Giving Back

Today, we were up bright and early to participate in our CIEE community service project. I am so happy about the work that we accomplished today that I couldn’t wait to write this post. Our service was for a great organization, the Future Leaders underprivileged children’s center. It is a center located in Teshie, one of the poorest inner city communities within Accra. Today we revitalized the center by helping to build new classrooms for students with special needs. We also did a lot of sanding and painting to provide a vibrant and welcoming environment for the students.

Upon arrival we were able to meet the founder, BIlla Mamud, and hear all about how Future Leaders began. As a student fresh out of school, Mr. Mamud told us that during the course of his daily travels he would always notice children out and about during times when they should be in school. He discovered that some of the children were orphans and some came from very impoverished families. As a result, he decided to take matters into his own hands. 

In 1998, he began his project with a handful of children that he gathered from the streets and began teaching them under a mango tree. Mr. Mamud would teach them himself, providing them with the basic skills necessary to enter into public school. The children could not afford to attend the schools so Mr. Mamud began private teaching lessons to fund the children’s education. With a lot of hard work and determination, one man’s efforts evolved into the Future Leaders organization that we have today. Mr Mamud reported that he and his center have successfully been able to fund the education of 165 students, some of which have finished college and are very successful today. Aside from providing a safe and loving and environment to the orphans that live at the centre and sending youth to school, the center also provides many adults with assistance. Future Leaders provides vocational skills like sewing and hairstyling, in order to help adults build a business and make money.  I could go on and on about all the great things that the center has done but it would make my post entirely to long.

            

After hearing Mr Mamud’s story I was extremely inspired and ready to work. I was so awed by his perseverance and willingness to help. He taught children under a mango tree for 8 years before the program was even housed under a single roof. He dedicated his time and money finding a way to send so many children to school, not for any recognition or reward, but because it was the right thing to do. In life sometimes we think that one person can’t be a game changer, but this goes to show that sometimes one person is all takes. My entire experience in Ghana has already been life changing, and it’s only been two months. Today I was provided with a new source of motivation as I continue my own personal journey in life, one that hope will allow me to make an impact on the lives of many…. just like Mr. Mamud.

So with all that said, I want to end this post with an interesting quote from Dr. Suess’ The Lorax.

“Unless there’s someone like you that cares an awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”

Thanks For Reading :-)