the need

Millions of children in Ghana and Uganda are caught in a cycle of poverty. They are not getting the opportunities they need to thrive and develop and reach their full potential.

The rural communities where we work lack basic facilities. Many families do not have access to clean water or sanitation. Disease which can be easily prevented is rife and healthcare provision is extremely limited. Employment prospects are low. HIV/AIDS has had a devastating impact on the social structures and support networks in many communities, particularly in Uganda. Many children suffer deep social injustices and rights abuses.

Poverty is not just about living conditions. Poverty is also a state of mind; a mindset of hopelessness. The common perception is – I was born into poverty, I will always live in poverty, I will die in poverty. There is nothing I can do about this, so what is the point of trying to change or dreaming of a better future?

We believe that quality education is the gateway to development. An educated child is more likely to avoid disease, gain employment and will have more options in life. But millions of children in rural Ghana and Uganda are not getting the quality education they need -locking them into the cycle of poverty. As the parents and carers of children are also trapped in poverty, they often lack the skills and capacities to give their children the best possible start in life. Many children cannot attend school at all as they are expected to assist with household tasks or income-generating activities. The benefits of schooling may not be immediately apparent or practicable to parents, particularly if they have not attended school themselves. Costs associated with education (such as uniforms, transportation, stationery etc) are often prohibitively high for large and single parent families.

Those children in school do not always get a good quality education. Kindergartens and schools are plagued by large class sizes, lack of teachers and lack of resources. For example, in Ghana the average pupil to teacher ratio in primary schools is 40:1 and only 54% teachers are trained. Lessons are rote-based: teachers write on the board and the students repeat and memorise. There is limited opportunity for the students to test and apply their knowledge independently. Students are not encouraged to write and think creatively or to question why or how.

As a result children leave primary schools without basic analytical and problem-solving skills. This means they lack the “lively minds” needed to innovate and find creative solutions to local problems, which we believe to be essential if they are to find their way out of local poverty.

Although the challenges are enormous, we believe that there are plenty of simple, cheap and effective methods that can dramatically improve the quality of life for children and their communities. The solutions don’t have to be complicated or expensive. We prove that anyone can make improvements, no matter what their educational levels, financial or social status.