As most of you may have heard, I went back to Ghana last month for about two weeks to visit my Village and my family.  9 years of not seeing them was a long time. Although this trip was nice, it was also a very emotional and an eye-opening trip for me. It was hard for me seeing what was going on over there and seeing what they didn’t have Realizing all that I have here at my home in America made me feel guilty and sad in a way.   It is hard because they’re my family and I love them. Why am I here with all these things and they’re there with nothing?  That’s the question that ran through my mind the whole time I was there and has kept me up at night since I've been home. 

Let me tell you a little bit about their struggles:  First of all, the house that they stay in could fall apart anytime because it’s made out of mud with grass on top to keep protection over them and to keep the rain from getting to them. When those grasses wear out, rain gets in the “house” and it provides no more protection.    

I was also able to really see the pain they live with daily.  While in the village, I slept with my mom and siblings on the same bed that is built on a rock. The bedding is made from stacks of hay on top of the rock. That’s what they sleep on every night.  

My mom, Benedicta, has many complications that happened to her body from having children.  She is often in so much discomfort that she needs to lay down during the day.  All she has to lay on is this hay-covered rock.  Every time I lay down on my soft, comfy bed, I think of my poor mother laying on her rock and it makes me cry.  While I was there with her, I often would wake up in the middle of the night and just cry because of how bad that bed hurts and how they have to sleep in that EVERYDAY, and my 3-year-old sister has to sleep on that every single night.  It broke my heart. It was hard for me to leave them behind because I wish I could just bring them with me here.

My grandmother, whom I was so close to, passed away while I was living in America.  I wasn’t able to attend the funeral because I was still in school at the time. So that was very hard being there and not being able to hug her or talk to her or tell her goodbye. There were so many things that really made me appreciate what I’m so blessed to have here (like my nice soft bed) but it also makes me heavy-hearted when I think about it. 

So I’m asking for your help to raise $20,000. This is all it will take to build a safe home for my family and give them a comfortable place to sleep without having to worry about getting rain on while sleeping or losing their home from it falling apart on them.  

Since I have been back here to America, my Parents and I have communicated with a professional building contractor in Ghana who has promised to complete this home for $20,000 US. Also, I have a trusted contact in Ghana who has agreed to oversee the whole project. This would be life changing for my Mother and little Sister. I have been working extra hours at my job and have even tried to do odd jobs around the neighborhood to save money to do this.  But I have realized that I will never be able to do it on my own. It would mean so much to me if I could get your help in making my family safer and even give them a little of the comfort in life that we might take for granted. I feel like God has blessed me so much and I can’t just sit back and do nothing knowing what I know.

I Love you all,
Delight Semanu Seable