Building a Blessed Bright Future
Donation protected
Blessed Bright Future is an orphanage in Ghana that cares for over 50 children. As some of you might know, I volunteered there from November 2013 until early 2014 and it was an experience that profoundly changed my life. Thanks to the generous donations of people like you, I was able to purchase a van for the orphanage, raising $6000 in six weeks. The van continues to make a huge difference to the home, being used to get the children to school and for medical emergencies.
However, the children at the home continue to face many challenges. Since returning I’ve committed myself to doing everything I can to improve their lives. My long-term goal is to raise enough money to build a new home at the orphanage, as the current home is not suitable for long-term living. With a total cost of $300,000, this requires a lot of forward planning – and this is what I have been doing since my last stay at the orphanage.
However, there are certain things that need to be done first – stepping stones to ensure we reach the end goal. And that’s where I need your help.
There are 4 projects I’m hoping to fund. These will all help create a stronger, more self-sufficient home and get us closer to creating the new building:
1. Employing two extra ‘Mamas’
Ghanaian households are very matriarchal, and at the orphanage Mamas do pretty much everything to keep the household running – they cook, clean and organise the kids, as well as providing much-needed structure to day-to-day life. When I was last in Ghana I helped employ the first Mama the home had had since the passing of Mama Peace, who was for a long time the heart and soul of the orphanage.
To put it simply, one Mama cannot handle everything that needs to be done for 50+ kids. I would like to employ 2 more Mamas, and be able to pay for each of their wages for at least one year.
Cost: $100 per month, per Mama
Total: $2,400
2. Employing an Administrator/Fundraiser
To deal with various day-to-day costs, the home needs a regular income stream. As a result I’d like to employ someone to go out to the community, raise awareness and bring in donations. I’m hoping to raise enough to cover one year’s wages.
Cost: $200 per month
Total: $2,400
3. Land for crops
For the kids to prosper, it is so important that the home becomes self-sufficient. To help them do this, I would like to buy 10 acres of land for the home. On this, they can plant crops to help provide food for the children. With this amount of land they will also be able to plant extra crops and sell them at local markets.
Cost: $2,500 per acre
Total: $25,000
4. Outstanding bills
Until all of the above projects are up and running there are the everyday costs that the home currently struggles to deal with. These include water and electricity bills, school fees and related school costs such as books and feeding the children lunch each day.
Cost: $2,000
TOTAL: $30,000
How you can help.
It would be fantastic if I could raise most of these funds by the time I leave for Ghana in early September. I’m hoping to have the completed amount raised by mid-December when I plan to come home. While in Ghana I will be sure to continue to update you on the progress of this project. The approximate cost to build the new home is $300,000, so if my target is exceeded the money will go towards this.
Anything you can offer would be an incredible help.
If you have any questions regarding this project or would like to help in another way please feel free to contact me.
Much love
Carolyn x
However, the children at the home continue to face many challenges. Since returning I’ve committed myself to doing everything I can to improve their lives. My long-term goal is to raise enough money to build a new home at the orphanage, as the current home is not suitable for long-term living. With a total cost of $300,000, this requires a lot of forward planning – and this is what I have been doing since my last stay at the orphanage.
However, there are certain things that need to be done first – stepping stones to ensure we reach the end goal. And that’s where I need your help.
There are 4 projects I’m hoping to fund. These will all help create a stronger, more self-sufficient home and get us closer to creating the new building:
1. Employing two extra ‘Mamas’
Ghanaian households are very matriarchal, and at the orphanage Mamas do pretty much everything to keep the household running – they cook, clean and organise the kids, as well as providing much-needed structure to day-to-day life. When I was last in Ghana I helped employ the first Mama the home had had since the passing of Mama Peace, who was for a long time the heart and soul of the orphanage.
To put it simply, one Mama cannot handle everything that needs to be done for 50+ kids. I would like to employ 2 more Mamas, and be able to pay for each of their wages for at least one year.
Cost: $100 per month, per Mama
Total: $2,400
2. Employing an Administrator/Fundraiser
To deal with various day-to-day costs, the home needs a regular income stream. As a result I’d like to employ someone to go out to the community, raise awareness and bring in donations. I’m hoping to raise enough to cover one year’s wages.
Cost: $200 per month
Total: $2,400
3. Land for crops
For the kids to prosper, it is so important that the home becomes self-sufficient. To help them do this, I would like to buy 10 acres of land for the home. On this, they can plant crops to help provide food for the children. With this amount of land they will also be able to plant extra crops and sell them at local markets.
Cost: $2,500 per acre
Total: $25,000
4. Outstanding bills
Until all of the above projects are up and running there are the everyday costs that the home currently struggles to deal with. These include water and electricity bills, school fees and related school costs such as books and feeding the children lunch each day.
Cost: $2,000
TOTAL: $30,000
How you can help.
It would be fantastic if I could raise most of these funds by the time I leave for Ghana in early September. I’m hoping to have the completed amount raised by mid-December when I plan to come home. While in Ghana I will be sure to continue to update you on the progress of this project. The approximate cost to build the new home is $300,000, so if my target is exceeded the money will go towards this.
Anything you can offer would be an incredible help.
If you have any questions regarding this project or would like to help in another way please feel free to contact me.
Much love
Carolyn x
Organizer
Carolyn Eggart
Organizer
Highgate SA
