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Join Us in Educating Young Girls

Join Us in Educating Young Girls in Tamale, Ghana

Happy New Year! I pray that you and your loved ones are well and that this new year will be a blessed one. As our missionaries working throughout Africa begin another year of ministry and outreach to those in need, you can rest assured that you will continue to be remembered in their daily prayers. They are continually praying for friends and benefactors like you who make their work possible . . . for without your support, they could do very little!

As you know, the Missionaries of Africa work to provide food, water, clothing, medicine, shelter, pastoral care and education to low income and poor men, women and children throughout Africa. In particular, though, if we see an injustice that needs to be addressed — a situation in which individuals are being deprived of basic life necessities, especially education — we do all within our power to help bring change for those who are suffering.

"When you educate a girl, you educate a generation!"

Brigham Young

Happy New Year! I pray that you and your loved ones are well and that this new year will be a blessed one. As our missionaries working throughout Africa begin another year of ministry and outreach to those in need, you can rest assured that you will continue to be remembered in their daily prayers. They are continually praying for friends and benefactors like you who make their work possible . . . for without your support, they could do very little!

As you know, the Missionaries of Africa work to provide food, water, clothing, medicine, shelter, pastoral care and education to low income and poor men, women and children throughout Africa. In particular, though, if we see an injustice that needs to be addressed — a situation in which individuals are being deprived of basic life necessities, especially education — we do all within our power to help bring change for those who are suffering.

One missionary in particular who is working to help those in need is Sr. Margaret Kibola. As a member of our sister-congregation, the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, Sr. Margaret lives and works in Tamale, in northern Ghana in West Africa. There, she is the headmistress of the St. Charles Lwanga School — a primary and secondary school that educates nearly 800 boys and girls. And in a country where more than one third of women do not receive an adequate education — the ongoing work of educating young girls is critical!

Unfortunately, though, the challenges the Sisters face in their work of educating children are becoming overwhelming. Sr. Margaret explains this in her letter.

Educating Young Girls in Tamale, Ghana

Educating Young Girls in Tamale, Ghana

“The aim of the Sisters is to improve the quality of education of children from the surrounding villages,” she writes. “But while we have nearly 800 students, we only have 18 classrooms. This means that each classroom has between forty and fifty students in it. We are so overcrowded! But parents continue to come to ask if we can enroll their children in the school. Since we are beyond capacity, it has been impossible. Because of our limited facilities, we simply do not have the room. I am hoping, though, that you can help us change that.”

“There are so many children here who need education,” Sr. Margaret continues. “Education is essential if they are going to be able to find jobs and break free from the poverty that consumes so many families.”

“Right now, some of our classes meet under trees outside — simply because there isn’t enough room. Our hope is to build three new cement block buildings that will provide additional classroom space. New classrooms will also allow us to enroll more students. What a difference this will make in so many lives!”

“The students’ parents are willing to provide the labor for the construction, but we still need funds to purchase the building materials. I hope you can help us.”

As I read Sr. Margaret’s letter, I thought about the quote that I shared with you earlier. Educating young women — women who share in the creation and nurturing of life — does in fact play a crucial role in the education of an entire generation. With this in mind, educating our children — especially young girls — is something that we cannot turn away from.

There are several ways you can help ensure that children get the education they need and deserve. In your own community, you could volunteer to help as a teacher’s aide or library assistant. Helping out at your local school, just a few hours a week could be a great benefit to both teachers and students, especially in these days of cash-strapped school districts. You could also donate used books to libraries or to low-income families who may not be able to afford books for their children.

You could also send a donation to help provide the new classrooms that Sr. Margaret’s school desperately needs! While I am hoping that we can raise at least $42,000 to support the school in Ghana and our other missions throughout East and West Africa, please know that any donation you send — whatever the amount — will help to change the lives of children who have been trapped by poverty for far too long. God bless you for your continued generosity and kindness!