From orphanage to university

In 2016 I met Raphael at an orphanage in Ghana. Raphael is a talented and amazing young man. As an orphan from Ghana, Raphael accomplished the impossible by getting accepted into an engineering university in the USA. I’ve sponsored Raphael the last 8 years and now he dreams of becoming a biomedical engineer.

The cost (estimated to be $50.000) is too much to do it alone. He has been awarded $15.000 in scholarships, but to make his dream possible we need to raise another $35.000. That’s why we are asking for your help. The money will go to: tuition, student fees, books, supplies, transportation, living expenses and health insurance. Thank you so much for anything you can do to help. We are so grateful!

The long story:

In 2016 I met Raphael at an orphanage in Ghana. Raphael was 12 years old. He loved to play soccer, was super energetic, and already spoke Ghanese, English and French. But the really special thing about Raphael was that even though the orphanage was always short of food, clothes, toys… and just about everything, Raphael was kind and was always considerate about other people. For example, the first time I met Raphael was when we were handing out toys, clothes and other things that the orphanage needed. All of the other children came running with arms out to get the toys. Then they would run back to their beds and turn around to come back for more. Raphael was the only one that stood there with us, passing toys to the other kids to make sure that everybody got something.

I’ve sponsored Raphael the last 8 years and he is still the same amazing young man. He cares for all the kids at the orphanage. In his free time he makes the 4 hour trip to return to the orphanage to help and give back. He has been preaching, teaching, cooking and mentoring the other orphans.

I am 24 now and have been extremely lucky to have grown up in a country where I always had enough to eat, a warm home, and the chance to get a university degree. When I was 16, I had the opportunity to travel to Ghana with a few students from my high school to help the orphanage. We spent months before the trip, collecting clothing, toys and other things that the orphanage needed. And then when we arrived, we had suitcases full of donated material that we gave to the kids and we spent a week making repairs at the orphanage and visiting with the kids. I have had a soft spot for him ever since I saw Raphael passing out toys to the other kids.

Raphael works really hard. In junior high he earned the award as best student of the school. Three years ago Raphael managed to get into one of the top high schools in Ghana, Mfantsipim senior high. This is a unique accomplishment for an orphan and there he was selected as class representative. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, and Kofi Busia, former prime minister of Ghana, both graduated from Mfantsipm. Both of these leaders went on to university in the United States and England. And then on to greater accomplishments. Now that Raphael graduated, he is inspired by these former leaders, and he would like to get the best possible education and dreams of becoming a biomedical engineer.

Over the past 8 years, I have been able to support Raphael to get him this far. Now he wants to get a bachelor’s degree in the USA, but sadly I can’t afford it alone. So we are asking for your help. Thank you so much for anything you can do. We are so grateful!

Raphaels story:

My name is Raphael Andoh. I’m 20 years old and grew up in an orphanage in Ghana. My parents could not afford to feed all of my brothers and sisters and left me at the orphanage when I was born. When I was 12, I met Max when he was on a high school trip to bring cloths and help at the orphanage. The orphanage has a school, but I also help with teaching, cooking, dancing, singing and praying with the younger kids. In many ways I have been lucky. I have had a roof over my head and food to eat. Not every child in Ghana has that. And I am lucky that I met Max, who has helped support me the last 8 years to get into high school, pay for my tuition, books, and when I couldn’t afford it, food. Max has given me the opportunity to pursue my goals in life.

I want to be one of the best medical engineers, and help to improve healthcare in Ghana. To do this, I need to attend a good university and get the best possible education.

Over the last years, I have found ways to get enough money to get through high school and complete the SAT. I have been accepted to Missouri University of Science and Technology, but even with scholarships, the cost is beyond my reach. I hope you will support me so I can start university in the USA. Thank you very much for helping me now. I hope someday, I can help people around me as well.