08/22/2025
“The Dream Dora Built”
You may have heard the story of Dora Anie many times before or perhaps this is your very first time. Either way, we love telling it, especially at this time of year. Because every August 23, on Dora’s birthday, we remember the extraordinary woman whose vision gave birth to Schools of Dreams.
It all began in 2003 when Dora returned to her hometown of Mepom, Ghana, for the first time in 13 years. She was eager to show her daughters, Ann-Marie and Barbara, the school where she learned as a child. But what she found broke her heart; crumbling walls, unsafe classrooms, and little ones trying to learn in impossible conditions.
Dora could not ignore what she saw. With the support of church communities and friends in Canada, she started fundraising. By 2004, “Dora’s Dream” became a reality; a brand-new nursery, kindergarten, and kitchen handed over to the Mepom community. But this was more than just another school building. The structures were designed with durability, safety, and sustainability in mind. It was an improvement over many standard public schools for lower-class students in Ghana. Dora’s Dream, now known as Schools of Dreams, set a new benchmark for what quality and sustainable learning environments should look like in rural Ghana. Children who once studied in broken classrooms now had a safe, modern space to learn, play, and thrive.
From there, her dream only grew. What started as one village became a movement. Akuffokrom, where classes once met under trees, is now home to over 500 students in safe, vibrant classrooms. Kwakyekrom, the first project under our transparent new selection process, boasts a nursery, kindergarten, staff room, kitchen, washrooms, and a secure playground named in Dora’s honour.
Even while battling ovarian cancer, Dora never stopped fundraising, never stopped planning, never stopped dreaming. Her legacy continues today through Schools of Dreams because she believed education is the foundation for a better future.
This August 22–23, we invite you to honour Dora’s birthday by becoming a monthly donor. Your commitment ensures her dream will continue to grow one classroom, one child, one future at a time. If you are interested in becoming a monthly donor to Schools of Dreams, please use this link https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/schools-of-dream-inc to help promote safe access to education for children and youth in rural Ghana.
