September 2013 to June 2014 Goal:
Clean Water project, village (Tugyapalsi), Ghana
This is a picture of the village at Tuguyapalsi. There are approximately 100 homes and several hundred people who have no clean water. The homes have a grass thatched roof and the seams of the walls of the hut are made with a mixture of concrete and cow manure. During the hottest part of the year (and frankly, it is hot most of the year), the stench from the cow manure is very bad. It also creates a methane gas and is quite toxic. Since there is no ventilation, the people must sleep outside on the ground in order not to die of carbon monoxide poisoning.
This is the river where the people of the village get all their water – for drinking as well as washing their clothes and bathing themselves. You can imagine the parasites and bacterial infections that could come from this water.
It has always been for generations and generations that the women and girls are the ones who have to carry the water. Here you see a woman carrying a baby on her back and the heavy pot of water on her head at the same time. This is the main reason why girls do not have time to go to school. Their days are filled with the necessities of life – trying to find water and bring it home.
This is another picture of the women carrying the water back to the village where, if they have time, they will boil it before they drink it. However, since they cook only with charcoal and they must first MAKE their charcoal, they don’t always purify the water before they drink it. This is one of the main reasons for disease amongst the people.
This is a picture of what little water is left during the dry season. After the rainy season, the river dries up and they have to go farther to find water. The heavy pots of water they carry on their heads often causes neck and head injuries, as well as spinal injuries and back and neck pain constantly. You can only imagine!
This is a picture of their crops. They grow corn, sweet potatoes and during harvest season, they carry these crops to market – once again balancing all this on their heads as they walk 4 miles to town.
This is the personal home where Kubi and Abu, along with sister, Rubi, and little brother, David, and their grandmother come from. The house has been in the family for at least 3 generations. Their grandmother recently passed away in early 2013. When she died at age 86, people came from miles around to pay their respects, as she was the eldest person to have survived the village life. Average life expectancy is in the 50’s.
PAST PROJECTS:
2012 Goal:
Bring Kubi from Ghana, Africa to Minarets High School.
Kubi
Kubi is the sister of Abu. She is 17 years old, a beautiful and smart young lady with lots of hopes and dreams. The goal of E.E.O. is to bring Kubi to the U.S. in Jan. 2013, to attend school at Minarets High School in Coarsegold, CA. Minarets has a great course in Journalism, which will help launch her toward her long term goal. Kubi will come through the Inter-Ed program – that’s the International Education for Foreign Exchange Students. They are a State Government approved foreign exchange program and will provide all the necessary visa and passport paperwork! The long term goal for Kubi will also be accomplished by helping her brother, Abu, reach his goals. It will provide the income they both need to finish their education and secure a permanent place to live.
To read Kubi's story click HERE
To read Kubi's story click HERE
Abu
Abu is currently in the E.E.O. program – enrolled in a Poly Technical school in Tamale. He is studying the electrician program with the goal of becoming a Certified Electrician. We are currently trying to find him work here in the U.S. as an Apprentice Electrician for 6 months to a year. The money he would make while here would help them secure a permanent place to live in town and provide Journalism school for his sister after she graduates high school. Studying English in America would also increase his chances of getting the best job possible when he returns home.
To read Abu's story click HERE
To read Abu's story click HERE