Tools for Schools Africa Foundation: The Damongo Project - Alberta Schools helping African children

Special Thanks

With Sincere Thanks from TFS-Africa Fdn.

The successes of Tools for Schools Africa are directly attributable to the many individuals, families, businesses and service clubs who have supported the project with their enthusiasm, gifts in kind and dollars. We especially thank donors such as The Rotary Club of Edmonton South, Debbie Weiers, The Wild Rose Foundation and Nossack Fine Meats who continue to support each project on an ongoing basis. We wish to thank our awesome webmaster Sandy Stepien who designed this website and continues to keep you informed of ongoing TFS-A activities and updates. In an age of communication and internet, this is one of our most valued contributions. The local media have been very supportive in getting our story out, and we thank The Red Deer Advocate, The Red Deer Express and many local district newspapers. Small donations are our "bread and butter" and we value the thought behind each and every donation. The coins collected by ALG Elementary kids and the many $20 dollar family donations have all helped move the projects forward. As well as the unbelievable support from those mentioned above, there are a few outstanding donors that must be recognized on each project.

Project #1: School Resources and Teacher Training 2006-2007

- Ingrid and Karsten Nossack of Nossack Fine Meats, Red Deer stepped forward to offer warehouse space for storage of books prior to shipment. This donation was one of the most important for Project #1 to get started.

- Seven Alberta Schools districts donated used school supplies and books to the schools in Northern Ghana. More than 66,000 pounds of supplies were delivered directly to more than 50 schools in the Northern Region. The largest contributors were Red Deer Public Schools, Red Deer Catholic Regional District, Chinook's Edge School District, Wolf Creek School District and Lethbridge School District. Resources came to us from as far away as an elementary school in Cutknife, Saskatchewan and high school students in New York and California.

- Catholic Diocese of Damongo helped us get the shipment through the port and inland, donated warehouse space in Damongo, and supported us in ways too numerous to mention. We wish to recognize the efforts of all the people in the Diocese and in particular Bishop Philip Naameh, Father Lazarus Annyereh and Susie Zook. Laz was our go-to guy. Whatever needed solving, Laz could solve. Susie was our email link to Damongo. She worked out innumerable details and found answers to many questions. She also delivered resources to many schools in the NR on our behalf. Thanks Susie!

- The Andy Buruma Family donated one container and helped us with the logistics of the shipment. Bruce assisted us in his role with the Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools.

- Shirley Gremyachev and Universal Aide were of great help in getting the international component of shipping in place. Their $6,800 donation was also greatly appreciated.

- Employees of Alberta Treasury Branch supplied and ﬁlled backpacks for about 150 girls. The school supplies and toiletry items were greatly appreciated.

- Knox Presbyterian Church donated $8,000 toward the project. As special thanks to Barb Cormack for her efforts to make this happen.

- Libraries of Central Alberta, and Edmonton Public Library donated hundreds of used books.

- The Rotary Club of Edmonton South donated $8,000. They have been our strongest supporter over the years. Norm must have a master's degree in form ﬁlling-and-ﬁling! Thanks to all club members for their dedication to this project.

- Gord Bontje was our largest personal donor. There were many other individuals too numerous to mention, but we would also like to acknowledge the support of Red Deer RCMP who donated bicycles and RDC who donated used sports equipment. As well we wish to thank the Red Deer Advocate CHCA TV and Red Deer Express for ongoing media coverage.

Project #2: Teaching Seminars in Damongo, Summer 2008

The biggest donors on this project were the volunteer teaching staff (in order of appearance below): Jean Mudd, Marilyn Pottage, Cathy and Doug Sather, Marilyn Ganger. All donated their time and paid their own expenses to Damongo. The letters and words of appreciation from the ﬁne African teachers we worked with made it all worthwhile!

Funds donated to purchase books were most appreciated. Over $22,000 of books were distributed to Northern Region teachers, many of which were manuals on how to teach English, Math and Science. Once again Rotary Club of Edmonton South and Debbie Weiers stepped forward as did the Alberta Teachers Association. Many individuals donated $20 to buy a manual with a message of well wishes inside the front cover. The teachers were very touched by this personal act of caring and generosity. We wish to acknowledge in particular donations from Scott Builders, Loretta Mykytyshyn, Tisdale County Enterprises, Dick Huddleston, Gail Wilson and her grandchildren, Jennifer Stange, Ron & Mary Fath, Les Filles de Jesus and Ralph & Phyllis Ward. Thanks also to Kathy Knowles who sold us some of her ﬁne Ghanaian books at cost and to MacMillan International who shipped books directly from London to Accra, AND got them through the port.

On this project we began to set up a scholarship selection committee and began selecting girls to attend junior high and senior high school. The scholarships were in the amount of $180 to $800 per year, and were mostly funded by smaller donations and the WildRose Foundation. In some cases the scholarship included room and board.

Project #3: The Paper Project, September2008 to November 2009

The Paper Project took fewer dollars than our other projects, but it took more effort on the part of fewer individuals. Our goal was to get charitable status in both Canada and Ghana, and also to make sure all scholarship funds were in place at the schools the girls would be attending.

Of greatest help on this project were legal advisers Brian McNairn and Michael Keyes. Both helped us get applications completed and ﬁled at the provincial and federal levels. First we were incorporated in the province of Alberta, then we received Canadian charitable status as of July 1, 2009. The Canadian Board of Directors include Cindy Jefferies, Marilyn Ganger, Marsha Smalley, Michael Keyes, Jean Mudd, Cathy Sather, Lois Tallas, Gary Pottage and Marilyn Pottage.

The Ghanaian registration was challenging simply because of distances. Many thanks to Brian Levitt, Frank and Nancy Cosway, Noble Donkor, Lydia Ajono and Francisca Amoako for their help in the registration process. Our registration was completed in Nov. 2009. Noble, Francisca and Lydia are Ghanaian directors on the Board of Tools For Schools Africa Society. We appreciate their dedication, dogged persistence, willingness and expertise in getting things done!

Project #4: Addition to St. Anne's Boarding House, Damongo

We are presently working toward building an addition at this facility in May and June of 2010. With your help, we have raised enough money to proceed with the basic project (see Proﬁle page for details).

The largest donor to Project #4 is Debbie Weiers, a ﬁne lady who understands how an education can change a life, a family, a community and the future. As well we wish to once again thank Norm Dueck and the Rotary Club of Edmonton South for their ongoing support. Several individuals from that club have supported us personally, and in particular we wish to thank Ron and Mary Fath. We are pleased that the Kiwanis Club of Red Deer has donated $5,000. The Wild Rose Foundation of Alberta has once again helped us with funds for scholarships. Of course there are too many donors to mention individually, but you know who you are.

One of the biggest thank you's has to go to Stuart Morgan who was our contact with Architects Without Borders Canada. Stuart introduced us to Kelley and her students at the University of Manitoba. They will be traveling to Damongo in May to offer on site expertise and some muscle for this project, and we certainly look forward to working with them.

We are very fortunate indeed to know many of our donors personally, allowing us the opportunity to update them on TFS-A Fdn. projects regularly. How rewarding it is to meet someone in the coffee shop who says, “Keep me in mind next time you have a speciﬁc need.” We feel very accountable to every donor and welcome every opportunity to explain how your donor dollars are spent. Education is the best way girls can overcome a life of subjugation and grinding poverty, and move toward a life in which they are the controllers of their own destinies. As Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mine worker can become head of the mine, that the child of farm workers can become head of a nation.” As well as adding beds at the Boarding House for 24 more girls to attend junior high school, Tools for Schools Africa Fdn. will be doubling the number of girls on scholarship to approximately 28 girls for the 2010-2011 school year.

As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Once again, thank you for your interest in and commitment to Tools for Schools Africa Foundation.