Organize fundraising activities for charity Annual

In 2020, that is about five years ago, my friends and I embarked on a life-changing mission motivated by a desire to uplift underprivileged rural communities. Together, we formed a charity group of four members: myself, an administrative officer for the Ghana Education Service posted at Janga Senior High Technical School; a Ghanaian friend pursuing his PhD in the United States; a university graduate and professional videographer; and a childhood friend who works in various media roles. We later included a professional driver, though we all took turns driving during our trips.

The Journey of Service
Resource mobilization was a significant challenge. While we received some funding from well-wishers, family, and friends, we primarily relied on our personal resources to cover expenses, purchase study materials, and facilitate the trips. Remarkably, we received used clothing donations from family members, which we carefully washed, ironed, and packed. Since these couldn’t fit into the SUV we rented for our three-day trip, we sent them ahead to our destination via public transport.
Without a vehicle of our own, we rented an SUV with a driver. We covered accommodation and meal costs, as we had to stay overnight in hotels along the way. Our journey began in Accra, covering over 750 kilometers to my hometown of Bawku in the Upper East Region, a conflict-prone area.
Despite being a Mamprusi, I made it a point to visit basic schools in both the Mamprusi and Kusasi communities, the two warring factions. We motivated the students by discussing the benefits of education despite their difficult circumstances, which included frequent school closures due to the ongoing conflict. I used my own life as an example, alongside notable members of the community who had succeeded despite growing up under similar or even worse conditions. We also preached peace, urging the students not to follow the path of violence like their older brothers and fathers, who had chosen guns over books, further damaging their town. After our talks, we distributed study materials to the students.

Next, we visited Binduri, my village, and continued with the same activities before moving on to Bolgatanga, the regional capital, and Navrongo. At each school, we left study materials and made a commitment: any student who excelled in their Basic Education Certificate Exams (BECE) would receive a full “chop box” (a large trunk filled with food for boarding school) and a stipend to support their families. Unfortunately, none of the students have yet met our benchmark to qualify for the scholarship.

Although our original plan focused on basic schools, we made a detour to Janga Senior High Technical School, where I worked. We donated a printer to the headmaster, spoke with final-year students, and distributed books, mathematical sets, and other study materials to help them prepare for their exams. We also visited an orphanage in Walewale, where we shared a breakfast meal, distributed study materials, and prayed with the children. We gave them large bags of clothing, which we had sent ahead due to space limitations in our vehicle, as well as some foodstuffs to support them.

In the Wungu and Janga areas of the North East Region, we visited several schools, sharing foodstuffs and study materials. One headmaster appealed to us for help in completing the roof of a kindergarten building, which had been left unfinished after the philanthropist who began the project passed away. The lack of proper classrooms meant that some students were studying under trees or sitting on the floor, with classes often disrupted by rain due to leaks in the incomplete structure. We saw this firsthand and, while we lacked the resources to help immediately, we promised to reach out to donors for support.

We concluded that year’s trip in Accra, where we continued our mission of motivating students, distributing study materials, and spreading messages of peace and hope. The experience was exhausting but deeply fulfilling. It inspired us to work even harder in subsequent years.

Growth and Expanding Horizons
Since that inaugural trip, we’ve grown stronger each year. With more resources and expanded networks, we now provide computers and TVs to orphanages, involving professionals like doctors, engineers, and soldiers to inspire students. Over the past five years, we’ve visited rural communities in every one of Ghana’s 16 regions, impacting countless lives.
Interestingly, we never officially named our charity or created a social media presence. We acted solely out of humanitarian duty, motivated by our challenging experiences growing up in Ghana’s education system.

A Continuing Mission
JOIN US AS WE MAKE THIS YEAR’S OWN THE BIGGEST YET!