“So Long 2022. We’re Ready for You 2023!”  

Let’s just say that 2022 has been ‘a lot’, both for our ICO team on this side of the Atlantic Ocean, and on  Ghana’s side too! 

Our Ghana initiative has been in steady-state throughout the pandemic, continuing to work with our Team Site  Lead Frank Appiah-Kubi, maintaining a number of initiatives, and supporting our students through the end of  their high school education and into various post-secondary institutions. Unfortunately, it’s also been a year  where our student families also needed urgent support with medical emergencies. 

Overlooked in our June 2022 update, there was a celebration applauding our Team Site Lead Frank Appiah-Kubi, who received a Citation of Community Service in Abetenim, the first village where our ICO initiative took place. Frank and Elizabeth Yeboah, mother to our student Samuel, were both celebrated for their tremendous commitment to their community. We celebrate both of you! 

Frank also celebrated with the students at Kwaso Presbyterian Basic school on ‘World Hygiene Day’ where  ‘Menstrual Health’ was a key topic. We’re glad to see these young women support this effort through  education. We met with these girls in 2019 and distributed our reusable menstrual hygiene kits supported  through our ICO initiative. Hopefully they’re continuing their training in making these kits with our donated  sewing machines!

Pictured above is the Okorase Latrine project in August 2022. Roofing sheets were paid for by our ICO  initiative. This fall we continued to contribute to the completion of the Okorase Latrine project.  

Okorase is the village where we have initiated the solar battery recharging project, which is operating fully on  the income made from the charged battery rental program.  

We applaud the Okorase Chief who not only welcomes new projects in his village, but also facilitates any work required to make them run more smoothly. He always sends a video of thanks, with the latest one for the  water bore hole supported by our ICO  initiative. 

On the education front, a lot has been happening with our students. We have two students who have faced  more challenges than just academics. They have fought for their lives this past year. Both Samuel (who I’ve written about before) and Mercy are students who we’ve supported with tuition fees  over the past years. Both have sickle cell anemia. This disease, essentially untreatable in Ghana, is making  everyday functioning, like walking and eating and learning, nearly impossible. Samuel was hospitalized late this  summer, and Mercy was just recently released from the children’s hospital. The disease has caused the ultimate failure of her skeletal frame to support her weight. We’ve purchased a wheelchair with commode to assist Mercy’s mother with the new reality of Mercy’s immobility. 

Samuel’s recovery from his recent sickle cell flare-up has been inspirational for Mercy. Samuel has recently  gained acceptance into the School of Dispensing Optics and is hoping for financial support throughout this  program.  

We also have three new high school graduates!  Samuel, Issah and Michael have all  completed their studies, and fared well on their final exams. Michael’s exceptional academic marks have  earned him a place in the Takorade Technical University in the B. Sc. (Biomedical Technology) program.  

Thank you for supporting our work in Ghana!