Two Blazin Sheilas: accra

Sunday, 17 January 2016

'Back 2 School': Charity Donation, Ghana

God has blessed me beyond my needs, which is why I believe so strongly in paying it forward and giving back to those who aren't as fortunate. I am extremely in love with Ghana, passionate about the youth and supporting their needs, especially considering they are the future of Ghana. I was inspired to create a 'Back 2 School' drive from observing Eudoxie's (rapper & actor Ludacris' wife) charity work (Unspoken Angels) in her homeland, Gabon. In addition to sharing the the same passion for philanthropy and Ghana with a close friend, Akua Aboagye, a simple conversation was the only thing needed to get started. Akua and I (with the appreciated donations and support from family and friends) researched possibilities tirelessly before we put together a school pack that consisted of pens, pencils, rubbers, sharpeners, notebooks and a backpack for 100 odd students. The Noyaa Association (Ghana) is an intervention-based school in the coastal community of Jamestown. It is dedicated to providing education to children who are not formally enrolled in the Ghana Education System. To prevent their academic decline and from falling behind their developmental competencies, the children are admitted into the Noyaa Ghana program.

Noyaa's curriculum is strategically designed to provide a baseline education for street children in the coastal community of Jamestown, Accra. The curriculum strategically prepares the students to read, reason logically and learn basic mathematics in order to transfer them into a local government school at Level Six JHS.

Akua and I hope this is just the beginning of our giving journey, and that others will take the initiative to pay it forward, no matter how big or small.

To learn more about Noyaa, or donate, visit their website: www.noyaaghana.org

THANK YOU, to those who donated:

-Aminata Kamara

-Coconsa (Senah and Linda Fiamanya)

-Kwame Agyeman

-Latoya Amankwatia

Photo Credit- @shutterbuggh

~Posted by Vanessa

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

GHANA 2014/15

Had a complete absence form blogging, all within good reason though. We are back now!

GHANA. Seeing the word alone gives me butterflies, so can you imagine the excitement that consumed me when i landed at 12pm on the 27th Dec 2015. Anyone who has visited Ghana knows the extreme heat wave that hits you as soon as you step off the plane is nothing but a relief, accompanied by air scented of kelewele and other delicious dishes.

I have been to Ghana around 5 times, but the thing that made this time so special was the fact that i was doing it completely solo. I always think its healthy and life changing to go on some sort of holiday by yourself and thinking back on it, I wouldn't have preferred it any other way. It forced me to step out of my comfort zone, resulting in me meeting so many amazing people, seeing new things I may have not been able to see if i traveled with people, and just ultimately having the freedom to do everything in my own time, at my own expense. In saying that, during December/Jan (festive season), at any given time you will ALWAYS meet other foreigners you know. Having the comfort of having girls/guys that i already knew around definitely made things easier and more enjoyable. To be perfectly honest, in my opinion, its pretty hard to not enjoy your time in Ghana (minus aspects like light off, water off, poor economy and corruption of course!). The rich culture, simple lifestyle, welcoming personalities, positive attitudes despite having so little, dancing on the streets and mouth-watering food are just SOME of the reasons anyone will love Ghana, and the main reason I know I will eventually live there.