Stories from Mmofra Trom-Part one

Earlier we had our weekly meeting with all the teams, and received some great news in the financial update: we made just over $1,000 this week in sales from Homecoming/Parents' Weekend! It was such a positive note to begin the meeting on, which was followed by a pleasant surprise in the form of adviser and friend Diane Kellogg, who always inspires us with news, stories, and advice.

 Tonight was no different, and we were fortunate enough to hear a touching story about a time she went to Ghana and the school to show the kids pictures of the bracelets they made on the Mmofra Trom website. Diane said that the girls' eyes just light up with pride and excitement at the photos of their bracelets, reminding her how important it is for all the students to see how their hard work and enthusiasm for their futures is not in vain. Diane explained how seriously both the boys and the girls take the beads, because they know that raising the money to pay for their education is the key to a successful future. 

She described one Saturday she went to go watch the bead-stringing and was surprised to only see the girls present, so she went off in search of the boys, who turned out to be in the middle of the soccer game a short way away. Diane knew that despite the Ghanaian tradition of men making the beads and women painting/stringing them, the boys needed and wanted to share the work at the school equally. She shouted to the boys, "So who wants to go to high school?!" Just that, and the whole field of boys knew what she was taking about, and immediately forgot the game to run and help the girls, without the slightest hesitation or resentment. 

Stories like this one shared by people like Diane really bring forth a history and a connection to the children we are helping, and remind us that even from thousands of miles away, we have a mutually positive connection with the children at the Mmofra Trom school in Ghana.