Dear Supporters,
Benedicta is a little girl that we know in the village of Mettoh in northern Ghana. She is four years old. She will never forget the year 2013. It was the year that her father died.
But 2013 was also the year that a school was opened in her village, funded by Savannah Education Trust. During the construction process her father acted as a watchman on the school site, and allowed the tools to be stored in his house. Now, in his absence, the school is serving his daughters. The new school in Mettoh is very close to Benedicta’s house and she attends it every day with her seven year old sister, Inpeng.
It has been a desperately difficult time for the family since their father’s death. Benedicta’s oldest sister has been sent to live with relatives in the south of the country. But the school has helped the family, not just in providing an education for the two remaining girls but also in providing a meal for them each day.
Sadly the difficulties of living in these remote communities in northern Ghana mean that Benedicta’s story is not unique. In Pavuu (where our school was opened in 2011), three brothers – Willbert, Emmanuel and Ransford – live on their own. Their father died in 2008; their mother more recently. They are only able to survive because of the school, and because of the help and the food that they receive.
This is of course a time of year when traditionally gifts are given. For Benedicta and Inpeng – and for Wilbert, Emmanuel and Ransford – the Christian school in their village gives them one of the most precious gifts: the gift of hope.
The children who attend our schools cannot thank you individually, and so it is a great privilege to be able to speak on their behalf. None of our work would be possible without our supporters, and we are grateful to you for your kind and loyal support during 2013. As the responsibilities increase with the opening of our fourth school in Mettoh, we remain ever more dependent on your prayer and support. We do not take it for granted.
We are joined by our friends in Ghana in extending our warm best wishes for 2014.
Yours sincerely
