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Name Change To Come

After working with Ami Preston, girl marketing extraordinaire, we have decided to make a change to our name. Due, in part, to the fact that the name doesn't say what we are doing or what we are about. Of course, our idea of Hands of Hope really doesn't say it either. So, we are working on it. Just know it is coming soon!  Stay with us. 

We are sending out a letter to remind those who have sponsored children that the time to send this next year's sponsorship is due; and any letters or gifts you want to your children we will need in a box and delivered to us to take by the first of Novemer.  It is coming quickly.  Email me if you have any requests or if you know of anyone who would like to sponsor a child.  The cost per year is $40.00.  This includes school fees, uniforms, shoes, and backpack.   Email address that I see daily is smclean@weberdistrict.net.

One More Picture!!

Love this picture. We saw students in all kinds of classrooms just like this one. The older girl here is in preschool. Yes, preschool!! She is about 12 or 13 years of age. While we were there, here little sister came wandering in and out of the class but when she got tired she just got up to her sister who tied her on her back to let her take a nap. That's just how it's done. Yes, preschool and she doesn't care that it will take her 12 years to complete this part of her education - she is determined to go!!

Pictures of children in Ghana

I just realized that my last post pictures are the only ones you can see of our children in Ghana. If you go to older posts, they are there. So I thought I would add some of the children's pictures here. They are so beautiful!!

This child is on the island that is extremely poor. The building behind her is the new school with no windows or roof, but it's still a school. When we first arrived here, they were in a mud hut sitting on benches - no books, learning math in the dirt. It's coming along!!

One More Week!!!

One more week!! The drawing for the raffle will be held. One more week of setting up a tent and exhibit! One more week of talking and selling and the hot sun!!! One more week of packing it in and packing it out. And then it will be over.


This will be the last week of a summer filled, out and out, exhaustive effort to raise enough money to build a playground in Ada, Ghana. We are down to our last few hundred dollars. Hopefully, we will finish the project with a bang. Because I am tired!!

I have met wonderful people! I have shared our story hundreds of times. But we need to move on to getting ready for our group to go again in November. This year they have two goals: One is to find as many children unable to go to school and get them into school by working through the teachers of the area who know of their situations. Also, a part of that is making contact with all of our children that we now sponsor. Can't wait for that.

The second part of the trip is to open the library and get it up and running. We have run into a problem with the fear on the part of the school in Ada. They are so concerned that the books will be sent out of the school, never to be seen again. They have never had books, don't know what to do to control the "stealing" of the libary books. I would rather that the books be out in the children's hands than to sit unread on the shelf in a locked up library. So, it looks like some training and practice with the children and we should be up and flying.

The Library in Gorme, Ada, Ghana

Our project for last year was to bring 3,000 books and build a library for the children to be able to read. They had never had a library before, never had books to read. We met that goal with donations from neighbors, schools, family, and their friends. We were able to take over almost 6,000 books with us. Delta Airlines provided the shipping of it all. Incredible!! 96-50 lb. boxes that had filled our basements, garages, and classrooms.

We stopped by our finished library when we first arrived this year. It was wonderful to see it all painted and the books on the shelves. The art on the wall was donated by the local artists from the Ogden Palette Club. I can't wait to send them pictures of their paintings. The library is currently not open. Hopefully, with some training, they will feel comfortable enough to let the children in. Perhaps there is a fear that the books will not be returned should they let the children check them out.

The children's handprints are all the local children's work. I think it adds a great touch to the building. Last year when we went to Ada, we met with the local leaders and chiefs, they dedicated the ground, and then we started work on it. Every day I would see Marvin, our student accountant, coming to see me and I knew it was for more money. He could not understand that we signed the bottom line and there was to be no more money. I gained a few more grey hairs on that trip.

Most of our time, last year, was spent on preparing the books with numbers, cards to be checked out with, a full library system. We spent many days on the floor of the Gorme house, but we had good help with us too.

Later that day, we get to meet my daughter, Felicia. I thought for sure she would have grown a foot, but she was pretty much the same height that she was last year, maybe a little bigger. She is now 15 years old and is doing very well in school. She is living with a family but they are not her real family. They treat her well and she has many friends. I think she likes her new brother.

While we were there, we noticed a young child who appeared to have skin disorder and his hair was missing. We asked about him and they said that he had eczema and he needed medicine for his head. He is miserable and scratches his hair off his head. There are a few tufts still, but . . . holy cow. I asked if he was in school yet and he has not started this year as they have no money for school or doctors. He is 4 1/2 and should have begun schooling. We decided to take him on to make sure he starts school and also to make sure that he is covered by medical insurance so that he can see a doctor.

We have been able to help many children in the community to be able to attend school. However, we have been able to sponsor a few children personally. Making sure they are attending school, medical insurance for the family, and school supplies as well.

On this day, we are able to visit Maxwell (9 years old) and Evans (15). Both brothers live with their real grandmother, but both of their parents are deceased from Aids. They are healthy and love the presents we brought them this year. Grandma calls me their "Mama in America". Having Chad meet his "brothers" was very special. Notice the heighth difference. Part of the explaination is genetics, of course. But their lack of nutrition plays a major role as well. Ahh, so good to see them again. They are good boys.

December 30, 2008

Our day was spent going out into the village locating the children that we sponsor and making sure that they have their uniforms, school supplies and that they are attending school. Many of the children know us and come running to welcome us. What a joyous reunion. We have come home! We have driven from community to community, asking permission to visit as is the custom and then when we are ready to leave, we must ask for permission to go. Each visit is quite an event.

December 29, 2008

We arrived in Accra, Ghana at 8:40 a.m. after a flight of eleven hours. Mr. Aquatic was waiting for us to drive us to Ada. He has been our chief officer of protocol, driver and friend for the past several years. We were hurried out of the city due to the presidential elections and they were concerned for our safety.

The first stop we made in Ada was to stop at the library that we built for the people of the community. We had the building built and delivered over 5,500 books to line the shelves. It was a beautiful sight to see the libary painted and with the handprints of the children around the outside of the building.

Humanitarian trip to Ada, Ghana 2008-2009

December 26, 2008

A team of four teachers and two students left Salt Lake City on our annual humanitarian trip to Ada, Ghana. Ada is a remote, mud-hut village east of the capital of Accra. Operation: Love In Action has been involved with the education of the impoverished children, medical supplies to the local clinic and helping the farmers with irrgation. This year we will be concentrating with education and in locating as many children who are not able to attend school due to lack of finances.

We left Salt Lake City, Utah at midnight the day after Christmas driving on snow-packed roads to the airport. We arrived at JFK in New York early the next morning. Four of the team decided to go and explore New York while making friends with a cabbie from Africa. We began with Ground Zero, the Empire State Building and ending at Time Square. We had left our coats in SLC and braved the cold of New York. The Empire States Building was nearly empty due to zero visibility and we were able to ride to the top without any waiting. What's a little cold to Utahns.