Help Complete the Sage Centre
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Meet Charles
Charles hails from a remote fishing village a day's journey from Ghana's capital, but left at a young age in hopes of going to school. In high school, Charles was committed to bringing educational opportunities to other kids like him. He mobilized friends and neighbors to establish a library in a remote town near his family's home. Then, he worked with a student visiting from China to electrify the library with solar power.
After completing high school in 2015, Charles set his sights on college. He applied to several American universities, and was accepted to Silicon Valley Community College, with guaranteed transfer to UC Davis, to study sustainable design and construction management.
However, his visa was denied. Rather than feel sorry for himself, or wait another year to apply again, this young man decided to build an educational retreat center that would bring people from around the world to his community in Ghana.
Charles is working to pursue this dream with me, Ben, a strategy consultant, former Dartmouth admissions officer, and international education leader.
Charles has impressed me with his vision that transforms the nature of higher learning, having built a close relationship with him, his family, and his community over the past 13 years.
Constructing a Sustainable Education & Retreat Center called Sage
Now we’re building a sustainable education and retreat center in the scenic mountains of West Africa, nestled below a waterfall in the heart of a wildlife sanctuary. Charles has used his college fund, enough for the first couple of years of college in the US, to build a 12,000 square foot retreat and education center.
He hired young men and women from the community to provide the labor, and bought most of the construction materials from local businesses. Charles and dozens of community members have been developing new skills as they learn-by-doing under the mentorship of experts from Ghana, the US, and Canada.
This project, though not yet complete, is already changing lives. Charles has helped local workers save and invest in family businesses, send their daughters to school, and pay for long-deferred medical care. Upon completion of construction, the center will be home to an intimate retreat during the cool summer months.
The rest of the year, we are hosting educational programs to nurture young leaders, entrepreneurs, and artists. We dream that the physical space we are building becomes an incubator for global innovation and leadership, driven by the talent of the region.
Help Us Finish Construction
Unfortunately, Charles' college fund is now depleted and the house is not yet finished. So we need your support to achieve his inspiring vision to transform the future for his community. The money from his college fund has taken us so far, but there is still more work to be done.
We need $35,000 more to be able to open and operate the Sage Retreat Center at full capacity.
The money will be used to pay for materials and labor for the windows, doors, and the finishing of walls, floors, and ceilings. After we succeed with this phase, we will work towards sustainability enhancements like solar power and a rainwater catchment system.
Though I am based out of Boston, I, along with a team of mentors from Ghana, the US, and Canada are coordinating closely with Charles and his team and we will ensure all funds are sent directly and get used effectively towards this vision that is improving the lives of so many families in this community.
If our goal is met, we aim to complete construction by summer 2021, and will be ready to welcome international guests, should the hard work of Covid vaccine workers allow.
On behalf of the whole team, thank you very much for your support! Please help and share this campaign with friends and family. Let us rally behind Charles' dream to serve his community as he brings people together globally.
Charles hails from a remote fishing village a day's journey from Ghana's capital, but left at a young age in hopes of going to school. In high school, Charles was committed to bringing educational opportunities to other kids like him. He mobilized friends and neighbors to establish a library in a remote town near his family's home. Then, he worked with a student visiting from China to electrify the library with solar power.
After completing high school in 2015, Charles set his sights on college. He applied to several American universities, and was accepted to Silicon Valley Community College, with guaranteed transfer to UC Davis, to study sustainable design and construction management.
However, his visa was denied. Rather than feel sorry for himself, or wait another year to apply again, this young man decided to build an educational retreat center that would bring people from around the world to his community in Ghana.
Charles is working to pursue this dream with me, Ben, a strategy consultant, former Dartmouth admissions officer, and international education leader.
Charles has impressed me with his vision that transforms the nature of higher learning, having built a close relationship with him, his family, and his community over the past 13 years.
Constructing a Sustainable Education & Retreat Center called Sage
Now we’re building a sustainable education and retreat center in the scenic mountains of West Africa, nestled below a waterfall in the heart of a wildlife sanctuary. Charles has used his college fund, enough for the first couple of years of college in the US, to build a 12,000 square foot retreat and education center.
He hired young men and women from the community to provide the labor, and bought most of the construction materials from local businesses. Charles and dozens of community members have been developing new skills as they learn-by-doing under the mentorship of experts from Ghana, the US, and Canada.
This project, though not yet complete, is already changing lives. Charles has helped local workers save and invest in family businesses, send their daughters to school, and pay for long-deferred medical care. Upon completion of construction, the center will be home to an intimate retreat during the cool summer months.
The rest of the year, we are hosting educational programs to nurture young leaders, entrepreneurs, and artists. We dream that the physical space we are building becomes an incubator for global innovation and leadership, driven by the talent of the region.
Help Us Finish Construction
Unfortunately, Charles' college fund is now depleted and the house is not yet finished. So we need your support to achieve his inspiring vision to transform the future for his community. The money from his college fund has taken us so far, but there is still more work to be done.
We need $35,000 more to be able to open and operate the Sage Retreat Center at full capacity.
The money will be used to pay for materials and labor for the windows, doors, and the finishing of walls, floors, and ceilings. After we succeed with this phase, we will work towards sustainability enhancements like solar power and a rainwater catchment system.
Though I am based out of Boston, I, along with a team of mentors from Ghana, the US, and Canada are coordinating closely with Charles and his team and we will ensure all funds are sent directly and get used effectively towards this vision that is improving the lives of so many families in this community.
If our goal is met, we aim to complete construction by summer 2021, and will be ready to welcome international guests, should the hard work of Covid vaccine workers allow.
On behalf of the whole team, thank you very much for your support! Please help and share this campaign with friends and family. Let us rally behind Charles' dream to serve his community as he brings people together globally.
Organizer
Ben Schwartz
Organizer
Merrimack, NH