Moda is a beautiful and talented girl. At thirteen years old, she has spent most of her life at Happy Kids. She loves reading more than anything and can usually be found reading in the grass while all of her friends play. Her older brother, Etornam, also lives at Happy Kids and her mother volunteers her time cooking for the time at lunch. Unfortunately, her father is very abusive and an alcoholic, so he is unable to help care for the family. Moda is caring and bold. She wants to be a seamstress when she grows up, and her favorite days are when the seamstress for the Sewing Program comes to teach them. She was among the first children to learn how to sew buttons, and she proudly carries the bags she makes around all day.

sponsored by:

Amanda Sauter

David is a very adventurous and caring young boy. He is currently in 6th grade and his favorite subject is Math. At just 12 years old, he dreams of working in finance so that he can help unfortunate children with their expenses so that they can continue their education.

sponsored by:

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Amy Clark

Michael is 12 years old and in grade 3, as he was unable to start his education until just a few years ago. He loves the idea of traveling and seeing new places and dreams of becoming a  pilot in future.

sponsored by:

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Karen Wigotow

Jude was born in Gbi-Akplamafu, a nearby village comprised mainly of farmers.. He joined Happy Kids in 2016 and is currently in Class 2 .  His father lives in Togo and works as a farmer with his wife who is a small trader.  Jude. has 4 siblings . He loves to play soccer and his favorite subject is Mathematics .

sponsored by:

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Nicole LaForge

Prince is a 12 year old boy and is in 6th grade. His favorite subjects are Creative Arts and Science. He wants to be a doctor in the future so that he can help heal those who are sick and help poor communities get access to quality healthcare.

sponsored by:

Shawn Bray

Shawn Bray

Shawn Bray

Shawn Bray

Shawn Bray

Shawn Bray

Shawn Bray

Shawn Bray

Shawn Bray

Shawn Bray

Shawn Bray

Shawn Bray

Ruth is 13 years of age. She is in grade 6 now and her favorite subjects are Science and Creative Arts. She really want to be a nurse in the future. She is very respectful and very obedient, she wants to be a nurse all because she feels very compassionate towards sick people and wants to help do something to take away the pain. 

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Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Randy and Vanessa Samels

Sheilla has only been at Happy Kids for under two years, but she already has added so much positivity and love to our community. Shelia is 13 years old and in grade 6. Her favorite subject is English because she is passionate about learning new languages, and she finds her English teacher Sir Emma to be a great teacher and friend to her. Sheilla’s parents sent her and her older brother, Samuel, to Happy Kids following an accident that prevented her father from being able to work, which put financial strain on their family. Sheilla is a bright and bubbly girl who loves to learn and spends time joking and playing games with her many friends. She hopes she can become a nurse in the future because she loves to help people and bring them joy. In the afternoons and weekends, Sheilla can be found cooking dinner for all the other boarders, as she loves to cook and hopes someday she can work part time as a chef. Sheilla shows a great amount of passion for the people she loves most, and her emotional maturity is very admirable. Sheilla is a hard working girl with great determination to do many amazing things in life.

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Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Cassie Turre

Asafo Francis, who prefers to go by Francis, is 10 years old and in Grade 4. He lives with his mother and his two sisters, Precious and Jessica. His mother is a local trader and his father is no longer in his life. Francis’ favorite subject is math, he loves to read and he dreams of becoming a doctor in the future.

sponsored by:

Kelsey Good

Newton has been at Happy Kids for the past 5 years, his Dad is a vegetable farmer and his mom sells fish in a small village close by. Newton, like many of our kids, loves soccer. He usually plays goalie or defender on his team, sometimes he joins the bigger boys because he has very strong legs and can keep up. Newton’s best subject is Math and he is the champion in his class.

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Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Christine Joseph

Stephen Mcgrath

Stephen Mcgrath

Stephen Mcgrath

Stephen Mcgrath

Stephen Mcgrath

Stephen Mcgrath

Godsway is popularly known as “Igwe”. Godsway went to live with his aunt and two cousins after his parents divorced. He was having trouble in school before he moved homes but now his teachers say he is doing quite well compared to last term. His favorite subject is Creative Arts. Godsway plays on the Happy Kids soccer team and in the annual Volta Charity League as well. He plays both goalie and midfield.  He loves to play Monopoly, Checkers and different card games. Godsway wants to be a musician in future.

sponsored by:

Sylvia Sepulveda; Scott Ledbetter

Godwin is 9 years old and presently in grade 3. He is the youngest of 4 and his family lives in the neighboring town of Kledjo where his mother is a hairdresser. Godwin is a quiet and often mischievous child who likes to keep busy by playing football or using the toy legos and cars in the after school center. Godwin also likes going to the park, but must be closely supervised as he likes to try to sneak his way back home. He enjoys looking at storybooks and eating fufu and groundnut soup. Godwin is a very serious boy who wants to be a police officer when he grows up.

sponsored by:

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

JJ Figlin

Afia is 13 years old and is currently in grade two. Afia joined Happy Kids with her five siblings four years ago from a neighboring orphanage that closed down. Her family moved to Wegbe from the Northern part of the country where drought is very common and it was impossible for them to farm.  Afia has trouble in some of her subjects but her teachers say that she is very good in solving math equations. She is our most quiet girl, but she has this magical smile each time you ask her a question. Afia played in her very first soccer league last year and she looking for to being on the team this year.  Afia wants to be a teacher in future.

sponsored by:

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Miller Figlin

Junior (Richmond) is a hilarious and genuinely kind boy. Junior has been attending Happy Kids since he was 3 years old. His father is a builder and his mother is a storekeeper. Junior has a large family with 8 other siblings, which is why his mother sent him to Happy Kids. Junior says he wants to be President when he grows up, because he wants to work for the people and speak for them. He is a very special boy that everyone loves.

sponsored by:

Andrew Campolong

Andrew Campolong

Andrew Campolong

Andrew Campolong

Godwin is a quiet 8 year old boy. He came to Happy Kids last year from neighboring Christ Orphanage. His brother is Robert, so he tends to follow him around and always loves trying to be like him. Godwin has really good english but he’s still building his confidence in speaking it. He is sweet and loves to sing, and his best friend is Makafui.

sponsored by:

Catherine McGrath

Jemima is an adorable 6 year old girl who came to Happy Kids just 6 months ago. Jemima’s older sister and brother went to Christ Orphanage for school and so they came to Happy Kids when the administrations merged. Jemima’s still getting comfortable at Happy Kids but she is obviously very bright. She is now in Class 1 and is learning to read. Her favorite subject is math, and when she grows up she wants to be a seamstress because she likes dressing up.

sponsored by:

Lauren Jamarillo

Joseph has been living at Happy Kids for almost 8 years. He was found abandoned in a bush by an older woman when he was just a baby. She took him in as her own and raised him in the village of Kledjo until he was five years old, which is when he first came to Happy Kids. Joseph stayed for five years but ended up going back to his grandmother’s house in Kledjo at the age of 10. At some points in his life, Joseph’s grandmother accused him of being possessed by witchcraft and repeatedly brought him to the hospital. As such, Joseph is very behind in school and needs more attention and love than the other kids. As the years went by, it was increasingly hard the old woman to care for him because of her age, so he has been living at the boarding house full time for the last three years. Since coming to Happy Kids Joseph has been doing well both at home and at school. He needs a lot of extra support, particularly with reading and comprehension, but his Primary 4 class teacher is proud of the effort Joseph has been putting into his school work this year. When he grows up he wants to be a football player for Chelsea football team. Some of his favorite foods are rice and beans. He also loves dancing Azonto and going to church on Sundays.

sponsored by:

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Elena Langberg

Emmanuel or ‘Small Emma’ as we call him, has been with us since 2013. When he was a baby, Emma’s mother left him and they haven’t heard from her since. His father is a farmer, but soon became unable to care for him with so little money and decided to bring him to Happy Kids. As the youngest kid at Happy Kids, Emma is our baby. He is constantly played with, loved on, and cared for by the other kids. Emma came to us not speaking a word of english or Ewe, but has since begun learning both languages. He can say “Come and let’s play” and “how are you” – new words pop out of his mouth every day, and we continue to be shocked by how fast he’s learning. Emma is a giggly and snuggly, and always has a smile on his face. He has an incredible amount of energy, and can often be found playing while the other nursery students are napping.

sponsored by:

Jess Sudol

Elizabeth has been at Happy Kids for a long time, as a boarder, and more recently, as a day student in our school. She is now living with her mother and grandmother in Gdone, a small village next to Wegbe. Her grandmother’s farm produces yam, maize, rice and okra for them to eat and sell, while Ellie’s mother makes and sells traditional woven dresses called Batakali. She has a younger sister and an older brother who live with her. Ellie is a very bright, soft-spoken girl who wants to be a teacher or a tailor when she grows up. Her favorite subject is English and she likes school in likes HK because “the teachers teach well and I can learn”. Elizabeth’s best friend is Dzigbordi – they play and eat together every day at school. Her favorite food is fried rice and gari.

sponsored by:

Amanda Sauter

Shadrack is a devoted team player, a football superstar, and an overall great kid.  He is easily recognizable with his constant, wide grin and deep laugh. His family is originally from northern Ghana, where his father was a fisherman and a farmer.  Unfortunately, Shadrack’s father passed away recently so his forever home is at Happy Kids. According to Shadrack, his favourite thing about being at Happy Kids is taking care of our chickens. He regularly collects eggs, gives them food and water, and cleans the coops. Spending a lazy afternoon by the riverside fishing and swimming is one of his favourite ways to pass a day when he’s not helping out at the farm or around the house. He would like to be a pilot when he grows up, or a poultry farmer.

sponsored by:

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Rochelle Webb

Jerry is a very sweet and caring boy who came to Happy Kids in 2012 due to serious financial problems at home. His passion for learning has led him to become a leader and great helper in his class. Jerry is a very strong reader who enjoys learning new words and hearing new stories. Jerry loves to eat Jollof Rice and drink hot tea and hopes to become a bank manager when he grows up. Jerry enjoys both playing and watching soccer and loves triumphantly yelling |Goal!| whenever his team scores.

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Karri Simmons

Karri Simmons

samuel mahar

Karri Simmons

samuel mahar

Karri Simmons

samuel mahar

Karri Simmons

samuel mahar

Karri Simmons

samuel mahar

Karri Simmons

samuel mahar

Karri Simmons

samuel mahar

Karri Simmons

samuel mahar

Karri Simmons

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

samuel mahar

David is our loveable trouble maker. He has been living at Happy Kids for over ten years.  Both of his parents passed away when he was very young, but he has an older brother who comes to visit him. At first he was taken to a small village in the bush near Wegbe where an older woman looked after him, but she brought him to Happy Kids at the age of 6 so he could have a better life. David is one of the most hardworking, helpful children at Happy Kids. He loves spending time in town, especially if he gets to take the bicycle to go there. He is always offering to go buy ingredients for dinner, or to go to the bush to look for firewood. He loves taking care of the animals at the house, and he has informally adopted Max as his very own dog. David also has a big soft spot for children, and can often be found playing with the youngest kids. He likes being in charge of the little kids. When he is not working or helping out, he loves fishing, playing wii, doing magic tricks, or playing computer games like Fifa or Need for Speed.

sponsored by:

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Cindy Swenson

Edmond came to Happy Kids to start school only very recently. Edmond’s parents are alive but struggle to care for their 4 children, including their oldest Roland who has lived at Happy Kids for many years. Edmond and Roland’s family comes from Alanvanyo, a nearby farming village where there has been fighting with a neighbouring village for over twenty years.  The area is unsafe with children, as the fighting is increasingly violent. Since he is just four years old, he has been placed in our Nursery 1 class to start. Edmond is very quiet and shy, and is slowly beginning to come out of his shell and play with the other kids. All of the kids are also working hard to help him learn English, as he does not yet speak it.

sponsored by:

Mark & Evelyn Brown

Dzigbody moved to Happy Kids at the age of three because her family couldn’t afford to take care of her. She has been attending Happy Kids since age one and began living there once the dormitory was built in 2010. She is a favorite among the volunteers because of her silly attitude. She’s developed a very spunky attitude and a love for learning. She loves repeating songs and sitting with volunteers.

sponsored by:

Sylvia Sepulveda

Sylvia Sepulveda

Sylvia Sepulveda

Sylvia Sepulveda

Sylvia Sepulveda

Sylvia Sepulveda

Sylvia Sepulveda

Sylvia Sepulveda

Sylvia Sepulveda

Sylvia Sepulveda

Sylvia Sepulveda

Sylvia Sepulveda

Enock is one of six children, and he came to live at Happy Kids in 2013 from a fishing village called Dambia in the northern region of Ghana. When Enock came to Happy Kids, he had never been in school before. He also had a serious health problems with his foot that required hospital visits and medicine to fix. Enoch has adjusted well to school and is currently in our Primary 1 class. He could use extra support with his reading comprehension skills. Enock is our resident acrobat, turning cartwheels and performing somersaults with ease. Although he is just 10 years old, Enock is already a strong player all around and an important part of the older boys’ football team. He loves animals and has a small collection of stuffed monkeys that he keeps on his bunk bed. One of his favorite things to eat is grilled maize, so Enock was very excited to help out recently with our farming project. When he grows up, he would like to be a football player for the Black Stars, Ghana’s football team. His favorite player is Lionel Messi.

sponsored by:

Gary Hartwell

Selina is a spunky, loveable goofball. Her favorite subject in school is English. Selina came to Happy Kids 4 years ago with her brother Johannes when her family was no longer able to care for them. Their parents are fishermen in a village several hours away by the lake, and the children spent most of their days working on the lake instead of going to school. Their parents brought them to Happy Kids so they could grow up with proper nutrition and education. Selina loves dancing and playing jumping games. She has all of the energy in the world, until about 6pm when all she wants to do is curl up in a ball on your lap, hear a bed time story, and hold your hand as she falls asleep.

 

 

sponsored by:

Carolien Vis

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Sefakor is an energetic and feisty leader. She has been living at Happy Kids with her sister Esenam for the last 3 years. Their parents split up when they were very little. Their mother had no choice but to put her children into care and look for work in a shop in Accra. At first the girls lived in an orphanage in Hohoe, but their mother wasn’t satisfied with the living conditions so they moved to Happy Kids. Since arriving Sefakor has done well making new friends and adjusting to school. Her English is among the best at Happy Kids, and she’s one of the brightest in her class. She is bold and confident, and never has trouble showcasing her big, silly personality. Her best friend’s are Dgzibordi and Selina, who are in the same Primary ½ split class at school. Sefakor often spends her school breaks eating gari (dried cassava) or playing clapping games with her friends. She also loves catching frogs, bugs, and other creepy crawly things outside. When she grows up, she’d like to be a bank manager, a hairdresser, or a soldier.

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Kaitlyn Loudon

Emmanuel is a smart, creative, and artistic child.  He is one of 5 children in his family.  His father is a teacher and his mother a student.  Emmanuel loves school, is in Primary Class 1, and his favorite subject is math.  When he grows up, Emmanuel would like to be a lawyer.  Emmanuel first came to Happy Kids in 2011 because his mother is a student and his father could not care for him alone.  After school you’ll find Emmanuel doing his favorite things – playing games with his friends and blowing bubbles.

sponsored by:

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Jim Kottra

Esenam is only 11 years old, but she’s an old soul. She is incredibly well behaved, smart, and patient. Like her sister Sefakor, she speaks perfect English, and came to us a in 2012 when her single mother was unable to care for them. Esenam loves being read to, especially her favorite book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Her favorite subject in school is Math. When she grows up she hopes to be a bank manager, or a lawyer. Esenam also loves drawing, braiding hair, and spending time with the older girls, particularly Moda, Lucy, and Bless. She is always helping around the house, and loves taking care of younger children.

sponsored by:

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

Samantha Campolong

David is Makafui’s older brother, and one of four children. Like his sister, he has grown up beside Happy Kids and he spends his holiday periods at the boarding house, even though he attends the public school in Wegbe. David comes over almost every day to participate in house activities, and he also plays on our older boys’ football team. His parents have a petty business, mainly farming, producing palm oil, and some sewing. This helps but does not provide them with enough income to care for the entire family

sponsored by:

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Jennifer Klunder

Makafui comes from a family of six and is the youngest of her three brothers. Her parents have a petty business, mainly farming and some sewing, which does not provide them with enough income to care for the entire family.  Makafui eats most of her meals at the boarding house and spends her vacation period there. Her family’s house is situated beside Happy Kids, meaning Makafui has grown up with the Happy Kids for her whole life. Makafui’s favorite color is brown and her favorite sport is football. She is always up for a round of ampe, a clapping game that she loves playing with her friends. Her main partners in crime are Dzigbordi and Sefakor.

sponsored by:

Aleksei Kaminski

Biyador is a soft spoken and polite 11 year old who hopes that people think of her as a very respectable girl. Her family moved from the northern region of Ghana to the nearby town of Kuati in order to find fertile land for farming. Her parents grow yam and cassava, but often do not make enough money to support Biyador and her little brother and sister. Biyador enjoys going home on the weekends so that she can help her mother take care of her siblings and do chores around the house. She even hopes to one day learn to sew so she can help make and sell clothes for her family. Biyador loves coming to school each day and especially likes taking math and Religious and Moral Education. Biyador’s favorite part about Happy Kids is having so many friends to play with after school. She especially likes playing ampe and volleyball with the other girls in the house. Biyador says that when she grow up she will be a lawyer so that she can help everyone follow the rules.

sponsored by:

Emily Blythe

Emilia has been living at Happy Kids for almost 5 years. Emilia has a younger brother and an older sister living in Gbi-Akplamafu, a nearby village comprised mainly of farmers. Her father farms maize and cassava while her mother sells water to make ends meet. Emilia is very hard-working, helpful, and serious girl. She enjoys helping her mom to do the cooking when she goes home. Banku and okra soup is the meal she likes making best, but her favorite food to eat is Jollof or yellow rice. Emilia also likes caring for her baby brother when she goes home during weekends. When she has a break at school, she loves to play clapping games or exercise to “be strong”. Her best friend is Vivian.

sponsored by:

Doug Ford

Johannes is a sweet, sensitive and brilliant boy. He has been living at Happy Kids for over eight years. Johannes came with his sister as a result of their parents living by a fishing village and being unable to care for them. Johannes and Selina would spend most of their time working to catch fish in the lake, and would often get sick as a result. Since they came to Happy Kids, Johannes has caught up very quickly in school and is well ahead of his classmates. He has a sweet, sensitive soul, and often seeks out attention and hugs. He loves reading and can often be found reading high level books on his own. Johannes wants to be a Pastor when he grows up, which earned him the nickname “Pastor John.”

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Sandra Bontty

Sandra Bontty

Sandra Bontty

Sandra Bontty

Sandra Bontty

Sandra Bontty

Sandra Bontty

Sandra Bontty

Vivian is a very bright and caring young girl. Vivian came to Happy Kids in 2011 to join her older brother Daniel. Vivian and Daniel’s parents are farmers in the village of Akplamafu who pay school fees as best as they can, but often do not have enough money. Vivian is helpful and likes doing chores at home. She especially enjoys pounding fufu or banku and helping to take care of her baby sister who just learned to walk. At school, Vivian enjoys learning new English words and practicing math. She likes when her class practices mental math facts and even practices after school so that she can remember them! She hopes to use her passion for math to become a bank manager when she grows up. Vivian likes to eat Jollof rice, but her favorite treat is a sweet green apple. Vivian says she likes Happy Kids so much because all of her friends are here and she can play with them every day. She can usually be found after school playing ampe or other hand games with her friends.

sponsored by:

Anne Taddei

Christable recently arrived at Happy Kids as a boarder because her parents were impressed with the way that her brother, Tsah Emma, was thriving. Her mother is currently a student and her father is working as a teacher. Their parents live in Alanvanyo, a farming village where there are open hostilities between two groups fighting over land. She is settling into life at Happy Kids and has started learning English. Christable is a chatterbox and is always telling silly stories in Ewe. After one month in school, she is now able to form simple sentences in English. Christable has a big personality and can be described as a playful troublemaker who is looking to have fun.

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Megan Frantz

Daniel, or Boga, as we know him is a very sweet and soft-spoken young man who joined Happy Kids in 2011 with his younger sister Vivian. Daniel’s family is originally from Togo, but moved to the local area of Gbi-Akblamafu to farm maize and pepper. Daniel has spent time with his grandmother in Togo and looks forward to when he is able to travel there once again to see her. At Happy Kids, Daniel enjoys playing football and can usually be found after school playing with his best friend Evans. Daniel’s favorite food is beans with gari and he likes eating plantains on special occasions. Daniel likes coming to school every day and his favorite subject is citizenship. He says that Happy Kids is such a good school because the teachers are good and like to teach so it is a great place to learn. Daniel wants to be a pilot when he grows up.

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Scott Zais

Bismark is our resident goofball. He enjoys coloring, drawing pictures, and reading story books. He first came to Happy Kids because his parents wanted him to have a proper foundation and a good education. His mother is a seller and he has two siblings, one older and one younger, who live in Akplamafu.  He is in the Primary 2 class at school and is doing well. Bismark’s favorite subject is math and he is particularly good at mental math. He likes numbers so much that he wants to be a bank manager when he grows up. Bismark is really excited likes the new drumming lessons and would like to learn how to play the borborbor drums. He also likes playing in the new after-school centre, particularly with the building blocks and trucks. Issac is his best friend at Happy Kids.

sponsored by:

Marjorie White-Kottra & Jim Kottra