The Donald Amuah Scholarship Fund:

What’s next for the class of 2013

Sometimes we are touched by a person or a place in inordinately powerful ways and find ourselves driven to continue to develop a connection or make an impact with this place.  Chris Bierbrier exemplifies this drive with her work with Routes and the positive influence she, and Donald Amuah, have on children and young adults in Bolgatanga, Ghana.  I was fortunate enough to be included on Chris’s most recent trip to Ghana in June to observe and communicate what I experienced to help give these stories life and provide an opportunity for to you see and feel what your support means to this community.

If you are driven to get an education in Ghana, you must fight the obstacles of economics and proximity.  You must have drive and tenacity, never mind vision. A teacher at a school in Kologu, Ghana told us that their classroom size was usually 80 children, and they were trying to reduce that to 50.

What struck me about this statement was that the comment was made from a place of gratitude, a place of acceptance for what was, with a passionate hope for the future.  The comment was a simple wish or perhaps a prayer uttered out loud.

It is not a given that Ghanian children will attend secondary or high school.  The fees associated with an education are out of reach for most village children in Bolgatanga, and this is where Routes has stepped in. Routes has supported 30 children who achieved matriculation on June 24, 2013.  We visited many of these children when we visited and they expressed gratitude for the opportunity they received.  Then, all asked the same question.

“What is next?”

College is out of reach for many of them and to truly benefit their lives and move into a place of even greater economic strength, which is key to the continued growth and development of themselves and their country, a college degree or continuing education in a trade (like nursing) is the next best step.

To help answer the question of ‘what’s next’ Routes would like to announce the Donald Amuah Scholarship Fund.  Routes will be providing an achievement and need-based scholarship of up to $500 per year for three qualifying students beginning this semester.  Candidates will be recommended by Donald Amuah with the Board making the final decision.  If you would like to specifically contribute to this fund, please specifically state that on your donation to Routes to Africa. We, and the Ghanian students we support thank you.