Autumn Newsletter
Dear Friends and Supporters
We’re delighted to be back in touch after a very challenging a few months. Fortunately, the Covid situation in Ghana seems under control after some efficient pre-emptive measures. Ghana has reported 300 deaths, with no cases in the area of the school. All schools were closed from March to June, and during that time we kept in touch with the vast majority of our students, to set reading and coursework. At the end of June, the government allowed final years two and three to return, conditional on a series of Covid-19-safe practices being in place. We’re pleased to report that our final years students sat exams in August, and we await the results.
The new academic year begins on October 5. There will be a major focus on extra catch-up lessons for all students, as well as assessment of and support for any ongoing stress-related or other concerns caused by the pandemic.
#farmtofork
Our major news: we’ve just launched #farmtofork, a fundraising campaign for the second half of the year. A new kitchen block is in its first stages, and another building is being converted into a Home Economics lab, both to improve our nutritional offering to our students and staff, and to successfully integrate our farm-to-fork approach to education. Our amazing cooks, Maa Yaa and Ofeshi, have been working in less than adequate conditions, often exposed to potentially harmful smoke. Our new block and equipment will be fit for purpose to produce up to 700 meals a day for our growing number of students.
Generous donations have already been received from the Toni Garrn Foundation, the Allan and Nesta Ferguson Trust and the Bielenberg Family Trust, but we need to raise another £20,000 to cover our osts. Please dig deep and offer whatever you can to help our pupils on their way to reach their full potential.
Meet Rukaya, one of our former students and the first to study at university
“I would like to share some thoughts on my first year at the University of Education. It was my first choice, and the year has been an exciting learning experience. Settling into living at the Kumasi campus was easy for me due to the boarding house experience I had at Alma Mater Education; it was only a few days before I felt at home. A thank you to the management and teachers at the school, especially Mr Dennis Akomeah, Mr Joseph Asamoah and Mr David Adu-Tenkorang, for their good guidance and counselling.
“My first year confirmed that my choice of ‘Management in Education’ was the right one. The course attracts an array of students, which made my study more interesting and allowed me to learn and connect with others from different backgrounds and cultures. There were also a number of societies where I met people from different courses, such as the Feminist Society, the Christian Union, Student Media and so on. I had also the opportunity to travel around Kumasi, one of the biggest cities in Ghana, a new experience for me as I had grown up in a village close to the school. Despite the pandemic, my modules for both semesters have been really interesting and have allowed me to experience new opportunities. I recently picked my modules for next year, which got me super excited!
“A very big thanks to Mr Paolo Mele (CEO) and family, who have financed all aspects of my academic and subsistence needs, without which I could never have got to university. I will really work hard to lift Alma Mater Education high. God bless you all.” Rukaya Kasim, University of Education, Kumasi
Organic re-certification
We have recently been assessed by Control Union, a Dutch organic auditor, to monitor our compliance with both EU/UK and US organic regulations. We passed! Now we are certified for a whole range of crops, including pineapples and moringa. The commercial aspect of the farm continues make excellent progress, and we’ve been selling of cabbages, carrots, onions and tomatoes to the local community.
Please get in touch if you’d like to be involved in our #farmtofork campaign!
Meanwhile, a big thank you from all students and staff at AME for your continued support.
