Back to school is worldwide! As the children in your lives enter a new school year, ours do too.
We’re excited to share some of the recent milestones achieved by our Mako students. For Mako children, going to school is a privilege that would be impossible without the support of donors like you. EveryChild is our program that supports primary school students, and Scholar Collective, our program that funds youth who are academically able to attend secondary or vocational training schools.
For Mako students, being in school is more than development and future economic opportunity.
Their education reduces child labor, improves health outcomes, decreases sexual assault and abuse occurrences, and increases the likelihood of a child in great danger to seek help from classmates and teachers alike.
In rural Ghana, it is common for children to be absent from school for months or even years at a time in order to contribute to family income. That’s why every milestone is a celebration at Mako. From learning to read and write to progressing with each grade, these milestones were once unfathomable. We’re excited to share some of our program highlights with you – after all, it is the children’s efforts and your support that makes this possible. Â
Program Highlights
EveryChild Collective
Children in the EveryChild Collective get to participate in our after-school tutoring program to enhance their academic comprehension, gain individualized learning support, and learn from Mako’s community of advocates. Our Academic Excellence Program (AEP) helps set our kids up for personal and academic growth, including end of year exams that determine grade advancement and secondary school placements.
Give a round of applause to Selina and Tadi; two of our students have graduated from Junior High School. Secondary School or Vocational Training is the next step in their advancement.
Scholar Collective
Youth in our Scholar Collective program gain access to funding for high school or vocational programs. To earn a Scholarship via Scholar Collective, these esteemed children must showcase academic ability, commitment and exemplary behavior. These scholars undergo life readiness trainings hosted by Mako to prepare them for life beyond our home. In Ghana, Secondary School and Vocational School are often hours away from home and operated with on campus boarding.
In the last 5 years, we have had 21 students progress to Secondary and Vocational schooling – that is remarkable considering less than 5% of children in this region reach this milestone due to: lack of academic ability, early pregnancy, child labor and financial restraints.
Congrats to Esinam, Elizabeth and Shadrack, three children who have worked relentlessly to catch up academically, advance their abilities and progress to Secondary and Vocational training!
Programs in Progress
Life readiness are programs dedicated to preparing Mako children for independence. These programs will be made available to the communities and families we serve in our years ahead; for when knowledge is made accessible, we all advance.
Financial Literacy
If money was rare, and tomorrow’s earning was never guaranteed, living day by day is a sensible survival skill. If inflation rate is 50%+ and banks are exclusive to economic hubs, saving and gaining financial management skills can be difficult. Many of the families and children we serve live for the day, not knowing what tomorrow will bring. Our team is preparing a financial literacy workshops to build fundamental concepts on money management that help our youth practice good financial habits and budgeting practices for their future. Programs like this are critical for children who are not only breaking poverty cycles, but expected to support their family members who are trapped in them.
Women Empowerment
The word ‘rape’ is rarely used in rural Ghana, because rape culture accepts sexual assault and abuse as part of life. While Ghanaian women and men are changing this reality incrementally, we know first-hand how heart-breaking the social injustices are for our girls. Family planning and medical check-ups for STDs has become a part of our programming – this is out of necessity. Knox Odumah, our Executive Director, has courageously intervened via legal and protective action for several of our girls in recent years. The first-hand experiences, interventions and gaps in education have forced our advancement in women’s empowerment workshops like never before – both men and women are coming together to protect the young girls in the community. We have just begun to advance these programs, and already they are making strides for both our girls, and those watching.
Story Spotlight
We recently had Evans, a former Mako student, share his story of survival, school and hope in a recent blog post. It’s children like Evans that inspire us. His story is a reminder of how the trajectory of a child's life can change. How every child deserves to be nurtured and supported at every stage of growth; and what children can do with that hope. We are so proud to be part of Evan’s journey and hope you enjoy reading his story, in his own words.Â
Event Announcement
If you are around Los Angeles or Ventura County, join us for our 1st Annual Mako Halloween Ball!
Thursday, October 17th 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM in Westlake Village, CA
All proceeds go to Mako’s Children & Programming
You’ll discover how a little help can protect vulnerable lives and inspire children to pursue their dreams. We have an evening of dancing, drinks, food and fun for everyone with a children’s center onsite!
Can’t come but want to get involved with fundraising and future events?
Email Mako’s US President, cassie@makochildren.org
It is a privilege for us to support the growth of these children, and that would not be possible without your support. We truly enjoy connecting with each of you - if we won’t see you at the Halloween Ball, we hope to connect with you soon.
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With gratitude,
The US Board.
How to Support Mako Children
Every dollar counts in providing continuous care for our kids. Become a member of our EveryChild and Scholar Collectives, make a one-time donation or get involved as a volunteer or board member today.
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