Since 2008, Children Inspiring Hope has connected over 8,000 students in Canada, Ghana, West Africa, and the United States. We have collaborated with over 250 educators in more than 35 schools, and built lasting relationships in the communities in which we work.
The reach of our work expands outside the classroom as students create and participate in service projects that better countless lives in Ghana and beyond.
In our almost 15 years of operation, we have been inspired by the efforts of the students we work with.
It is humbling and profound to see the impact these young people can make on the lives of others.
These efforts are compassion in action, and allow schools and students to take their deepened understanding and work toward sustainable change. By active engagement and generosity, they are empowered as global citizens who can, and do, make a difference.
Three new school rooms have been built and went into use in 2020. This project took two and a half years from community meeting in October of 2017, and completion. CIH provided the materials, and the community provided most of the labor.
We installed a borehole and pump at the EP Primary Ho-Bankoe campus which provides clean water to 600 students and faculty. We’ve also installed one at Atortroy Farm, our Farm to Feed.
The Empty Bowl Dinner project has been running for 9 years. Students at St. Andrew’s School, in Savannah Georgia create ceramic bowls, which are used to raise funds which have provided thousands of meals, access to clean water and the purchase of .25 acres of farm land.
Most of our schools have raised money we have used to provide 300 filtration systems to families in Ghana. Waterborne illnesses are down 40% in the communities we are aiding.
The scholarship program, which has helped more than 80 Ghanaian children, was initially entirely funded by the efforts of U.S. students, who raised money, hosted bake sales, emptied piggy banks, did chores and gave Bar Mitzvah money to help their peers in West Africa.
We partnered with EVCOAfrica, Inc to provide the EP Primary Ho-Bankoe community with a computer lab and a second computer lab for EP Primary Sokode-Bagble. Community elders, leaders, local Chiefs and Queen Mothers were on hand to celebrate this international collaboration.
8th graders at the Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia raised over $4,500 in just 6 weeks to fund the building a well in Rumara Village in Rwanda, giving 408 people access to clean drinking water.
We bring books relating to the themes of our exchanges and provide these to schools in Ghana. We have also had many classes from the U.S. schools hold their own book drives, allowing us to also contribute the story books that the teachers in Ghana request for their students.
From medical supplies for local hospitals, donated by Medshare, to partnering with a local nurse to provide basic hygiene, health and first aid talks and basic first aid supplies to our schools. Children need to be well to learn and thrive.
Students at St. Andrew’s School in Savannah, Georgia raised money through school bake sales to send their peers at EP Primary Ho-Bankoe to Tagbo Falls as part of the environmental water focus of the exchange to see an area preserved in pristine beauty.
“I will remember the impact on my life from CIH that most. This made me think differently on the world and now act towards the world.”
“Every time I watched the video and talked about them my heart grew 3x bigger. ”
“I will remember seeing their smiles. Seeing their happy face just make me feel so good inside. I love to see how much the kids in Ghana treasure what we made. ”
“I will remember how connected I felt seeing them hold something I did. ”
“I feel that everyone is now connected to me in some way. ”
“I would say that this has really helped me feel like I have a purpose in others lives. ”
“It really makes me feel like a global citizen because it’s not every day you get to make a friend with someone half way across the world. ”
“I feel powerful and happy that I am a global citizen. ”
“Being a global citizen means I can help other when they need it. I can also inspire others, and set and example. ”
“I see now that recycling isn’t enough. I realize we just can’t say, “I will do something better for the environment,” I have to go and do it. ”
“This has changed my views by making me realize we ned to make a much better decision on how we treat the Earth. ”
“It has changed my actions. Since I learned how long it takes plastic to fall apart, I am going to try to not use it a lot or throw it away. ”
