Greetings and Blessings! I am Fr. Larry Dowling, Retired Pastor, former pastor of St. Simon of Cyrene Catholic Parish in Chicago.

Last November, 2024, I had the opportunity to travel to Ghana as part of my sabbatical. My guide, Ato Otabil, also teaches at a school in Kumasi as their tech/ ICT teacher. The school has 320 youth from 1st through high school. Besides the standard curriculum, they have classes in Sewing and Design, Construction, Carpentry and IT.

The Principal shared with me that they wanted to add more classrooms to accommodate 120 more students who currently do not have the educational opportunity in Kumasi. I asked them what it would cost to build 4 classrooms and Ato told me only $7500.00. They would buy the materials and the youth would build the classrooms! After I raised the monies from personal funds and a few friends, they have built the classrooms and are placing the final touches on the buildings, constructing a roof on the classrooms they have built. Amazingly, with the $7500 they also built a water tower with which they now have running water to restrooms and dorms drawing from a well at the back of the school property!

Now they are in need of desks and chairs, work tables for the ICT lab, beds for the additional students in boys and girls dormitories; and, they also hope to build much needed new restroom facilities for boys and girls.

I am asking friends to step up to support this effort. The students and faculty are clearly doing their part, but they need our help.

Please donate. As a helpful measure, desks are $38 USD; student beds are $114 USD; tables and chairs for the ICT Lab are $99.79; and construction materials for the boys and girls bathrooms are $5,173.20 USD each.

PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION. These kids are the future - and very much the present - of Africa. They are doing their part. I'm asking you to give in whatever way you feel that God will take pleasure in your donation.