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Members Update, May 2007

A look at the trials, tribulations and triumphs of one partner school.

The end of April saw the commencement of the third and final term of Wisdom Academy's 2006-2007 school year. While term two ended somewhat solemnly with two destructive storms causing much damage to the school (and bus), term three has begun with much promise and optimism. Teachers, staff, students and volunteers alike came together to not only repair the damages, but to restore the school to a level of safety and beauty never before seen in its seven year history, thanks in large part to the GWF Volunteer Program and other contributions from donors. Besides the new look of the school, this term has also seen an increase in enrollment unmatched in any other term. While most final terms bring in only a few more students, this term has seen over 25 new students so far, due in no small part to the acquisition of the school bus as well as the fresh look of the grounds.

Below you can see the various stages of rebuilding the new and improved Wisdom Academy International School...

Wisdom Academy Staff and students assess the damage after the first of two serious storms that hit the area at the end of March and beginning of April.

The strong winds of the two storms literally lifted the roofing off of the school creating a very dangerous situation.

The storms that ripped through the school caused much destruction both inside and out. Here you see a tree that fell outside the school along the entrance way. When his happened, students and teachers were trapped inside the classrooms.

Just one week after the first storm hit and the bathroom was repaired, a second storm once again knocked down the walls leaving the damage you see here.

A frontal view of the school after the roofs were taken off by workers in result of the extensive wind damage caused by the storms. As a result, school was cancelled.

Due in part to the awful weather, but mostly by the senselessness of some foolish taxi driver, the Wisdom school bus was hit and suffered much damage in the March storm. Luckily, no students were on board at the time.

A local parent puts in some free work to help restore the school after the storm. In return, his child is allowed a free education at the school.

GWF Director and Co-founder, Miles Macleod, helps put a fresh coat of paint on the school during Easter break...one of the many improvements that were made.

Class 4 teacher, Sir Raphael, supervises Sirs Eric and Daniel do their part to put the school back together again.

JSS-1 students lend a hand mixing concrete in order to put back together the bathroom that fell down (twice) in the storms.

Class 3 teacher, Sir Eric, does his part by nailing down the new roofing sheets that were blown off during high winds of the storms.

Up for "Teacher of the Month," Sir Eric also did all of the excellent artwork around the walls of the school.

The day after one of the storm, a Class 3 student uses his early arrival at school to help clean up the grounds at the entrance to school.

A new roof equipped with wind protection awnings (in blue along the top) give the school a fresh new look and a higher degree of fortitude from storms to come.

A look at the school's new looking grounds from outside of the classrooms, thanks in no small part to Class 3 teacher, Sir Eric's talent with the paintbrush.

Gabo and Adjei pose inside the entrance of the school...Amazing what a difference some cans up paint can make. (See last pic under "Reparation Begins...")

Students waiting in line to use their new and improved bathroom facilities that have been promised to withstand many storms to come.

Students arrive the first day of school at the entrance, some getting their first glimpse at the new and improved grounds.

Outside the KG (in blue and white) and Primary buildings, children run around on the first day back from vacation, admiring the changes to the school.

Though the bus took quite a beating after its crash in the March storm, it is back and as good as new, minus a few stickers, which are still to come.

While the school now looks better than ever and is also much safer than before (thanks to a whole new roof that won't leak, awnings to protect from wind damage and a concrete walkway at the entrance to the school over a sewage drain), GWF and Wisdom Academy recognize we still have a long way to go. While the school is sturdier than before the storms, it is by no means an ideal place to "weather" a severe storm, and on many days during the rain season, the school must be closed due to the dangers. What is needed is a proper building, a modern learning facility that can withstand any storm, that can be viewed as a safe haven rather than a safety hazard. However, since Wisdom Academy could be considered a non-profit school (unheard of in Ghana where private schools are a big business), making daily ends meet is at times hard enough, let alone obtaining the costs for constructing a new school. This is where GWF comes in.

Today, GWF is closer than ever to starting construction on a modern learning facility for Wisdom Academy. Step one was securing new plots of land large enough to withstand future enrollment projections. This has already been accomplished. Step two is the completion of a well on the new land to help cut costs and time in the construction process. This is getting ever closer. Today we have over $1,500 of the nearly $4,000 needed to bring the gift of water, flushing toilets (as opposed to the holes in the ground that serve as toilets today), and extra income (water is money in developing countries like Ghana) to Wisdom Academy. With the help of fundraising initiatives like the Cape Cod-Kitase Education Project (CCKEP) and concerned donors, we hope to accomplish this second crucial step by summer's end. If you or someone you know might be interested in helping us reach our next goal for Wisdom Academy, you can go to Donate Now and choose our Build a School Fund, or you can go through our CCKEP page.

If you find our efforts as important as we do, please forward this link to friends and loved ones. Many thanks from the GWF staff.

Members Update, May 2007 A look at the trials, tribulations and triumphs of one partner school. The end of April saw the commencement of the third and final term of Wisdom Academy's 2006-2007 school year. While term two ended somewhat solemnly with two destructive storms causing much damage to the school (and bus), term three has begun with much promise and optimism. Teachers, staff, students and volunteers alike came together to not only repair the damages, but to restore the school to a level of safety and beauty never before seen in its seven year history, thanks in large part to the GWF Volunteer Program and other contributions from donors. Besides the new look of the school, this term has also seen an increase in enrollment unmatched in any other term. While most final terms bring in only a few more students, this term has seen over 25 new students so far, due in no small part to the acquisition of the school bus as well as the fresh look of the grounds. Below you can see the various stages of rebuilding the new and improved Wisdom Academy International School...

Wisdom Academy Staff and students assess the damage after the first of two serious storms that hit the area at the end of March and beginning of April. The strong winds of the two storms literally lifted the roofing off of the school creating a very dangerous situation. The storms that ripped through the school caused much destruction both inside and out. Here you see a tree that fell outside the school along the entrance way. When his happened, students and teachers were trapped inside the classrooms.	Just one week after the first storm hit and the bathroom was repaired, a second storm once again knocked down the walls leaving the damage you see here. A frontal view of the school after the roofs were taken off by workers in result of the extensive wind damage caused by the storms. As a result, school was cancelled. Due in part to the awful weather, but mostly by the senselessness of some foolish taxi driver, the Wisdom school bus was hit and suffered much damage in the March storm. Luckily, no students were on board at the time.

A local parent puts in some free work to help restore the school after the storm. In return, his child is allowed a free education at the school. GWF Director and Co-founder, Miles Macleod, helps put a fresh coat of paint on the school during Easter break...one of the many improvements that were made. Class 4 teacher, Sir Raphael, supervises Sirs Eric and Daniel do their part to put the school back together again.	JSS-1 students lend a hand mixing concrete in order to put back together the bathroom that fell down (twice) in the storms. Class 3 teacher, Sir Eric, does his part by nailing down the new roofing sheets that were blown off during high winds of the storms. Up for "Teacher of the Month," Sir Eric also did all of the excellent artwork around the walls of the school.
The day after one of the storm, a Class 3 student uses his early arrival at school to help clean up the grounds at the entrance to school.

A new roof equipped with wind protection awnings (in blue along the top) give the school a fresh new look and a higher degree of fortitude from storms to come. A look at the school's new looking grounds from outside of the classrooms, thanks in no small part to Class 3 teacher, Sir Eric's talent with the paintbrush. Gabo and Adjei pose inside the entrance of the school...Amazing what a difference some cans up paint can make. (See last pic under "Reparation Begins...")	Students waiting in line to use their new and improved bathroom facilities that have been promised to withstand many storms to come. Students arrive the first day of school at the entrance, some getting their first glimpse at the new and improved grounds. Outside the KG (in blue and white) and Primary buildings, children run around on the first day back from vacation, admiring the changes to the school.
Though the bus took quite a beating after its crash in the March storm, it is back and as good as new, minus a few stickers, which are still to come.
While the school now looks better than ever and is also much safer than before (thanks to a whole new roof that won't leak, awnings to protect from wind damage and a concrete walkway at the entrance to the school over a sewage drain), GWF and Wisdom Academy recognize we still have a long way to go. While the school is sturdier than before the storms, it is by no means an ideal place to "weather" a severe storm, and on many days during the rain season, the school must be closed due to the dangers. What is needed is a proper building, a modern learning facility that can withstand any storm, that can be viewed as a safe haven rather than a safety hazard. However, since Wisdom Academy could be considered a non-profit school (unheard of in Ghana where private schools are a big business), making daily ends meet is at times hard enough, let alone obtaining the costs for constructing a new school. This is where GWF comes in. Today, GWF is closer than ever to starting construction on a modern learning facility for Wisdom Academy. Step one was securing new plots of land large enough to withstand future enrollment projections. This has already been accomplished. Step two is the completion of a well on the new land to help cut costs and time in the construction process. This is getting ever closer. Today we have over $1,500 of the nearly $4,000 needed to bring the gift of water, flushing toilets (as opposed to the holes in the ground that serve as toilets today), and extra income (water is money in developing countries like Ghana) to Wisdom Academy. With the help of fundraising initiatives like the Cape Cod-Kitase Education Project (CCKEP) and concerned donors, we hope to accomplish this second crucial step by summer's end. If you or someone you know might be interested in helping us reach our next goal for Wisdom Academy, you can go to Donate Now and choose our Build a School Fund, or you can go through our CCKEP page. If you find our efforts as important as we do, please forward this link to friends and loved ones. Many thanks from the GWF staff.

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