I am thrilled to announce that Hope for Ghana will provide solar power as part of the final stage of building Mason’s School of Hope. Hope for Ghana’s first school is being built in the remote village of Gakpokorpe where there is no running water or electricity. Upon my return to Ghana at the end of August a 5 kilowatt solar system will be installed by SunPower Innovations, a leading solar energy company in Ghana.
In a poor village of farmers whose children now walk almost 3 kilometers each way to get to school every day, a new kindergarten and primary school with 4 classrooms, a library and bathrooms will soon have full access to electricity.
Nine months ago Hope for Ghana left behind a borehole and pump in Gakpokorpe that provides clean drinkable water. Women and children who had to walk long distances to fetch water, sometimes using dirty river water, now have a healthy, clean source of water in their village. Today women and children from nearby villages line up all day long to fill their pots with safe, potable water to drink and cook and clean their clothes. The electric pump supplying this water will now have a constant supply of electricity, ensuring water for a community at all times of the day.
Building a school in a developing country immerses you in the fragile infrastructure of the village. The immense needs of this village go beyond education. The drastic need for water, electricity and so much more is apparent.
In a village so small that you can’t find it on any map Hope for Ghana will soon proudly leave behind the gift of a school, water and electricity using clean, sustainable energy. By harnessing solar power Hope for Ghana will give all these gifts without the burden of any electric bill or water bill.
The future in Gakpokorpe is bright. And I’m so excited that the future of Hope for Ghana is just as bright.
