By: centraljersey.com
COLUMBUS – Thousands of miles separate them. Hundreds of differences mark them as polar opposites. Their cultures are extreme in comparison. What brought together the students of the Mansfield Township School District here, and The Rising Star Academy in Ghana, Africa?
Need, kindness, and a shared vision.
Marty Goodrich is a Bordentown resident who worked at the Mansfield Township School District for over 21 years assisting students in the classroom as an instructional aide.
Ms. Goodrich traveled to Ghana to visit a friend she made here in the States who served as a home health aide. While in Africa, Ms. Goodrich and her husband toured the village of Bobrease, Akrokerri. In that village, the home health aide founded a school a few years ago.
The Rising Star Academy, with an original enrollment of 50 students, now serves over 200 students in huts and a rented house. Academy students pay $6 to $12 per term to attend and all students wear uniforms. The school is funded 80 percent by the money sent by its founder and the rest from other donors.
The students of Mansfield Township School District recently held a donation drive to acquire school supplies for their peers in Africa. While an exact count of items was not available, approximately six SUV-size loads of boxes and bags of supplies have been prepared for shipment to Ghana.
Among these supplies are much needed pencils, math kits, markers, notebooks, flash cards, scissors, and textbooks. In addition, learning toys for the youngest students and art supplies for creative development were also solicited and acquired.
"The children have few books or notebooks," explained Ms. Goodrich. "Their library is extremely small, about the size of a restroom in our district. But, all the students want to learn. This past April, the first students graduated and passed in the Basic Education Certificate Examination. Four students gained admission to high schools; one is learning a trade and the remaining three are waiting for funds to be able to continue their education. It’s an amazing accomplishment in a short amount of time."
There is one computer at Rising Star Academy. Ms. Goodrich also secured that donation through a friend.
"The barrels used to ship items to Ghana cost approximately $150 each," Mrs. Goodrich concluded. "Donations are always needed for this purpose as well."
Anyone interested in donating to the Rising Star Academy Foundation may contact Mrs. Good rich by email at: [email protected]
