La'Angum Learning Center Bike Project: Pambe Ghana

Pambe Ghana Website
The school community of Montessori by the Sea in Saint Pete Beach, Florida is raising money to help another Montessori school in Africa: La' Angum Learning Center in rural area of Bumboazio, Ghana. The school name La'Angum is based on the Mampruli expression, meaning "many hands make light work!" The children at both schools have become Pen Pals and we are very excited to be learning about each other!  When we asked the La' Angum Learning Center, (LLC),  what the children and their families here in the U.S. could provide, they responded by asking for help with acquiring bicycles.  The 250 children who are in Kindergarten though 6th grade at LLC have walk to walk long distances from their homes in other villages. Bicycles have a significant impact on the students' commute time to and from school.

Children with access to bicycles greatly reduce their commute time and spend more time on their education. Many of these children aspire to go on to high school and, hopefully, a University program. This commute time particularly impacts the girls attending LLC, who are expected to help with domestic chores. They often have to walk miles a day to attend school and then do hours of duties upon returning home. Many times these chores involve errands to collect water from local wells. This task in itself can require a long walk. If the girl cannot complete domestic tasks and attend school, chores must come first.



My wife Ellen, who is a Lower Elementary teacher at Montessori by the Sea and I will travel to the  La'Angum Learning Center on June 12 to provide teacher training. We will be there for a month and would like to set up a Bike Share Program at LLC while we are there. We plan to purchase bicycles and necessary tools and supplies to maintain and repair bikes in Ghana to help support the local economy. Then we will show the students and teachers at LLC how to repair bikes so that the older children can take ownership of the Bike Share Program as leaders of LLC. 

 

By providing the school with the  bicycles, skills and supplies to fix and maintain their bikes, the students and teachers can support and grow a bike program for themselves. That is why we need your help. Our initial goal is modest. We want to provide the school with as many bikes and supplies as we can buy from the local businesses and teach the children how to repair and maintain their bikes. These children can then pass their skills on to younger generations. This will create a program that we can grow and support as the school itself grows to serve more children in the community.

Your donations to this project go directly to "Pambe Ghana. Inc. This is a fully registered 501 (C) (3) organization. These funds will be set aside and allocated directly towards expenses incurred to facilitate this project. This project offers a full 100% donation to the cause with 0% "overhead/administration" expenses.  100% of your money goes towards the bikes and equipment. Ellen and I will be there independently of this project. Therefore no money will go towards travel expenses.

We highly recommend learning more about Pambe Ghana and La'Angum Learning Center by clicking on the link provided here: https://pambeghana.org/

Thank you very much for your support.
Logan Gelsie