Frank's Story

I am Tetteh Frank. I am a 17 year old boy who happens to attend school at Anmchara Senior High School in the Dangme East District of Accra, Ghana. Actually I want to share some of the hardships I faced as a young boy.

To start with, I was born in a small village called Agorkpo in the Dangme East District of Greater Accra in Ghana. I was born to one Madam Doris Hernu and Master Wisdom Tekper. As a mother of two, my mother as I was told, disowned me 6 months after I was born. All evidence says I was cared for by my lovely grandmother who happens to be deaf. My father was working at the District Hospital so he had to go and gather some money because he was a mere gateman at that time. He was not given enough money so it took the intervention of my auntie to assist my father in taking care of me .

My auntie was not having the time to stay by my side because she was working at the city so she tried her possible best to visit my grandmother every weekend to ensure that we are doing well. I stayed with my grandmother from the year 1995 to 2000 when my auntie had to take me to the city in Accra. I continued my education at a school called Seed and Harvest Academy. I was admitted to primary two for that matter.

All this time I thought my auntie was my real mother because she was with me at the time my mother was away. As time went on my auntie had been advising me to learn hard and take my education seriously. I listened to the advice she had given me because she was my mother as I took it. One day as my auntie was having her morning devotion around 4:30, she called me to join her in prayers. Immediately after the prayers she said she would like to have a word with me. Before she started, she shed tears because it was very difficult to say the words she wanted to say. She then started by narrating who my mother was and the reasons why she left me at that tender age. She then told me that my mother is a type who doesn’t like working. For that matter, even after she was addressed for not doing the right thing, she still decided to leave our house.  

Later after my auntie finished the discussion, I burst into bitter tears because my mother was alive and did not make any effort to care for me. I cried for almost a week and nothing could be done about it. I was pampered and decided not to eat anything.  I was very furious and promised to do everything I could to please my grandmother and my auntie for the good care they gave me.

As I grew a little older, my father thought it wise to have me attend Anmchara Senior High School and be closer to him. I am very grateful to all those who took the trouble upon themselves to make me who I am today.

Heyya Mum,

So it's the first day of spring in Lebanon (truly wish I could be there for this)!

Maybe this time last year wasn't the best as you may recall, but check out how teta's library is shaping up now! You can decrypt my message to you by using the letters in the pix to fill in the blanks below :)
_ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _

Tip: Careful, the second word has 8 and not 7 letters!

Lovyduvduv,
Dima

P.S: Do you approve of my haircut by the way?

Mabel's Story

I am Kwao Mabel, born and bred in Sega where A.I.S is located. Initially, I didn’t know how to read and write but since the existence of Anmchara International School, I have been able to read and write till date. Even with this, it hasn’t been easy at all for me.

My father died at my tender age and he left us with no will. He went to bed one night and the next morning, he didn’t wake up anymore. He just passed away without saying even a goodbye. My mother had to sell porridge so she could get money to pay my school fees from the primary level to the J.H.S level. Sometimes, I had to absent myself from school to search for firewood and sell in order to get money to buy some story books and text books since there was no library in the school. 

 

I woke up one morning to go to school. I went to my mother for my feeding fees and she said she had no money on her that day. Honestly, I was filled with sorrow as soon as I heard that from my mother. But then, a thought came to my mind and I said to myself “look Mabel, you are someone who is going to make it in life and who will change the story of ‘we are born to live in abject poverty’ only if you work hard at it through education”. I decided to go to the school and learn from morning till closing with an empty stomach. It wasn’t easy. 

Also sometimes, my mother had to use the little money she has to buy books and she would go hungry. I had to go to school barefoot because my mother thought the shoes I put on will not make me pass my exams. She’d prefer buying books for me rather than buying shoes.

With hope in God, I finished JHS with the first batch and we came out with good aggregates. My mother could no longer help me further my education due to financial problems. I prayed to God to help me because with Him, all things are possible.

With God being so good, the school’s generosity and the help of some of the volunteers, I was sent to one of the best secondary schools because by then, Anmchara SHS was not yet established. I had to search for firewood and sell in order to get money to buy my necessary requirements. Soon after, Anmchara’s SHS was established, so I stopped the first school and I came back to this school because I love it. I am proud to be graduating from here, Sega.

Written by Mabel Kwao.

Sam's Story

I was born at Bedeku-Ada on the 8^th day of December 1992 and grew up to the age of five only to know that my father died when I was two years old. At the age of five, my uncle who was a doctor and was living in Accra, asked my mother to allow me to go and stay with him in Adenta. My mother agreed and I went with him.

Life with my uncle in Adenta seemed very pleasing and comfortable to me as I started my kindergarten and basic education at Immanuel Presby School in Madina. I had no problem with my education and was very happy because my uncle promised to provide me with education up to the university when he realized I was doing well in my academics. My uncle passed away when I was in class six and there, the sad part of my life full of difficulties and challenges began.

During and after the funeral of my uncle, the family and his wife had a conflict and so after we went back from Ada to Adenta his wife told us to leave the house. My sister who was with me and Ernest in the house had to go and stay with her friend while Ernest and I went to stay with our eldest brother at Abokobi.

Life with my brother at Abokobi was very difficult since he had no good job and was having a family with Ernest and I to cater for. He was a driver of another person’s vehicle and at times the vehicle would get spoilt for about two to three weeks still at repairs. During that time, life was very difficult that at times even what to eat was a problem. He was not able to afford my education and so I didn’t have an effective education. Many in my school started seeing me as a truant and late comer since I had to depend on the free bus for students from the government before I could make it to school. Things moved from bad to worse when my brother lost his job. At times, I had to go and come back from school with an empty stomach. Sometimes, if my brother is not back from town, I had to go to the bush in search of mangoes to eat as I waited for him. Considering this, I had to contact my elder brothers who were at Ada for support. God willing, they gave something to our sister who brought it to us. Also, Ernest who had completed Junior High School at that time joined my brother’s friend who was a mason and went to work with him. From these, though they couldn’t afford my fees, we had something to live on. At least we had something to eat.

During these challenges, I put my hope in God and prayed to Him to let me complete my J.H.S. education. Things rather went opposite my prayer when I was sacked from school to go and bring my student fees. But He who answers the prayers of His children at the right time answered my prayer after about a week when I was in the house. One of my mates who was at Abokobi with me came and told me that our J.H.S. headmistress had personally paid my fees to the school. I was told that I should come back to the school. Through that and the grace of He who is the good shepherd, I was able to complete my J.H.S.  education. Before I wrote my B.E.C.E. due to lack of counseling from my family, I had to choose the schools on my own. When the B.E.C.E. results came, I passed and had placement at Adonten Senior High at Aburi. Considering the problem we were facing at Abokobi, my brothers decided that I should rather have my secondary education at Ada.

We went to Ada senior high for placement and I was asked to go for my testimonial in addition to a transfer from the education office. We did all these only to realize at the last moment that the school was not offering business. My going to Astech and back to Adonten was to no avail when I noticed placement in that year was over. My placement at Adonten had been given to another person. I was filled with sorrow because I had to stay in the house for a year without going to school, but all that was God’s plan for me. The next year when the 2010 J.H.S. graduates were going for placement, I went to the education office for mine. There, I was told for a second time that I didn’t come on time and so I should wait for another year. Considering how prayerful I was to God about my going to school and that situation, I was filled with sorrow and weeped to him bitterly.

My brothers, who were intelligent but due to lack of support couldn’t further up their education, didn’t want David, Ernest and I to be like them.  They didn't want me to stay in the house for two years without schooling. This is how we got to Anmchara and even still there are many challenges. My brother Gabriel Sabbah has been like an angel God has given us.

Although he is living with his wife and four children, who are all schooling, he manages to give us something for food, clothes and our education from the little income he makes. The car he is using for work is for our cousin and so the income he makes in addition to David’s monthly salary alone cannot satisfy his family, our mother and us. Due to this, we have to engage ourselves in farming in order to get something to pay for our fees and for our necessities.

Considering the condition though, what to eat now is not a problem by God’s grace. But at times, we need to quit school and go to the farm to work in order to afford our fees and remain in school. Also walking in and out to school makes me feel very tired that I find it difficult to wake up early.

This is my story till date. However, I know that the past is in the past, so I will now concentrate on the future because I have given my life to God. His word makes it known to us that He makes a way where there is no way. He also tells us that there is time for everything and that He knows what is right for us. He knows Anmchara is better for me than any other school, that is why I am here. I also know since there is a time for everything, my time will also come and that I have a better life to live in Him.

Written by Samuel Addy Sabbah