Help get Aaron to Ghana!
Greetings and salutations! For those of you who are not familiar, I'm currently going to college to pursue an M.A. in Philosophy so that I may teach philosophy at the college level. I have a guaranteed transfer admission to University of California San Diego (UCSD), which I will be taking advantage of this following year. In addition to my academic goals, I'm also working 3 jobs to help make ends meet in my spare time. Over the previous years, I did other volunteer work (constructing houses), served in the Marine Corps infantry for 4 years, and developed a passion for both traveling and teaching. It was throughout these years that I acquired my zeal for exploring new places and sharing the experiences/life lessons that I've picked up over my short time on this earth with others. I feel that while I have an able body and a willing mind that it would be wasteful to not make a proper fitting use of the time still in my possession.
Fortunately for me, it seemed that I would get my chance to make use of my time after all.
I've become very lucky to be able to live out this lust for life of mine in a fantastic opportunity teaching general education this summer. In addition to teaching, I will also be working alongside the local Ghanaians in the community that I will be living in. I will be assisting in anything from daily chores to any other major projects that I can lend a hand to in that area. I will be there from late May to early August. My students will mainly be 1st grade to 9th graders.
Most of these children are extremely enthusiastic and willing to work hard in school so that they might escape the slums that they were born into. Education is one of the few real opportunities that these children have to avoid the fate of living their whole lives scraping by in the slums with little hope of reprieve from conditions that would make most of us living in a first world country cringe. The only problem is that there is a lack of suitable teachers who can teach the curriculum well enough for these eager students to have a chance. That's where I come in to fill the overgrown gap that has plagued many schools throughout Ghana. I will be working through the Ghana Volunteer Corps, which will provide services for me throughout my teaching/volunteering experience.
So ladies and gentlemen, how can you help? Any amount of donation is greatly appreciated and will assist me in paying for airfare ($1524), lodging/food provisions ($951), immunizations/malaria pills (roughly $400), travel insurance ($115), registration fees ($261), visa fees ($60), and first aid supplies for personal and community use as needed. Supplies for the school that I will be working at will also be purchased through any donated funds.
I cannot thank you all enough for your support in whatever form that it has been in! Your support has truly humbled me. Thank you again.
