We are fourth year nursing students working with ProjectGrow, a charitable organization, to organize a staff and faculty fundraiser at UBC-Okanagan to send young girls to school in Ghana.
Vida Yakong, a UBC Okanagan PhD student initiated the project 3 years ago in her hometown villages of Nyobok-Nkenzesi, Ghana. Yakong created a community development project working with the village women by asking them what they needed to create a sustainable living. With the need for education identified by the community, Project Grow’s fundraising efforts will provide opportunities for children, particularly girls, to receive a formal education. The total cost of education from kindergarten through to grade twelve is two thousand dollars including uniforms, textbooks, and tuition. Project Grow has no administration costs, which means that 100% of the donations will benefit the young girls.
The Girl Effect is a short clip that emphasizes how education can better a girls life, the health and well-being of her family, and her community. The clip describes the simplicity of what needs to change for these young girls and how education is the basis for this change.
The Girls in Ghana
Through the efforts of ProjectGrow and community donations over the last few years 64girls are currently being sponsored to attend school in Ghana. Continuation of past fundraising efforts will allow these young girls to stay in school and receive the education they deserve. The total cost of education from kindergarten to grade twelve is only $2000 including all textbooks, tuition and uniforms. In rural Ghana, boys are often sent to school while the girls are expected to stay at home. This inequality emphasizes the need to financially support girls to attend school and complete their education from kindergarten to high school.
Project Grow is very involved with the education of the girls they sponsor and follow up closely with their progress. One of the most important aspects of this project is that once a young girl has completed her education she is required to give something back to the community in any capacity she is able to. Families are also required to contribute to their child's educations, whether that be providing lunches or providing funds. The need is apparent and any amount raised will greatly impact the lives of these young girls!
The fundraiser runs fromNovember 1st to 30th. Donations can be made at designated locations around campus. These include:
Arts Administration Office 270
Fine Arts and Health Administration Office 323
University Centre Office 329 with Cindy Bourne
University Centre Office 227B with Sharon De Vries (located in Student Financial Assistance and Awards). Sharon De Vries is available to take donations directly or by phone if preferred and can accommodate off campus donations through this method. She can be contacted at250 807 8433.
Tax receipts may be issued upon request for donations of $20 or greater.
100% of donations go towards educating girls! No administration costs!
