at changed my family's story. We came to e Village of Hope wi a medical team from our church. I took my son out of his school for two weeks and enrolled him in Hope Christian Academy. He turned eleven while he was ere. I remember one young girl came up to me and said, "Is your son coming to my school?" When I replied "Yes," she said, "He will not be hard to find." I cannot fully express to you what at trip meant to my family. I was filled wi great joy to watch my son play wi Se and Stephen and have long talks wi Andrew. To is day, when life gets too hectic and too hurried one of us will say, "Remember Africa." The Village of Hope has left an indelible mark on my family. I am excited to return. We call is a mission trip, and it is absolutely true. But in is case e Village of Hope is e missionary and my heart, e mission field. We are all looking for love and acceptance. We are all looking for a place free of judgment and suspicion. We are all looking for a place to be ourselves wiout reservation. To love and to be loved are some of e most important values of e Christian walk. I found ese ings at e Village of Hope. More importantly, ere are so many children in e country of Ghana who have no one else and who have found is profound sense of love and acceptance as well. God bless e Village of Hope. - George Welty Page 2 Herald of Hope September 2014

3 There are ree levels of education in Ghana primary, secondary and tertiary education. Primary or basic education in Ghana involves educating children beginning from age two to e nin grade, and is divided into ree sections. Section 1: Early Childhood Education Crèche (2 year olds) Nursery (3 year olds) Kindergarten 1 (4 year olds) Kindergarten 2 (5 year olds) Section 2: Primary School st rd 1 Grade to 3 Grade (Lower Primary) 4 Grade to 6 Grade (Upper Primary) Section 3: Junior High School 7 Grade to 9 Grade Secondary education is also referred to as senior high school in Ghana. It comprises 10, 11 and 12 grades. Tertiary education is any education after e 12 grade and ere are many institutions offering education beyond e senior high school level colleges, polytechnics, university colleges and universities. There are also various stages all e way to e doctoral level. Tertiary education is in various shades and colors at are too complex to explain in is short writeup. In a very general sense, ough, tertiary institutions in Ghana award e following: Certificate (After 1 year of study) Education in Ghana & e Hurdles our Children Have to Overcome Diploma (After 2 years of study) Higher National Diploma (After 3 years of study) Bachelor s Degree (After 4 years of study) Post Gradate Diploma (After 5 years of study) Master s Degree (After 6 years of study) The picture (a map of Ghana) illustrates e estimated distribution of enrollment in e various levels of education in Ghana in e 2012/2013 academic year. Tertiary Education [3%] Secondary Education (10 to 12 Grades) Furer studies after e master's degree lead to e award of a doctoral degree as is e case in e United States and internationally. I need to emphasize at e above is a very broad generalization. The major challenges in getting an education in Ghana are cost and access. Even ough e government of Ghana Basic Education (1st to 9 Grades) [67%] Early Childhood Education E a r l y C h i l d h o o d Education comprises children aged 2 to 5; Tertiary Education is made up of colleges and universities. encourages tuition-free primary education, parents are required to pay oer fees and provide school uniforms, footwear, textbooks, and stationery. This situation prevents some children from ever setting foot in e classroom because eir parents are too poor to provide even e barest minimum required for eir education. There are very limited opportunities from e bottom all e way to e top of e educational ladder and so many who desire to have an education are denied opportunities. For example, while ere are more an 14,000 primary schools in Ghana, e total number of senior high schools in e country is less an 1,000. Imagine 9 grade students from over 14,000 schools all struggling to enter 10 grade in fewer an 1,000 schools. The result is at, over e past many years, more an fifty percent (50%) of 9 graders are not able to enter 10 grade and us end eir education prematurely. The government has instituted a national exam for all 9 graders called e Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Every year, a student must score high enough to be in e top 40% of at year's 9 grade students to be guaranteed a place in senior high school. Actual admission en depends on e family's ability to pay all e required fees. After ree years of high school education, 12 grade students en have to write anoer national exam known as e West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Performance in is exam determines wheer or not a student will be able to enter a tertiary institution. Only a little over twenty percent (20%) of high school graduates are able to secure a place in college and it is estimated at only one percent (1%) of children who begin primary education in Ghana are able to graduate from a university wi a bachelor's degree. It goes wiout saying at climbing to e top of e educational ladder in Ghana is a tall order. It is tough to do so all over e world but it is indeed tougher for e Ghanaian child. [19%] [11%] The children at Village of Hope, who have come from backgrounds of neglect and rejection as orphaned and destitute children have, against all odds, overcome very high hurdles to be where ey are today. Almost all our children have attended high school and gone on to college. The few who have not been able to enter high school have acquired vocational skills and become gainfully employed (wi e exception of ose who could not do so owing to medical or physical challenges). Continued on Page 5 September 2014 Herald of Hope Page 3

4 23 Are Waiting to Go to College The 11 faces below finished high school in June is year and are waiting for e results of e national exam ey wrote to be released so ey can begin eir college education. There are 12 oer potential college students who graduated high school last year. They are working on improving eir test scores on e national exam so ey can qualify for college. Wisdom Agbavi Michael Osei Baah David Gbevi Isaac Adinkrah Richard Akrong Ernest Bukari Joshua Gbevi Andy Kemevor Simpson Kumbe Bismark Kyei Obeng Michael Tetteh Nat Havor Bright Kwaku Takyi Salamatu Abea Agara Agyemang Daliel Yaare Adriana Aidoo Stella Kyei Obeng Stella Benewaa Otis Diana Owusu Juliet Okrah Vera Otiwa Sah Mary Tackie Page 4 Herald of Hope September 2014

5 Meet Our 15 College Students SENIORS SOPHOMORES Francis Havor Jayee University College (Human Resource Management) Gifty Adu-Poku Valley View University (Human Resource Management) Emmanuel Akrong University of Ghana Bachelor of Fine Arts Francis Okrah Valley View University (Banking & Finance) Sarah Adu-Poku Valley View University (Management) Bernard Ampomah University of Cape Coast Bachelor of Management Studies Adisa Abea Pentecost University College Associate of Business (ABE) Beatrice Wiredu Jayee University College Bachelor of Business Administration (Marketing) Dawun Taphambah Knutsford Universty College Bachelor of Science (Accounting) JUNIOR FRESHMAN Christopher Negble University of Professional Studies Bachelor of Business Administration Samuel Edem Co e University of Cape Coast Bachelor of Science (Nursing) Yaw Abotsi Valley View University (Management) Sappah Yahaya Ashesi University College Bachelor of Science (Business Administration) Erica Arhin Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) Abigail Ofori-Amoah University of Ghana Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) Continued from Page 3 Today, we are caring for: 179 children in primary school; 18 children who just completed primary school by writing e 9 grade national exam; 2 children under training in vocational skills; 23 children in high school; 11 children who just graduated from high school by writing e 12 grade national exam; 12 children who graduated from high school last year and are working on improving eir grades in e 12 grade national exam in order to be able to enter college; 15 children who are currently in college/university. These children need your help to be able to continue eir education. Education is expensive and wiout money, ey will not be able to go furer. We need money to pay for eir school fees, buy textbooks and oer school supplies; and pay for eir oer educational expenses. In Ghana, e school year begins in September. We need your help to send em back to school. Wi your help, ey have overcome many obstacles and have come very far. Please help em take anoer giant leap is new academic year. You may make your check payable to Village of Hope or Springtown Church of Christ and mail it to: P. O. Box Dallas, Texas You may donate to e general fund for e upkeep of e children or to e education fund for your gift to go specifically to eir education. Kindly indicate on e memo section of your check what you would like your gift to be used for. Thank you for considering is plea on behalf of e children. God bless you. September 2014 Herald of Hope Page 5

6 18 Waiting to Enter High School Gladestone Adjaho Emmanuel Agbeko Israel Agbovi Emmanuel Akoto Ezekiel Amevor Kwaku Antwi John Arur Samuel Asamoah Daniel Ayisi Solomon Kumbe Knowledge Letsyor J. Earles Nyarko Peter Odonkor Kwasi Poku Andrew Vitashie Braimah Yakubu Monica Bijah Deborah Nyator Page 6 Herald of Hope September 2014

7 High School Students: Grade 12 Daniel Atta-Yao Francis Bijah Kenne Gbevi Emmanuel Mensah Ellen Cofie Agnes Dzisenu Sonrise Christian High School Cynia Guo Ko Senior High School Matilda Hope Mabel Nyator Daniella Osei-Siaw Ofori Panin Senior High School Comfort Tadime Sonrise Christian High School High School Students: Grade 11 Shaibu Alexander Badu Senior High School Alex Bukari Ishmael Gyesi Samuel Gyesi Francis Guo Gifty Alexander Nsawkaw Senior High School Maame Yaa Ankamah Notre Dame Girls Senior High School Joyce Oppong Belinda Owusu Rebekah Puenu Margaret Tatsi Mavis Tatsi September 2014 Herald of Hope Page 7

8 WE ARE ALMOST THERE! The response has been great! Help us get transport for Church of Christ School. WILL YOU SPONSOR THIS CHILD? This child needs $100 each mon which will cover: Please, please, please consider a special gift of $25. Your gift may be mailed to: VILLAGE OF HOPE P. O. BOX DALLAS, TX Please put e words School Bus on e memo line of your check. THANK YOU! Food Cloing Education Healcare Parental Care You can correspond wi and be a family to is child. Please send an to: [email protected] to learn more! Page 8 Herald of Hope September 2014