In 2018 we started with a simple idea in Siniensi, Builsa North: every child deserves to learn in a place that feels safe and dignified. What began with one primary school and one JHS has grown into work with over 68 basic schools, reaching more than 3,600 students.
2018: We started with blackboards and textbooks
In those first two schools, the immediate need was visible. Lessons were hard to follow because the blackboard was damaged and there were not enough textbooks that matched the curriculum. So we replaced the boards and provided textbooks. It was a small start, but it made teaching easier and learning more structured.
2019: Then we developed a library with 500 story books
By the second year, it became clear that bringing books into a classroom that still feels unsafe or uninspiring does not go far enough. If the space itself makes children feel forgotten, motivation drops.
So we began fixing the space itself. We refurbished classrooms, repaired flooring, added educational artwork to the walls to make them more welcoming, and established a small school library stocked with over 500 storybooks. More than 350 students now had a place where they could read for curiosity and fun.
2020: When COVID came
The pandemic closed schools and families from our schools were worried about health and about how children would keep learning.
We adapted quickly, distributing PPE, soap and handwashing materials, and holding health sensitisation sessions with students and families. It was an emergency response, but it kept our connection with the communities alive, and it was later recognised by the International Human Rights Commission.
2021: A toilet built brick by brick
One of the biggest barriers, especially for girls, was the lack of a private toilet. We launched our Buy a Brick campaign, and over 300 donors from 21 countries helped us raise about £7,000 to build one.
In the same year we started monthly distribution of sanitary pads. That work has continued, and in 2025 alone 234 girls in Alabyeri and Siniensi received pads for eight months. Their attendance improved, and their end-of-term results went up by about 12%.
2025: Windows, doors, and marker boards
Last year we returned to the everyday things that make teaching possible, installing marker boards and fixing windows and doors, alongside more textbooks. Those small upgrades directly helped 297 students and 15 teachers in two schools.
What else?
Our work is no longer just about learning materials. We focus on three things that help children stay and thrive:
- Keeping children safe. With the Social Welfare Department we run workshops on child rights, so children understand personal safety and where to get help.
- Learning through play. In 15 schools, over 425 children used LEGO to explore local farming themes, building teamwork, creativity and problem-solving. Teachers told us they saw a real lift in confidence.
Eight years later
As we mark eight years, our focus is on consolidating what works, scaling the interventions that teachers say make the biggest difference, and deepening partnerships with schools, traditional leaders, the Ghana Education Service and development partners.
This milestone has reminded us that sustained change in rural education rarely comes from one large, one-off intervention. It comes from the accumulation of consistent, intentional efforts over time, one blackboard, one library, one toilet, built brick by brick.
If you would like to learn more about our work, partner with us, or support what comes next, we would love to hear from you.
