LOTUS Preschool has been running successfully for almost 30 years – now we need your help to expand the project to a Primary School! The “Path of Joy” Library & Primary School will also benefit the Children’s Home by providing education for the younger girls and temporary employment for those girls who have completed SHS while searching for their profession.
This new center came to be thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Mohamukta Ananda and Mr. Rutger Tamminga who are very concerned with education in Africa as they understand that only when people get the proper education they can break the cycle of poverty and misery. Even before gaining independence in 1957, Ghana has been working to increase its population’s access to basic education and school enrollment. The 1961 Education Act reinforced the right to a free basic education, but the act failed to fully address all the problems related to school attendance and completion rates. Besides the financial issues associated with improving education quality and helping our students to afford schooling, there are also other constraints such as lack of school buildings and trained teachers. It is located in a very poor area in a community lacking basics on sanitation and others. The children come 5x/week for reading sessions and other activities. The library has already 600 books!
We had so many challenges as difficulty in accessing the land during the rainy season (which last 6 months here) and so many others, which we have been facing with the help of kind organizations such as AILE UNIVERSELLE and NAWA. Volunteers also help by giving workshops and decorating the school
Daily we receive about 40 children during the school vacations (varying from 3 to 16 years old) and 7-15 children during the period they go to school. They come after school to have English Grammar classes with our volunteers, participate in the reading club with the local librarian, and other various activities. The children are extremely happy and come to the classes by themselves. In the beginning, it was difficult for us to control them but once they learned that they can play with our toys or get prizes for good behavior after classes are over, they have become much more disciplined.
These kids are learning and freely enjoying many creative activities which unfortunately are lacking in the local schools – such as local music with dance, modeling, painting, coloring, practical lessons on healthy habits, etc.
Gurukul Newsletter Article:
Lotus Children's Center 