Getting Some Help

A while back I was informed that my cousin Mary Kate, a student at Prospect High School, was a member of an organizing committee for their charity organization the Knight's Way. She informed them that she had a relative serving at a technical school for high school age boys in Ghana, West Africa and that the school could use some assistance.

I was really suprised when I found out that the school had decided to help us. We are a private Catholic institution and they are a public high school. From what I gathered they really did play down the faith aspect of the situation, but thanks to the hard work and determination of Mary Kate it all worked out.

First thing I made sure to do was to send out some pictures of the school for the students to see what the place looked like. I decided that I wanted to try and get some new things for all of the different departments (Auto, Electricals, Building and Construction, and Carpentry). I wanted each department to buy some new textbooks to teach with and also to purchase some new tools for their practicals. I also wanted to put up white boards in all of our classrooms so the dusty blackboards that we could be rid of those nasty old blackboards.(Painted onto the wall BTW) I would also want to get some new things for the English classes as well, mainly dictionaries and text books.

Well, after a long while we received the money raised by the students, about $3,000. I was so excited to get to work and bring some new things to our students and teachers. I was also informed that three boxes of dry erase markers (for the white boards), dictionaries, and Knight's Way t- shirts were on there way to Ghana. I was so happy.

We immediately went out and bought the materials necessary to make the white boards and I divided the funds up between the four departments so that each department received nearly 600 Ghana Cedis. Over the next few weeks the department heads went about buying different tools, new text books, and making plans to begin new projects using parts of their money.

I was able to go and buy new English textbooks and a host of new reading books for the boys. They were all very excited to be receiving all of these things. I made it quite clear that it was all for them and no one else.

It wasn't until just recently that we received the materials shipped from the US since they were hung up in Accra with customs. Thanks to the National Catholic Service Center we were able to clear things up without any major problems.

All in all things went very successfully and the students are pleased with their new supplies and the teachers are glad to have some new resources for their lessons. We at the Skills Centre are so grateful for the generous gifts given by the students and staff of Prospect High School.

I would especially like to thank my cousin Mary Kate. Without her efforts none of this could have been possible. It is quite a rarity for a public school to donate to a Catholic one, but because of your determination to make a difference in the lives of these young men, Mary Kate, you made it happen! God Bless You!

Enjoy the pictures!