Hello everyone, I am a volunteer at Street Children Empowerment Foundation (SCEF) which is in one of the poorest parts in Accra, Ghana.  In Accra alone there are over 60,000 street children (children working on the streets, children working and living on the streets, and children who are born on the streets).

This vulnerable and marginalized population did not choose to be street children, yet they face challenges ranging from starvation, sexual assault to lack of education on a daily basis. 

"I must not be afraid." says Prince, rescued street child (meet Prince in the stories below).

Most of the children that I have met in my time here are more committed to receiving an education and creating a brighter future for themselves than the average American citizen.
One of the most pressing issues contributing to the cycle of poverty and marginalization that this population experience is a lack of access to sustainable education.

Our Vision:

SCEF believes a future where all children, regardless of their disparities, have equal opportunities in reaching their fullest potential. This means that whether in the formal school setting or the vocational school setting we encourage and support each child to be the best of who they can be.

Our Goal:

Data collected by SCEF from 33 different school districts in Accra uncovered that  36% of street children drop out of school because of lack of money to pay the fees and acquire the necessary materials. 

EDUCATION IS A HUMAN RIGHT

So we need help raising enough money to provide the necessary materials to send 200 street and vulnerable children to school this upcoming school year, which is in September.

Cost sheet per class and school items included:

We can't save every child, but we can work on saving one at a time. 

Meet a few of our Scholarship recipients:

Daniel:
Daniel is 19 and getting ready to move on to senior high. His mother died when he was a baby, so now he lives with his dad who is a fetish priest but only works occasionally. Daniel's dad hardly makes enough money for him and his 2 siblings for food, so he performs odd jobs to help feed himself and his family. Daniel told me "When I sit down in the house and don't go to school, I don't feel comfortable with myself. I have a lot to learn." So I asked him if SCEF has helped him, and he said "I'm in need, they support me. This place is a quiet place. It gives me a piece of mind." Even with a constant battle of headaches and lack of money to afford medication, Daniel attends school every day so that one day he can be a school counselor and help others. 

Joyce:
Joyce lost both of her parents at a very young age, and now lives with her grandmother where she shares one room with 8 other people. Her grandmother has difficulty feeding her and her syblings. SCEF found her as she was on the verge of prostitution after having to drop out of school for lack of money. She was enrolled in SCEF's Children in Hazardous Work (CHaW) project for kids out of school, and is currently in school. Joyce is 15 years old, and she told me that one day she wants to be a nurse so that she can help people with HIV since she knows a lot of people affected by HIV to this day. 

TtPrince:
Prince's mother died when he was just a child, and his father refused to take responsibility of him and his sister. He now lives with his aunt in a one room house, and she also has to take care of ten other children, and only makes 3 GHC ($0.71) a day. School costs 2 GHC ($0.47) a day plus another 2 GHC for food on average. His sister had to sacrifice her education to sell water so that he could go to school. Prince and his sister both have had to work selling water and doing various activities to make money for school. SCEF has been able to provide Prince with school supplies, and this year especially moving on to senior high he needs our help to be able to afford his school materials.

Support a Worthy Cause!
These are a few of the many stories of street and vulnerable children that benefit from SCEF's scholarships. Most of these children see how important education is to their future, and they want to use education to help others. Please help us show the love that these children need and deserve by supporting our fundraising efforts! Thank you in advance for contributing to make their dreams come true.

Thanks again for reading, and here is the link to donate and share! 

Sincerely,
Marisa Warm