ONE MILLION WAYS: CREATIVE EDUCATION SOLUTIONS: September 2008

Welcome

In southern Ghana, Africa, among the 45,000 Liberian Refugees living in the country, there are ten young and vibrant individuals with a common goal: to educate themselves and become leaders of positive change in their country.

This blog is designed to give you more information about these ten students from New Testament Junior and Senior High school, the unique partnership One Million Ways has with this school, and how you can be a part of changing the world.

We are asking for your help in sponsoring these extraordinary individuals, whose profiles can be found at 'The Students' link to the right. If you want to sponsor a student, know someone who does, or just want more information before you decide check out 'Sponsoring a Student: Here's how!'

Please explore and contact us with any questions or thoughts you have. We look forward to hearing from you!

-One Million Ways

The New Testament Junior and Senior High School

Ghana, West Africa

The Students

Angeline Penhun, 19

Angeline puts her education first: "I spend a lot of time on my lessons." She also enjoys playing with children and "teaching them lessons they don't understand." Above all, she says, "I love doing things that make people happy."

Claude Noel, 18

Claude tells us his life changed when he "started researching new and current events on the internet." Passionate about international studies, Claude hopes to pursue a political career and become "a great leader" of his country. Claude's teachers all agree he is a "hard working individual who is very diligent and respects other people."

Frankly Yosain Penhun, 21

Frankly says he enjoys living on the refugee camp with his mother, father, two brothers and two sisters. His teachers say his is being modest when he refers to himself as "a good student and kind." Frankly tries to carry a spirit of kindness into his work and hopes to become a medical doctor helping to save lives "in my country and all over the world."

Henry Smith, 22

Henry has been in Ghana with his three brothers and two sisters ever since the war began. Henry loves Math and English. He wrote to us and said, "I wish to give thanks to One Million Ways for the great opportunity that I have received from them."

Victor Dawley, 15

Victor shared with us that he almost went insane after his mother was killed in Liberia. But, he was taken in, cared for, and eventually brought to Ghana by a kind soul. Once in Ghana he was miraculously reunited with his father and twin sister after eight years of seperation.

His amazing story is paralleled by his spirit and determination. Victor tells us "every day I picture my future, because vision accomplished mission." Victor's current mission is to graduate high school, attend university, and one day open a school, orphanage and church with his father.

Aisha Yakubu, 18

Aisha is a quiet and diligent student. When asked how she maintains her strong academic record she says "probably because my mother always tells me to do well in my education." She describes herself as "short and slim and four feet tall. My face is narrow with small tribal marks on my cheeks." In her spare time she loves to read books, play table tennis, go to mosque on Fridays and dance.

Edward Sumo, 22

Edward tells us that he was "born unto the union of Mr. and Mrs. Sumo, in the year 1986 in the grand golden country of Liberia." When his father passed away in 2005 he says he "dropped out of school for sometime before continuing again." He stays with his mother who works to feed him and his siblings their "daily meal." In response to receiving this scholarship he said, "I hope in the future I will be a help to someone too." Edward is a positive and energetic part of the school's community.

Alimatu Samari, 16

Alimatu says she used to be "among the dull pupils" in her class. She tells us "my father used to insult me and refuse to give me money for school." Instead of giving up, Alimatu studied harder and is now at the top of her class. Her favorite game is net

ball (basketball). She smiled as she told us "I am the best player at my school."

Victoria Dawley, 15

Victoria and her father traveled to Ghana because "we didn't have any house to live in or food to eat, we came to also search for peace." Victoria has flourished in her new environment. She is a kind and hard working student whose ambition is to "become a medical doctor." Victoria

lives with her father and twin brother Victor. When asked what she wanted out of her education she said, "I want to become a woman of substance."

Where is Ghana?

For more information on Ghana check out:

www.countryreports.org/ Ghana.aspx

The New Testament Junior and Senior High

When we visited The New Testament Junior and Senior High School this June, the plywood chalkboard in the first class room we entered was dated April 09, 2008. Under it was scrawled the words NO THIRD TERM.

This school has yet to see its golden age and its potential is enormous.

The New Testament Junior and Senior High School was started in 2000. The mission was to educate Liberian refugees that had come to Ghana in the 1980’s to escape the war. The school expanded from a backyard operation thanks to the UN and private donors who helped build the current school. It is a beautiful and strong concrete building ready to be filled with bright and eager young minds.

The current school building has been in use since 2003. Students in grades 7-13 enjoyed the benefits of a well-built school and quality teachers. However, recently the New Testament school has come up against external obstacles. The third term was cancelled this past year due to student participation in a camp-wide protest. The protest commenced in April and continued for almost two months. Since then, the students have not returned to school.

There is one man who is trying to start the school this upcoming September. Ernest Yirenkyi was the only Ghanaian teacher in an otherwise Liberian school when New Testament School opened. Ernest’s passion for both Liberian struggle and need for education keeps him motivated. He organized student enrollment and hired new teachers to ensure New Testament was ready to start a new chapter.

They start school this September! If you want to learn more about the school feel free to email creativeeducaitonsolutions@gmail.com

Creative Education Solutions

What is Creative Education Solutions? CED is the brainchild of Neha Sobti, Brandon Smith, and me, Sage Howard. We are all One Million Ways volunteers who recognized the potential of the New Testament School while volunteering at the Good Shepherd orphanage nearby.

After visiting the camp and the school, we went to a local "Spot bar" for a coke and brainstormed ways to reinvigorate the educational institution. Instead of creating a traditional scholarship program we wanted to do something more.

We recognize and believe in the power of creative art to educate individuals and bring communities together. Therefore, when we pledged to find individual sponsors for ten outstanding students, the New Testament school pledged to add visual and creative art to their curriculum. Now the school has a full time visual art teacher as well as part time theatre, drumming, and dancing teachers.

Creative Education Solutions has just begun. Our relationship with the New Testament will go beyond raising money for the school. Each of our projects will be creative and sustainable solutions to ensure quality education. Education that is vital to the future of these students, educators, administrators and the community. Education that will change the world.

The Buduburam Refugee Camp

The Buduburam Refugee Camp was established in 1990 by the Ghanian Government and the UNHCR when the second civil war erupted in Liberia. The camp is home to over forty-five thousand refugees. It is located on the Cape Coast road about an hour drive from Ghana's capital, Accra.

For more information about the refugee camp:
http://www.theirc.org

Liberia: Conflict and Resolution

The Liberian civil war is said to be among Africa's harshest. More than 250,000 One out of every 17 people were killed and entire villages were emptied as people fled. The strife spread to Liberia's neighbors, contributing to a slowing of the democratization that had been progressing through West Africa.

In August 2003, a peace agreement ended 14 years of civil war and prompted the resignation of former and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) completed a disarmament program for former combatants in late 2004.

By most measures, Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world and the nationwide unemployment rate is very high. Although there are thousands of peacekeepers and police advisors, the security situation remained unpredictable.

The current president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was inaugurated in January 2008. After fourteen years of war, Liberians are ready for development of basic services on peaceful terms, particularly electric current and primary infrastructure. Ellen is dedicated to securing peace and building the infrastructure of her country.

For more information on Liberia:

http://allafrica.com/liberia/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/liberia/essays/history

For more information on the Liberian conflict:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4395978.stm

For more information on Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4395978.stm

Sponsoring a Student: Here's How!

If you want to sponsor a student here is what you need to do:

1. Choose your payment plan.

Student fees for one academic term (three months) = $124.00

Student fees for one academic year (three terms) = $372.00

So, You can pay. . . .

Once per term (one payment every three months, three payments): $124. 00

Payment one due: September 23

Payment two due: December 10

Payment three due: March 10

Full year payment (one payment): $372.00

Due at the beginning of the year: September 23

2. Email us

Email Sage Howard at hhoward02@gmail.com or creativeeducationsolutions@gmail.com

Include your name, contact information, and your choice of payment plan.

We will email you back and give you more information.

3. All checks can be made out to One Million Ways and sent to:

1932 N. Normandie Ave.

Los Angeles, CA, 90027

100% of your donations go to the school and are tax deductible.

We want to work with you so that the payments are as convenient for you as possible.

Please contact us if you have questions or concerns:

connect@onemillionways.org

4. Log your good deed at onemillionways.org

ONE MILLION WAYS: CREATIVE EDUCATION SOLUTIONS