Naa paulaisha Eco-Village School

Naa Paulaisha Eco-Village is different than many other nonprofits for Africa because we have a deep personal understanding of the community and culture that the school and organization is working in. My team in Ghana and I have lived there to see it. As a member of the royal family, I was raised and trained in the traditions and wisdom of leadership in the Dagomba tribe, which has also helped a lot.

 

My position in the community allows us to work in the local people and networks. This helps our efforts to be more effective and with the support coming from the Northern Ghanaian perspective. I can talk to people and they see how I have used my hands to survive and do well. Having lived in the USA since 1991, I also understand and appreciate the western perspective and the structure that would be helpful to combine with the local ways of doing things to really make a difference. I am very grateful for  the people who have dedicated themselves over the years to help my people and it is with the help of many that I have had the opportunities that I have had.

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I've seen a lot of successful and unsuccessful foreign charity projects and so has our team in Ghana. People came with good intentions or religion, but often without a good understanding of our culture and the needs of the community, or the long-term problems of getting used to depending so much on outside assistance. We have seen what hasn't worked in the last few decades, both in my efforts and in other organizations' projects. I want to use our personal experience to work hard and in a way that makes a big difference. Our team knows the need and importance of designing projects to have the most hands-on engagement and have a long-term impact.

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We use our understanding of the need for ownership and self-support to build self-esteem and empowerment within the children and families, rather than only encouraging too much reliance on outside resources. The school and related Naa Paulaisha projects are designed to be practical as well as creative. A major goal is to help develop and grow skills that can contribute to generating support and funding for the school, while being rooted in the community and student engagement. We want to help people be able to help themselves in the future.

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Thank you for your interest and support!