The Gift of Giving
In 2009 I studied abroad at the University of Ghana, Legon where I took classes and lived on campus for 6 months. During that time I not only took inspiring History of Africa and social work classes and met incredible people, but I also volunteered at an elementary school where I got to immerse myself in a Ghanaian First Grade classroom every week.
It was difficult for me to say goodbye to the people and experiences of Ghana and for years I wanted to reconnect with the country I loved so much. In 2011, I got the opportunity to join the board of a small nonprofit called Ghana Educational Collaborative whose mission it is to provide financial support to exceptional students with significant financial need. As a teacher myself, I feel very strongly about GEC's belief in education as a gateway for endless opportunity and the notion that every child around the world deserves access to education as a right.
For 4 years I have fundraised to support the 11 students in the GEC program. For my birthday this year, I decided to throw a fundraiser for GEC, charging friends and loved ones $20 at the door, with all proceeds going to GEC. I was rather uncomfortable with the idea of asking my underpaid teacher friends to donate their hard earned money, but I figured if everyone was able to give a little, we could hopefully raise enough money to send at least 1 of our students through another year of school.
In the end, I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from my peers who, as I said, make very little money themselves. We were able to raise enough money to send our spotlighted student Emmanuel, through at least 2 years of middle school. Emmanuel is such a hard working, hilarious, and kindhearted individual, and it was an honor to focus my birthday on the gift of giving.
http://www.ghanaedcollaborative.org
Review from #MyGivingStory
