Support Obah & Laurel's School in Ghana

Julia Ellis and Ilya Parizhsky is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Laurel Fanya House.

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Our dear friends, Obah & Laurel, and their kiddos Aviva and Malakai live waaaay out in a tiny town on the coast in Humboldt County, CA.

Obah, who grew up in Ghana, teaches at the local high school. Laurel works from home, and they live on and cultivate the off-the-grid homestead where she grew up. The kids are busy with school, soccer, and roller skating inside their house (when their parents let them!)

And in their “free time”, they run and mostly self-fund a school in Ghana that serves 150 kids (!!!)

Obah and Laurel started the school, Rising Star Leadership Academy, in 2013. It’s located in the small village of Kabile in western Ghana. Their vision was to create a dynamic and rigorous non-religious school in an area where there’s very little access to education. A school that is welcoming and available to all.

It’s been a huge success.

There are 21 teachers educating 150 K-8th grade kids every day.
The school has grown from the existing rudimentary structure to a multi-classroom complex, including a computer lab/library, garden, soccer fields and play structure.
They built a well to ensure reliable potable water for the school (which is extremely rare in this area of Ghana.)
The kids have an academic curriculum that’s creative and experiential, plus business development, sports, the arts, and vocational studies to meet the true needs of the community.
Unlike most local schools, half of the teachers are women. This is in support of the school’s mission of establishing strong female leadership in a society where all too often women don’t have access to employment and professional development.
They’ve got a big vision for the future that includes environmental sustainability programs, housing and accommodation for students and facilitators from other remote parts of the region and abroad, a performing arts space, and so much more.

But here’s the problem.

There isn’t yet enough diversity in the income streams for the school to be self-sustaining. So Obah and Laurel have been filling the gaps out of their own pockets.

The money for teachers' salaries is supposed to come from school fees. And when cashew farming is good, local families can afford the fees. However, all it takes is a low year, and the local community isn’t able to pay.

This school is filled with amazing kids, passionate teachers, and so much potential for growth in a zillion directions. But we need a new form of funding that ensures the teachers get paid consistently, accounts for unexpected expenses, and allows for new projects that can eventually self-fund the school.

So…we’re fundraising!

(Yep, that’s where you come in.)

We are raising $20,000 this year. This will fund a year of teachers’ salaries, multiple sustainable farming projects that will begin to generate income, a local botanical preservation program, and travel funds for Obah, Laurel & the kids to be on-site for the summer to support the school.

Yes, all for $20k.

No brainer? Donate now!

Obah and Laurel don’t make a salary from the school, they volunteer 100% of their time. Their presence is still very necessary in contributing to the school’s functioning and day-to-day operations. Obah literally calls the school via Zoom 5 days a week at 12am Pacific time and acts as the principal/director. So getting them to and from Ghana is critical for the project.

The ultimate goal is to make the school completely self-sufficient, so that it isn’t relying on outside donations, but instead is able to generate income to cover all expenses and then some. This fundraiser is helping create infrastructure to get there.

More details:

Rising Star Leadership Academy located in the small village of Kabile in the Jaman North district, Bono region of western Ghana.

Fundraising Goals

$5k total for a year of teachers salaries
$5k to create a sustainable fishing fish farming project (one time cost, will eventually generate income for the school and jobs for graduates & locals)
2k to create a sustainable farming program (one time cost, will eventually generate income for the school and jobs for graduates & locals)
2k to create a botanical bank to preserve the incredible biodiversity of wild and traditionally cultivated edible & medicinal plants and fruit trees like the Dawadawa, Baobab, Shea, and the multitude of wild yams that are becoming endangered.
6k for travel fees towards plane tickets for Laurel, Obah and the kids to spend the necessary time in Ghana to support the school on the ground.

Since Obah & Laurel volunteer their time, there is no overhead. All of the funds you contribute will go directly to the people and projects listed here.

Donate today!

By supporting Rising Star Leadership Academy, you’re supporting so many beautiful and important causes all at once:

Children getting a fantastic secular education – one that includes a vibrant academic curriculum, sports, art, computer science, vocational and business training.
Women’s empowerment and leadership.
Environmental sustainability and biodiversity preservation.
Economic empowerment and self-sufficiency, with the potential of scaleability.
Promoting the consumption of local foods to create a healthier environment for the students, teachers and ecosystem alike, instead of reliance on processed foods and agribusiness.

Thank you for your support!!