by Isaac Darkwah Akromah,
Ghana Director
Dumakyi village is isolated and characterized with scattered mud houses. It is a farming community which has settlers from the Northern region of Ghana who came to settle in the village to be caretakers and laborers on farms. The village is about an hour walking distance through the bush from Ankaase.
Dumakyi has no electricity and the only social amenity in this village is an elementary school, which is the heart of the village. The school serves as a converging point for villagers.
School children cross rivers to attend school. Some teachers walk and others ride on cycles to school. “Now the day is over, night is drawing nigh, shadows of the evening still across the sky.” These are the words on the lips of students as they close from school. They go home, not to have the leisure and pleasure like other children in the big towns and cities, but they walk long distances back home to have the company of their family. Their best comrades on the long walks are the chirping of birds at day and the breeze from rivers at night.
Students do not have electricity to learn at night. They depend on the moonbeam and one torch for the whole family to do their assignments from school. This negatively affected the students in their education. Upon this need of the students in the Dumakyi village, First Baptist Church (Tulsa, Oklahoma) through Rising Village Foundation has helped brighten up the village.
On September 25, 2014, we distributed to the students and villagers of Dumakyi solar lanterns to help students learn at night. These solar lanterns were purchased with funds raised by First Baptist Church children and their families during their summer Vacation Bible School. The purpose of the lanterns is to help students learn and do their assignments at night.
It was a thrilling moment for the villagers when each received their solar lantern.
Dumakyi has been brightened. Students now have hope. Their future has been brightened. Now, students can learn and do the assignments at night. This is such a great experience!
On behalf of the people of Dumakyi and on behalf of Rising Village Foundation, I say thank you to First Baptist Church and to all donors who keep on supporting the dream and giving hope to village families. We say “Medaase”, which means Thank you!
