german
frenchTraining Centre for Benefit Deprived Children in Kissi
(BAOBAB Children Foundation e.V.)
In 2003 a training centre for deprived children and youths was started in Kissi, a small place not far from the historic Ghanaian town of Cape Coast on the Atlantic Ocean.
It all started in 2001 when Edith de Vos, from Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, a Waldorf school teacher in early retirement, who was doing a two-year stint of voluntary teaching at Kissi's Oxford Preparatoty School, set up BAOBAB Children Foundation as an NGO. Since then, as the only German to do so, she has been living locally, finding her own funding.
Witnessing the great number of deprived children and youths of the region she decided to establish BAOBAB Children Foundation and the BAOBAB School for Trades and Traditional Arts (BASTRATAA) seeking to offer nonformal education and training to young children that are illiterate, living on the streets, AIDS orphans and engaged in child labour.
Construction of workshops and related buildings to house the boarding school has been going on in several stages since 2005, always fully funded by donations. In 2005 there was a simple building that was finished containing workshops for wood carving, batik work, weaving, wickerwork, and carpentry. In 2006 there were added a school kitchen, a rainwater reservoir as well as a girls' dormitory. For 2007, there are plans for sanitation facilities, a greenhouse and a workshop for batik work and sewing, as well as a library building. After that, a boys' dormitory, another building to house additional school rooms, a potter's workshop and a handicrafts room are being envisaged.
One of the main objectives of the institution is to reduce illiteracy. As the children and youths have not been able to attend school or only insufficiently so, they have to be introduced to such cultural and artistic skills as normally taught at school. They learn to read, write, do arithmetic as well as practical skills in handicrafts and artisan's work. Thus a wide range of artistic as well as practical basic skills is being provided to facilitate later training for a job. At the same time all pupils are introduced to organic farming on the school farm.This farm also provides healthy food to be used in the school kitchen as well as contributing to the upkeep of the school by offering vegetables, mushrooms and fish for sale.
Moneys needed at present
- for construction of sanitation facilities: 8,600 euros
- for starting library: 5,000 euros
You receive closer informations about this group:
www.baobab-children-foundation.de