Secondary School

Happy Kids’ key focus has always been to create opportunities for the most vulnerable children in the region, and throughout the years we have worked to create a well-rounded child-development program that includes education, skills-building, nutrition and love. As the children continue to grow older, we face new challenges in supporting them, particularly as they become young adults seeking opportunities to create their futures.

Without external family members to support each child’s continued education and the high cost of boarding, Happy Kids faces extraordinary challenges sending every child to secondary school. It costs an average of $1,200 per year to send one child to school. To address this and provide well deserving and vulnerable children with the opportunity to continue their education, we have now launched the Secondary School Scholarship Fund.

Continued education is the bridge for skilled employment that breaks the cycle of poverty, yet with less than 35% of children in rural Ghana gaining access to Secondary School, Happy Kids is not alone in struggling to provide proper resources for their children to continue their education. To date, Happy Kids has successfully supported 9 children to go to Secondary School at some of the top Secondary schools in Ghana, and has a goal of providing secondary school tuition for all Happy Kids children who cannot afford this next critical step on their own.

Every year, the children at Happy Kids get older, raising the costs of Secondary School, while also building on the potential for the Happy Kids to expand their worldview and move beyond the confines of the village. To prepare kids for Secondary School, we have implemented a strict, year long preparatory program, that includes personalized daily tutoring, and early morning and evening classes. This extra support is critical to supporting older, vulnerable children who in many cases did not receive any formal education until over the age of 10. Happy Kids also provides extra classes and tutoring to other community based children of secondary age. The kids are supported by all of the staff on a revolving schedule as they take National Secondary School Exams. They are then placed into Secondary Schools based on exam marks, and that’s where we need your help! Because most of the best secondary schools are located outside of the rural area of Hohoe, the children must go to board and live at the schools, most of which are in different regions.

Up to now, we have successfully sent 9 children to some of the best Secondary Schools in the country. They study subjects including electrical engineering, graphic design, medicine, home economics, and construction. These children have been given a chance, but more resources are needed to continue to send them to school each year, as well as the others desperately in need of support.