Orphanage Outreach

Hi! Our names are Laura, Marleigh, Mary Beth, & Claire. We are currently volunteering in Kasoa, Ghana at an orphanage that doubles as a local school named Virgin Kid's Academy. The school is a permanent home for around 35 kids who are either orphans or come from difficult home situations. During the week, it is a free school for around 250 local children who could not otherwise afford any education. The region is very poor, and many of the kids eat their only meal of the day at school. While it is providing a much needed service in the area, there is a lot it could still use to continue providing these children with a home and a free education. One of the most basic, yet pressing needs is to have running water installed in the school. Currently, the kids who live there make several trips to the local well each day to fetch water used for basic daily activities (to bathe, brush teeth, cook, wash dishes, etc). It costs about 1000 cedis ( roughly $240) to install. To maintain, it costs 300 cedis /month (approx. $70/month). Our goal is to be able to install and pay for at least one year of clean water. If enough money is raised, we would also love to create an outreach program where we test all the kids at the school (and other members of the local community who would not be able to afford the care otherwise) for malaria, and treat other contagious skin conditions (like ringworm) that are currently an issue in the community. Examples of the cost for such tests/ care are as follows:Malaria test kits- 0.75 cents per test strip Malaria treatment- $8 per person (in uncomplicated cases)Wound cleanser- $4 per bottle Antifungal cream- $5 per tubeAntibiotic cream- $5 per tube Gloves- $20 per boxGauze-$2 per rollFirst aid kits- $36 Any amount of money will greatly help out our cause and we thank you in advance for supporting the school!