The Saltpond Education Project

The Saltpond Education Project A dynamic primary school and teacher-training project for under-served children in Saltpond, Ghana.

Background

Based in Saltpond, Ghana, the SEP Happy School was set up for local children who couldn’t access mainstream schools. Founded on the principles of dynamic, inspiring teaching and serving the needs of the community, SEP has grown to become a locally led project which is an integral part of the Saltpond community. In the beginning

Co-founder Rachel visited Ghana in 2007, where she met Mi

ke Ofori – a passionate local teacher – who wanted to set up a school project for the under-served children in his hometown of Saltpond. Over the next couple of years, the co-founders raised funds to help Mike and his brother Emmanuel, who was also a teacher – set up their dream school. SEP Happy School, so-named by the students, opened for teaching in September 2010 and now has over two hundred children on its register, supported by nine brilliantly dedicated members of staff. In July 2010, the SEP became an officially registered charity in England and Wales (1136738). In September 2015 we began sponsoring some of our highest-achieving students back into the state education system, sourcing good local JHS and secondary schools and paying for their entry and resources for a further six years, until the end of SHS 3. The UK team now play a funding role and leave the management and development to the Ghanaian experts, though supporters and education specialists do visit the site to help train and assist teachers. Saltpond

Our students come from the least affluent part of Saltpond, living along the seashore. Though the Central Region is a relatively fortunate part of Ghana, these particular children – like so many others – cannot afford the uniform, resources, or food that they are expected to purchase at state schools. We provide this, whilst also encouraging a sense of aspiration in our students, and an understanding of the value of education. We are careful only to offer the facilities to students who really do not have the option of attending a government school at the time of enrollment, and our local project leaders carry out regular needs-assessment surveys. We hope that, in time, our services will no longer be required, as the government continues to develop its education system in a way that means all students can access it.

Address

London

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Saltpond Education Project posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to The Saltpond Education Project:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category

Our Story

THE SEP SO-FAR... Co-founders Mike Ofori, Rachel Mann, Laura Percival and Ian Burbidge set up the SEP in 2008, to support passionate Ghanaian teachers in setting up a primary school for the under-served children in their hometown of Saltpond. Since then, Mike and his brother Emmanuel, supported by a team of trustees and volunteers in the UK, have helped grow the SEP Happy School into a flourishing primary school and community project, which supports students all the way through compulsory schooling, and trains teachers in dynamic and child-focussed practice. We opened for teaching in September 2010 and have over 200 children on our register, either in our primary school, supported by nine brilliantly-dedicated teachers, or being sponsored through the next stages of their education. We provide our students with free resources and uniforms, as well as health insurance, clean water and a hot school meal every day. Students have access to basic health treatment, supplies and education via our local student-nurse volunteers. Our students come from the least affluent part of Saltpond, where they live in beach huts with whatever family they have left. Though the Central Region is a relatively fortunate part of Ghana, these children - like so many others - cannot afford the uniform, resources, or food that they are expected to purchase at state schools. We provide this, whilst also instilling an understanding of the true value of primary and secondary education, and encouraging them to choose their own paths through the system - whether that be secondary entry, or vocational training. Our community has generally had little or no exposure to spoken or written English, which is often a tool of the privileged. Unfortunately, most schools still teach solely in this foreign language. At the SEP Happy School, our teachers communicate with the children in Fantse (their local language). We ensure that volunteers support and work alongside them to teach English as a Foreign Language (as well as other subjects!) in a fun and unintimidating way. Access to reading is a key objective - imported books are both rare and expensive in Ghana - and we look forwarding to expanding our library and sourcing local-language materials. We opened our ICT Centre in June 2014, and began adult literacy, numeracy and ICT classes for the wider community in July 2014. In September 2015 we began sponsoring some of our highest-achieving students back into the state education system, sourcing good local middle and secondary schools and paying for their entry and resources for a further six years, until the end of SHS 3.

As of 2019, we are raising money for a new JHS building, so that we can develop our site and continue our ethos into middle-years schooling. In July 2010, the Saltpond Education Project became an officially registered charity in England and Wales (1136738), and do date we have raised over £150,000. Visit our website for more information on how you can get involved, or to make a donation.