Update

Heyy Heyy Heyy!

Here's an update of what I've been doing over here in Africa....

School has reopened for the year, so the students are entering a new grade. This means, new supplies, text books, school fees, and uniforms.

Mercy Foundation has been helping out as many needy children as we can, by helping to supply them with the things their parents and caretakers can't afford to buy for them. Mostly this means notebooks, textbooks, uniforms, pens, pencils, art supplies, and school fees.

We have 86 former street children that we are supporting, and this year we have taken on several other very needy children. Some of these kids are orphans, and have no one to help them with their schooling. Others are just really, really, poor. Life's hard over here, but we believe the only answer to poverty is education, so we are doing all we can to help sustain these kid's in their education. If not for us, then most of them would have dropped out of school, to work in the streets instead to find some way of making money.

Other than working with the street children, I have resumed teaching my ICT lessons. I currently have two very loyal and smart JHS students who come to my class three days a week. Some days I don't feel like taking the two taxis to get there in the afternoons, but then I remember that these kids are WALKING those 4 miles, after a day of school. I'm teaching them the basics, including typing, hardware, software, word processing, and recently, the internet. I showed them email, and they created email accounts. They LOVED it! Tomorrow we're opening facebook accounts, and they are soo excited. They've heard about facebook but haven't seen it yet. It should be fun!

I have been utilizing my Accounting degree and have been keeping Mercy Foundation's financial records. (For the first time in their history!) We know have monthly reports, bank recs, purchase reqs, petty cash, and... RECEIPTS! Receipts are hard to come by over here, and its soo tedious, but I make them do it. I've also created a database of every one of our beneficiaries with all their information.We've hired a new employee, and we are operating out of an office. We even have a signboard!

I also found out today that I have received the money from my PEPFAR proposal for the Know Your Status Beach Bash Concert. Now that I have the money I can FINALLY really start planning it. I am going to have it the weekend after Thanksgiving, because of World Aids Day on December 1st. I met with my Ghanaian counterparts today and they are so excited and ready to hit the ground running. After so much talking about it, and writing the grant, and waiting, it's finally time for some action!

I will be heading up to the Northern Regions of Ghana in a couple weeks for a National Counsel on HIV/AIDS Relief (NCHAR) meeting. I am the co-chair for this group, so I'm helping to plan the meeting. After we have the meeting, I'll be doing a little sightseeing (for once!) and going to Mole National Park, the biggest, nicest wildlife reserve in Ghana. They have elephants so hopefully I'll get to see some! From there I'll go to a Monkey Sancuary, a monastery, a Hippo Sanctuary, and a Crocodile Pond. (All in the Northern area) All this before finally heading to Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region for a big Peace Corps Halloween/ my 25th Birthday party!!!!

Then it's back to the beach to plan my concert. Life's hard... :)