Our Story
Nurturing Nations began with our daughter who we adopted from Ghana. She is the first girl with Down Syndrome who has been adopted from Ghana. As we visited Ghana we were impressed by the kindness and hospitality of the people, and we were grateful for the adoption professionals, government officials, and now, friends who helped us in the, sometimes complicated, process of adoption. We
are forever grateful for these dedicated people with good hearts who work each day for the good of the children of Ghana. However, it became clear that many people see children with disabilities as less than human and sometimes as a punishment or curse. We came to realize that children with disabilities, like our daughter, are among the most vulnerable and neglected of children in Ghana. Although there are many children that are in need in Ghana, children with disabilities are often stigmatized or rejected because of traditional religious notions and prejudice. To watch a video about our daughter click on the link above titled "more", then click on videos and select the video titled "Our Daughter." We visited Ghana several times, and we would then come back to our safe and comparatively affluent home in the US. The contrast was stark, and as we shared these feelings with our friends and neighbors, we realized we could make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children in Ghana. We wanted to help disadvantaged children gain the opportunities provided by education, and to provide a safe environment in Ghana for children with disabilities. Based on those ideas we have organized this charity with clearly defined goals to serve the most vulnerable of children in Ghana. We want to provide opportunity for education because that seems to be the best way to help children grow up to be self reliant and confident members of society. For children with disabilities we want to provide a secure environment where they are appreciated for their abilities and where they can obtain an education suited to those abilities. Our plan to accomplish these goals has evolved over the last several years. We have obtained non-profit status for our charity and we have also received federal tax-exemption (501(c)(3)). We have visited Ghana many times and have provided humanitarian and school supplies for several hundred children. We have provided funds to buy food and various needed items (a bed for young children, medical supplies, malaria medication, medicine for intestinal worms etc.) for several orphanages throughout Ghana (Volta region, Accra, Cape Coast, Central Region). We are currently providing a sponsorship consisting of $30 per month for vulnerable children. Sponsorship funds provide for tuition, school supplies, lunch meals, and fees for qualifying exams. Students receiving sponsorships have written letters of appreciation to their sponsors. We plan to increase the number of students on sponsorships as we find sponsors and identify children in need. We continue to provide funds for short-term needs as they arise. We are excited to have found some land on the outskirts of Accra, Ghana that we have purchased and have built a children’s home and school. Currently we are in the process of raising funds to build a kitchen and library. We will continue to provide funds for the operation of the children’s home and school. In order to meet our goals and objectives it is necessary to have a facilitator in Ghana. We have a good friend named Percy Gogoe who is our on-the-ground facilitator. We first met Percy when we started the adoption process for our daughter in Ghana. We were very impressed with his kind heart, patience and hard work. Percy has been instrumental in uniting many families with their adopted children from Ghana. We noticed how people looked up to and admired Percy. We noticed that Percy helped many, many people to have a better life. He is honest and trusted by the people. Thank you Percy for making it possible for Nurturing Nations to reach our goals to help impoverished, at risk, and special needs children. It is exciting to see our efforts moving forward. We are grateful we have the children’s home where children who have been rescued, vulnerable children and children with special needs have a safe place to call home where they will be nurtured and be given the opportunity to reach their full potential.
