Many of us take things for granted in life. Poverty is the state of the majority of the world’s people and nations. Hundreds of millions of people could sink further into hunger and disease, with large regions of the world trapped in poverty indefinitely.
Not everyone is taking life for granted by the way! I came from a very poor family in a rural farming village in northern Ghana, West Africa. My father married two wives and I have 14 brothers and sisters, most of whom were not as lucky as I am to have been able to attend school. My mother passed away during my third year in rural High School.
Where I grew up, nearly all my siblings, like most children in my village have nothing more to look forward to but an exhausting life on the family farm. Unfortunately when I say farm it is not like the productive farm that most people see in America. Our farming is a subsistence farming. We farm to feed the family. The crops that we will produce at the end of the season will not even feed the family for four months. There is always hunger my entire life in the village.
I attended to rural high school in another village twenty miles form my village but of course I have to walk. In 1999, I met Izaak Edvalson, a Peace Corps Volunteer who was my Math and Sciences Teacher. In fact, I was no excelling academically in his class, but that wasn't because I didn't have the heart and the desire to succeed; I just didn't have the background. I will always have to stop school for three weeks to work to earn money for school fees, supplies and to feed my younger siblings
I became a best friend to Izaak. I shares my culture with him and as well learnt his. In those two short years we moved from being to friends to a family. When Izaak realized my problem he treated my like his brother. Izaak paid for the rest of my tuition at Chiana Secondary School. He invited me to be his housemate for the second year; I always help him take care of his house, garden and his monkey. It was great having Izaak around, I was always curious and eager to lend a hand, whether it was cooking, gardening, or taking care of his monkeys. By the time Izaak left it was amazing how I elevated to the top ten percent of Izaak class. That wasn’t all of Izaak’s. He new I had the potential to do better in school but I do not have financial and educational support. He took to better school in the city where I repeated school to obtain better education. He open bank account for me and he trusted me so much and he knew that I wanted education too. He returned to the US and continued to support my education. He paid for my entire tuition for the three year in the high school in the city. Thanks to Izaak Edvalson.
In 2001, it was sad news for both Izaak and I. He was retuning to the US. We both cried. I was sad I was not going to see him at all or may be for long time, but when Izaak came back to the US he didn’t’ for get about me. He save his own $15,000 and asked his family and friends to support a campaign to bring me to the US for education. I did not know why Izaak wouldn’t let me go to school in Ghana. I think he wanted me to see other parts of the world and as well learn other things. In September 2004, I came to Eastern Oregon University. I had been a great time at Eastern, I have learn so much that I cannot keep it and I always want to give back to community and share with others. I am a senior at Eastern Oregon University and I will be graduating in June 2008. The question is;
Now what is next? It is said by Izaak Edvalson that:
“When you help a child you help their family.
When you help a family you help the community.
When you help a community you change the world”
This is definitely true. I am truly inspired by Izaak. Now it is the time to help Change the WORLD!!!.
The first Project I took interest in is Ghana Flood Relief Campaign. Last fall 2007, a heavy flood hit the entire continent of Africa and destroyed many homes and farms; displaced and rendered thousand of people homeless and hungry. I felt sympathy for these victims and quickly organized a campaign to raise money and other donated medical items to help the victims. I partnered with the Eastern Oregon University, Office of Diversity, Office of Multicultural Affairs, and EOU students to coordinate the campaign. Seventeen hundred (1700) pound worth of clothing were donated and an amount of one thousand, two hundred and eighteen dollars ($2,118) in cash was also donated towards helping the flood victims. The money was sent and used to buy food that benefited seven hundred people from two villages in Ghana West Africa. This is incredibly amazing. One thing I cannot forget about Eastern is the Hospitality of the people and the community and the trust they had in me. This inspired me and I want to take the opportunity to give other the chance to help change the WORLD..
The second part is James Kumbal Education. I supported James Kumbal, a student from Ghana West Africa. Kumbal is a student in Suyani Polytechnic in Ghana West Africa. He came from a single parent home. Kumbal managed his own way through high school and into Polytechnic; he paid for his own school fees. When he went to Polytechnic, his uncle supported him pay his school fees and supplies. His uncle is a farmer. During holidays Kumbal would spend his time working on his uncle’s farm to earn get money to buy school supplies and pay for school fees. Last Year, 2007, Kumbal’s Uncle became sick and was admitted to the hospital. Due to his illness, his uncle could not support him any longer. Kumbal no longer have any person to help him. At that point, he was in his last year in Polytechnic. I supported Kumbal with hundred dollars ($100) to part pay for his school supplies and fees.
The third story is about Maxwell Ayeliya Education Sponsorship. He is my brother. I supported Azongo Maxwell, a student from Ghana, West Africa. Azongo paid most of his school fees and supplies by himself and with little contribution from my elder brother and me. Due to financial constraints, He went to the same rural high school I attended, where there is no electricity, nearby water, textbooks, and other needed educational resource that will provide complete education. He is persevering and I help him pay for his school fees and supplies. These are the events that motivated me to look for alternative ways to support the poor and the underprivileged. That is where the idea of Sabu Help came up. Many of the people involved in Sabu Help are committed to helping the poor to help themselves. Now I hope that with Sabu Help we work to support Kumbal and Azongo to complete their education.
With this progress, I can see that we are contributing to change the WORLD. So, Sabu Help is designed to solicit, review, distribute, offer financial assistance, provide training, and counseling to poor people to help themselves. Sabu Help supports the poor in ventures such as farming, extraction, designing, crafting, soap making, basket weaving, pottery making, etc.
Our mission is to create opportunities for those living in persistent poverty to help themselves by providing financial assistance, business skills, and vocational training to achieve a better standard of living.
Sabu Help is dedicated to helping rural poor people help themselves, find ways to produce food, earn income, and raise healthy families. We help the poor by giving financial opportunities to the poor to work in small businesses, create self-employment, and ultimately fight poverty. Recognizing that a large majority of the world’s poorest people are in developing countries and that they contribute decisively to the well-being of their families, Sabu Help makes it a priority to offer support that serve the particular needs of them.
I hope that with the above adventure, stories and information will inspire you to keep supporting Sabu Help.
Thank you
Doctor Ayeliya
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