2017 review and 2018 outlook
What progress was made at Midnight Sun International School in 2017? I brought back many pictures and stories from my last visit to Ghana in October/November 2017, which I will publish on our website www.midnightsunschool.de in the new year.
Extension of the school
This new classroom was built for the Junior High School (2), the eighth grade. Classes have been held here since September. There are many more children in the subsequent classes, so this classroom has been designed so that even forty children can be taught well. At the moment, this room is also used for larger school events, such as a quiz in which the best children in the class compete against each other. In 2018, we will be concreting the floor in this classroom, installing windows and doors and plastering the outside of the building. We are also planning to build a staff room.
We still need a new classroom by September. We expect the complete construction including the roof, doors and windows to cost 3,000 euros.
School desks
This year, we have had 33 of these individual school benches produced. We still need 20 more benches for the kindergarten and 20 school benches for the elementary school. One bench costs 15 euros.
In the elementary school, some children still sit three to a bench that was built for two children.
„Unsere Studenten“
Teacher training
At the moment, most of the children at the school are taught by high school graduates. Since this school year, the association has enabled three young adults to receive basic training as primary school teachers and for the junior high school. This training is run as distance learning by the University of Cape Coast, lasts three years and takes place at weekends. This allows the three future teachers to teach at the school during the week and study at the weekend. They have committed themselves to teaching at the school for a further four years after the training. The training costs amount to 500 euros/year. We are still looking for further supporters for this educational project, because the better the teachers at the school are trained, the better the quality of the teaching. It also reduces teacher turnover. Of the thirteen teachers who are currently teaching, three are trained teachers.
The head teacher Lamisi Yerrow started her bachelor’s degree this year. This is also a three-year “distance education” course from the University of Cape Coast. The tuition fee is 1,100 euros per year.
Sponsorships for school fees, school uniforms and school meals
In December 2016, the sponsorship program was launched.
Matilda was the deciding factor. I have known this intelligent girl for many years and was told during my last stay that she is now at home and works in the fields because her parents can no longer afford the school fees. After consulting with the parents and the girl, it was clear that she really wanted to continue learning and since then the association has been paying the school fees. Her parents are so grateful that this time they gave me a live chicken as a farewell gift. Matilda is part of the theater group and wants to become a teacher herself later. At the moment, the school fees for 60 children are paid by the support association.
The sponsorships are made up of the following:
5.00 euros/month for the school fee
1.67 euros/month for two school uniforms/year
8.00 euros/month for school meals
A “full” sponsorship therefore costs 14.67 euros per month or 176 euros per year.
The school fee including school uniforms is 6.67 euros/month or 80 euros/year.
In 2017, the five euros included the school uniforms. We have changed this for 2018. Existing sponsors/sponsorships can change their standing orders or continue to make their contribution by paying the school fee.
The school meal payment is a new project that we only started in December 2017. Twelve children are already benefiting from it. I will report on this in detail soon.
By the end of January, all sponsors will receive a current picture of their protégé including a short report.
At the moment we are still looking for supporters for another 30 children.
Fuseini, one of the sponsored children, is very excited that he can draw in class with donated colored pencils.
Water for all 405 children
At the moment, three large tons of water are delivered to the school every day by donkey cart. Very few children get anything to drink from
get anything to drink at school from home. At temperatures of 30 degrees and above, the consumption is immense. At the moment there is a small well on the grounds, which only has enough water to cook with during the dry season.
Drilling the well is the top priority for 2018. The well including pump and polytank will cost 2000 euros.
New flyer and stationery
Many thanks to the LuckyU agency for creating the new flyers and our stationery. The flyers can now be used in Ghana and Germany. In Ghana, we founded the “Midnight Sun Foundation” association in 2016. This gives people from Ghana the opportunity to support the Midnight Sun International School.
If you would like flyers to hand out to friends and acquaintances, please get in touch with me.
Tell them about your commitment to the Midnight Sun School. Your support makes a big difference for many children in Langbinsi.
Please let me know your email address so that I can also send you information in this way in the future. I am planning to give talks again in Munich and in Sulzdorf near Giebelstadt in 2018. I will let you know the dates.
There is still a lot to report. The children and the Midnight Sun School have grown very close to my heart. We can now look back on six years together. It’s hard to believe when you look at the pictures from the beginning. As I work full time, you don’t hear or read from me that often. However, you can be sure that your help is received directly and 100 percent.
Thank you very much for your support on behalf of the students at Midnight Sun International School in Langbinsi/Ghana.
Sabine Valentin
