Opportunities like this come once in a lifetime. I am moved, at times overwhelmed, by what lies ahead as I get ready to visit the most remote village I have ever seen in Ghana.
I am blessed to be leaving for Ghana 1 week from today to begin building Hope for Ghana’s first school, Mason’s School of Hope. A vision dreamt of a year ago will come to life in just a few days as I collaborate with Member of Parliament, Hon. Bernard Ahiafor, Ghanaian architect, Samuel Appiah, my faithful Ghanaian masons, carpenter, electrician and painter, and the entire community in the tiny village of Gakpokorpe.
An entire community, skilled and unskilled workers, young and old, will join Hope for Ghana’s team in a way rarely seen in this West African country. Assemblyman, Justice Gokah, summarized it best when he called today to tell me, “the entire community is ready to help.” The people of Gakpokorpe and the surrounding villages are ready to build their future, laying a foundation for a new school and a foundation of opportunity for their children and future generations. A beautiful 3-dimensional projection of Mr. Appiah’s architectural plans can be seen below.
I will be in Ghana for much of the first phase of construction of Mason’s School of Hope, a kindergarten and primary school including 4 classrooms, a library, a staff room and separate bathrooms for boys and girls. In February, 2018 I will return to complete all the final details, and in a formal ceremony hand the new school over to the Ghanaian government as a gift from Hope for Ghana’s donors.
In the next few days I will overfill my luggage with wonderful donations from friends all over Pittsburgh. Clothes, shoes, bibles, book bags, a laptop, vitamins, pen pal letters and other surprises will be given out to wonderfully grateful Ghanaians. MSA, The Safety Company, has donated surprise safety equipment for my Ghanaian workers, and B3 Marketing Solutions has donated a team building surprise of its own.
I remain humbled by the generosity of every person who is a part of this journey, and I am most fortunate to be the messenger of such good will to the people of Ghana. Your love is the foundation of Hope for Ghana’s first school. It’s not every day you get to build a school in Africa. Thank you for joining me on this opportunity of a lifetime.
With love and gratitude,
Steve
