POVERTY, EDUCATION, AND THE REAL SITUATION

A young student in a Ghanaian classroom

Richmond Dale – a private institution focusing on a sustainable future, recently posted this statement: “Poverty on the Brain Affects Cognitive Capacity - Poverty consumes so much mental energy that those in poor circumstances have little remaining brainpower to concentrate on other areas of life; new research finds. Those with few resources are more likely to make bad decisions that perpetuate their financial woes.”  Brainpower is redirected towards finding clean water, finding food, basic healthcare, and remedies to reduce the symptoms of malaria and typhoid. It’s not that they can’t learn or that they aren’t intelligent – it’s that they are consumed with surviving. Education and schooling are necessarily placed on the back burner until primary needs are met.

I’m a reader.  I always have been. I’ve always loved school.  Education is a free commodity in the U.S.  It may not be a perfect system, but we have it - and because we do, we produce excellence, freedom to dream, and a pathway to a better life.

Imagine this: You are six years old. You wake every morning, and your mother leaves to find work or food, traveling a long distance to get staples like rice, porridge, or bread. You either go with to work, or you help watch the younger kids, with cooking, cleaning, or anything else while she works. You like the idea of going to school, but it’s just not an option for you right now.  There isn’t enough money or food to get by, so money for uniforms and books is unattainable. By seven years old, your future has already been determined for you, and your dreams are limited to having enough food, clean water, and basic remedies to combat symptoms of malaria and typhoid.

Doris Dokua Sasu underscored the realities surrounding education in Ghana in 2021, “As of 2020, nearly 265.2 thousand children of primary school age in Ghana were out of school. This was a significant increase from the previous year when around 35.4 thousand children were not enrolled in education in the country.” Startling!

Yet the real truth is that the measures Doris Dokua Sasu provide are usually based on the urban school system.  Not rural areas.

The real truth is that rural villages rarely see children in school after kindergarten if they make it that far.    

The real truth is that poverty in the developing world is a complex and self-perpetuating issue with a devastating impact.

The real truth is that despite Ghana’s claim of free education, there are fees for uniforms and books that rural families cannot afford.

The real truth is that rural schools don’t have the books, pens, paper, or other basic supplies required to support education.

The real truth is hard, but there is hope.

ODI is committed to fueling sustainable economic development in rural Ghana through agricultural development and farming. By providing equipment, and teaching Ghanaians to use modern farming methods instead of sticks and hoes, we increase yield and help Ghanaians not only feed themselves but earn money through export. As Ghanaians produce more food, they also create more jobs. As income grows and families’ basic needs are met, children can return to better-equipped classrooms, where they are free to pursue their dreams of a better life. 

We’re already making a difference:

• We’ve acquired land and are teaching local farmers to cultivate it

• We’re started partnering with the prison system to provide agricultural training and education – provide jobs and reduce recidivism.

• We are fostering collaboration between Ghanaians and the U.S. Farming community.

• We’ve provided medical support to help address preventable and treatable illnesses and diseases.

• We’ve collected and distributing books and supplies to rural schools

• We’ve initiated a clean water well initiative in the village near the farming development. 

You can help too!  Your financial support makes our work possible. We’re also looking for Doctors, nurses, and teachers to accompany us as we travel to Ghana with supplies. It’s an adventure with a purpose, where you can find community, grow in your own profession, and apply your skills with immediate effect.