Help out Ghana and my friend Alicia

Okay will my friend Alicia went to Ghana in 2007 and ever since she went there she has been trying to help the kids over there that were living in the orphanage. She has posted something on her blog about helping out the organization and donating money to help the children over there get an education. Now me being a teacher I am all about it however I cannot give that much money at this time - yes I know every little bit helps. So I thought I would help out by also posting her blog entry onto my blog. So that my friends that read my blog will maybe feel compelled to donate any money that they or just to pass it on to those who also like to donate to great causes..it is a new year and all!!!
So all the information that it typed in the red color is directly from Alicia's blog and is her story. Enjoy and maybe you could send a little cash their way.

I have felt moved to help the children from the Save Widows and Orphans Development Center (SWODC) orphanage in Ghana. They are in great need of help as they no longer have the security of SWODC, which was forced to close its doors in September 2008. Since that time, sixteen of the twenty-one orphans were sent back their small villages and to the guardians/relatives that brought them to the orphanage originally. These are the same people who could not afford to care for them originally and most likely can’t do so now. Their daily safety, nourishment, and education is of concern to us.Fortunately, an amazing American volunteer I met back in 2007 has established a US-based foundation to help the children. Josephine Hopkins and her husband Randy (also met him during first trip) established the Hopkins Foundation just this past summer to guarantee that the orphans from SWODC are fully cared for now and in the future. The Hopkins Foundation’s mission (http://www.hopkinsfoundation.org/) is to enroll each of the SWODC orphans into a local boarding school and support the children throughout their education (through high school and beyond). We feel boarding school is the best option for the children given Ghana’s poor public education system and their current lack of a permanent home or orphanage. Our hope is to raise the necessary funds for the children to return from their villages and enroll into a boarding school next September. Boarding school will not only provide them with the best education as possible in Ghana, but also a roof over their heads and three meals a day. The cost to enroll one child into boarding school for the entire year is around $800.00. This breaks down to less than $67.00 dollars a month, less than $2.25 a day. Yes, they can live safely and well for less than $2.25 a day! Can you help us make this a reality? Can you make a contribution (of any amount) to help these children return to a safe environment and give them a real opportunity in life?If you can support my mom's and my efforts in placing the SWODC children into boarding schools and providing them with a safe home, please make a tax-deductible donation to the Hopkins Foundation (http://www.hopkinsfoundation.org/) by mailing a check to Hopkins Foundation, PO Box 190192 Boise, ID 83719 (checks should be made out to Hopkins Foundation and include SWODC in the memo). *The option of donating online may be added to the website in the future. Again, any contribution amount would help and be appreciated greatly. Donations to the Hopkins Foundation can be made as one-time contributions, monthly donations, or you can choose to fully sponsor one of the children (call Hopkins Foundation, 208-890-1296, my mom, or me for more information).These children have touched our hearts. We have held their hands, listened to their sweet singing, felt their loving hugs, and dried their tears. My mom and I can’t turn our backs on them. They are great children, they are real and they need our help and your help! This is an opportunity to drastically change lives AND be able to see the impact of your giving. We will follow (and hopefully visit) these children throughout their journeys and provide updates on their progress here. We understand firsthand that times are uncertain. But we ask that you look deep into your heart and ask God for guidance to determine if this is an endeavor you can support now or in the future. Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference. There are so many good causes and charities, so many lives we can touch. Whether you are able to support us in this one or not, we hope that you are finding your own way to show your love and give. Most importantly, even if you aren’t able to help these children financially, your prayers can help tremendously. Please take a few minutes to pray that Bernice and these children be blessed with safety, happiness and love.SWODC Background:SWODC was formed in 2000 by Bernice Nunyuie, a local Ghanaian widow with a huge heart and faith in God. After losing her husband in an automobile accident, Bernice recognized the need to assist other widows in learning pertinent work skills in order for them to gain independence and care for their families. As Bernice began to help widows form co-ops for the local crafts they produced, she also became the community go-to person for widows needing assistance for their children. They would come to her asking for help with school fees, food, clothes or if really in need, they would ask her to take the children into her home. One-by-one, Bernice began to take in children that other women could no longer care for, as well as orphans that had been being taken care of by aunts, uncles, older siblings, and grandparents that needed her help.Eventually, SWODC officially formed. Over the past six years, Bernice has taken care of more than twenty children with minimal outside assistance. Bernice not only provided shelter for these children, but also ensured they received adequate meals, enrolled them into school, paid their school fees and made sure they were clothed. She also reached out to volunteer organizations in the area to have volunteers come to the orphanage to help mentor and play with the children, which is how Alicia came to meet this wonderful woman and the children. Bernice has been a tremendously selfless person, giving up her life and taking in these children. Over the past six years, she has struggled daily with the stress and concern over where the money will come from to continue to care for the kids. Sadly, after years of putting others’ needs before her own and struggling to make ends meet, the burden has become too great and Bernice is no longer able to financially care for these children. In addition, she has developed several chronic health conditions. While we were in Ghana this past August/Sept, a number of major and unforeseen obstacles were presented to Bernice in a very short time-frame and unfortunately SWODC’s security quickly evaporated. Due to decreasing finances and the end of her lease, Bernice had no other option than relocate to a smaller home and send the children back to their guardians if they had any. Five of the children have remained with Bernice because they have no where else to go. Bernice is trying to stay updated on the other sixteen children, but they are spread far out and due to her current health issues she is unable to travel much.Bernice has done it on her own for quite a while, but now she and these twenty-one children are in need of help. My mom and I can only do so much on our own as well, we don't have enough to give them all the security and safety they so deserve. So that is why we have humbled ourselves and are reaching out to you to ask for help. Please consider contributing to the Hopkins Foundation at http://www.hopkinsfoundation.org/ If you are interested in supporting Bernice in her current efforts to care for the children in her house, please contact me directly.
These children have touched our hearts. My mom and I can’t turn our backs on them. They are great children, they are real and they need our help and your help! This is an opportunity to drastically change lives AND be able to see the direct impact of your giving. We will follow (and hopefully visit) these children throughout their journey and provide updates on their progress on my fundraising blog www.myghanaexperience.blogspot.com. We understand firsthand that times are uncertain. But we ask that you look deep into your heart and ask God for guidance to determine if this is an endeavor you can support now or in the future. Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.