Project:Ghana Update

We had an exciting thing come about regarding the foundation that has referred Samuel to us (http://www.compafricare.org/)and how they can become connected with Project:Ghana happenings. When we were first sent Samuel’s information, I started looking around on the CompAfriCare Foundation’s website. One of the first things I noticed was that they had a computer center going in Ghana for underpriviledged children. They also fund and operate pre-schools, hold medical care clinics for those living in remote villages and are involved in numerous other outreach programs for children and families. These projects are not only in Ghana, but in other countries of Africa as well. Their mission statement is: to bring relief to all ethnic groups, particularly focusing on orphans and deserted children and families in remote parts of the world and directing people toward a new vision and assisting them with the skills and resources needed for a better future. In this regard we create a synchronized and conducive world for indigent children thus helping to eradicate poverty around the world. It is our belief that if children are cared for properly and educated, the problems associated with poverty like child slavery, prostitution and trafficking will be completely eradicated.

The day we accepted Samuel’s referral, which was two Mondays ago, Jake started rummaging around on the CompAfriCare website. After seeing some of their projects, he decided to send the President an email to share about the vision for Project:Ghana and also shared with him our adoption journey thus far. About 10 minutes after he sent the email Jake received a phone call from the President of CompAfriCare – George. Jake went into the other room and he and George talked on the phone for almost 45 minutes. I heard lots of chuckling and ‘you’re kidding!’ and ‘wow’ and then I heard Jake say that he would look into flights to Ohio….I had no idea what was going on and I couldn’t wait until Jake got off the phone to find out.

Well, as it turned out, George (who is originally from Ghana and now resides in Ohio) owns 10 acres of land in the Eastern region of Ghana which was donated to him by his family. For the past year he has been coming up with plans to build a school and an orphanage on the land. However, last year he was also trying to set up his 501c3 foundation so that he could receive donations to fund the project, and it took him all of last year to get the foundation approved (it took Jake’s 501c3 about 8 months to get approved). So, George has been sitting on these plans to build the school & orphanage until he is able to raise the money to do so. George told Jake that he had been fasting 1 day per week and praying for the past month that his foundation would ‘go somewhere’ and that God would give him some direction with the project. And then, enter Jake and his plans with Project:Ghana! It’s funny because Jake and I had been praying that God would provide someone to help with the school/academy side of Project:Ghana since we really have no expertise in that area. So, you guessed it, Jake is flying out to Ohio next week to meet with George and hopefully find a way that they can work together and combine their visions into one!

So, a few other names to throw around to you….George has a Vice-President of his foundation that lives and works in Ghana and his name is Kofi. Kofi is our representative for our adoption of Samuel and will process paperwork there on our behalf. Well, we found out the other day that Kofi lives 2 blocks from Jake’s main guy in Ghana – Mark. Got it? Well, Kofi is supposed to be meeting up with Mark to take him and show him the land that CompAfriCare wants to build the school & orphanage on. So, things-are-a-movin’ and I’ll have to let you know how the meeting between George and Jake goes next week!