Join Forces With Amizade to Give the Gift of Literacy in Ghana

A library is a hospital for the mind.
~ Anonymous ~

In our world today, 860 million adults are illiterate and over 100 million children have no access to school. In 2003, the United Nations launched a decade-long literacy initiative known as the United Nations Literacy Decade with the theme of “Literacy as Freedom.” Increased literacy requires a sustainable source for education and literacy tools. Basic education is a human right set forth by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document adopted by the United Nations in 1948. Amizade is working with a community in Ghana to ensure this basic right for one more community in the world, but we need your help to succeed in this effort!

From November 1-November 15, 2008, Amizade has scheduled a trip to Ghana with the main goal of completing the construction of a library project in the local community of Jukwa. Through a partnership with the Peace and Humanity Foundation led by Pastor Chris Nyame, Amizade participants have been able to complete half of the library project. Once completed, the facility will serve as a library, computer lab, and meeting center. The next steps in construction will be plaster work and the installation of windows and doors. Once the facility is completed, it will also require outfitting the rooms and securing book donations.

The benefits of this educational center will be leveraged far beyond the children of today. The center will also serve as a foundation for the children of tomorrow. As the children educated by the center grow into adulthood and have their own families, they will have better resources to improve their own quality of life and to ensure that their own children receive at least the same level of education. As an Amizade volunteer, you can both contribute to your own intercultural education and to the education of countless children in Ghana.

The people of Ghana, like many Africans, endure many hardships, including recurrent droughts that severely affect agricultural activities, deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, poaching of wildlife populations, water pollution, and inadequate supplies of potable water. Despite all of this, Ghana is filled with friendly people and a fascinating history and culture. From rainforests to beaches and lagoons to dry savannah and open woodland, Ghana has as much beauty and diversity in its natural habitat as it does in its people. Not only will you learn about the unique culture and history of Ghana, you will also have the chance to make a meaningful contribution that will benefit people in the very community in which you live and work. If you are interested in this amazing opportunity, please visit Amizade’s website to sign up today!