ABOUT SKYHIGH FOR GHANA
Here at Skyhigh For Ghana, we see the value in everyone: young or old, boy or girl, pale or dark skin.... Every person should have the opportunity to make their life worthwhile, no matter where you are born.
​
We want to be a catalyst for positive change in the poor rural area of inland Ghana: specifically in the area around the village of Kyirimankane. This is an area that has hardly received any support from national or international organisations yet.
The people in these villages deal with major challenges every day: such as: water supply, sanitation, education, employment and communication.
Being convinced that these challenges can no longer be contemporary, we want to be hands-on problem solvers who offer perspective and are willing to take risks. Through these educational and economical charity projects, we are convinced that we can fight poverty in Africa, however small-scale our efforts may be.
​
Skyhigh For Ghana emerged out of common intrest of two people: Hedwig Van Doninck and Gwenn Goormans, in the pursuit to inspire and support this particular community, and a desire for actions to speak louder than words.
MEET THE TEAM
CEO Project Skyhigh 2.0
Project Founder
CEO of Project Skyhigh 2.0
Gwenn Goormans
Project Founder
CEO of GG Management
Kwaku Acheampong Boamah
Retired - Worked for 29 years for the Belgian NGO : FOS.
Project facilitator of COLISO
Project Facilitator
​
Samuel
Osei Kwaku
Head Teacher of
Skyhigh Basic School
OUR VISION
Cooperation over multiple years
​
We want to work in this region for a long time and achieve a gradual growth in the quality of life of the local population. We want to get to know the local people and build long-term relationships with them.
​
They determine the projects
Close contact with local authorities, village chiefs allows us to identify priorities together and draw up a multi-year plan and gradually adjust it to their demands. It is the villagers themselves who determine which project will be realised and in what order.
​
The school first
​
Thus, at the request of the parents of the many children in Kyirimankane, we started in 2021 with the first, most urgent project: the construction of a primary school in the village. In February 2023, the construction was completed and the school opened, unfortunately without any furniture, teaching materials, electricity, textbooks or school uniforms. There is also a shortage of teachers who will not be sent to the village by the government until basic accommodation is provided for them, for which we then need water and electricity.....
​
Impossible to carry these projects alone
We quickly came to the realisation that the needs are much greater than what we had initially estimated and that this (and future projects) cannot continue to be borne solely by 2 private individuals. We hope that our families, friends and acquaintances, but also Flemish schools, companies and other organisations put their backs into this project for the coming years.
That way, together we can 'really' achieve something tangible and make a difference for this oh-so-cheerful and colourful community!
Conversely, a collaboration or contribution can have an added value or valuable meaning for our Flemish schoolchildren, employees, or even customers of your company.
MEET SOME OF OUR STARS
Kelvin
Age : 7
Wants to become a doctor
Fatimatu
Age : 5
Wants to become a nurse
Owusua
Age : 7
Wants to become a fashion designer
Ajara
Age : 11
Wants to become a nurse
Emmanuella
Age : 7
Wants to become a teacher
OUR PROJECTS
We need expertise
​
Kyirimankane and the surrounding villages actually need help in all areas. At their request, we started with the primary school but soon found that solving 1 problem often involves creating a number of other problems.
We therefore soon want to start a new project with economic objectives with the intention of financially supporting the other, humanitarian, educational and sanitary projects.
The economic project will be set up in the form of a goat farm, which is a much sought-after consumer product in Ghana, with much demand and little supply.
It is therefore our great wish that the finalisation of the school and especially the support for the organisation of the school, the follow-up of the pupils and the supply of didactic material, can be supported by Flemish schools, companies and the general public. In this way, we not only hope to create a better-functioning school faster, but we also want to call on all the expertise and know-how that our Flemish schools and companies have built up in the meantime regarding education and didactic material (because, to be honest, we know very little about that ourselves)
​
2022 Project - building the primary school
​
(finalisation phase by Flemish schools and companies)
We would like to tell you all about this on the other page : here
​
2023 Project - building the goat farm
(start-up phase)
We would like to tell you all about it on the other page : here
​
2024 and beyond
​
The following projects are still on the list
​
-
Building accommodation for teachers so that we can recruit the missing teachers through the Ghanaian government (accommodation is a prerequisite for support)
-
Building the secondary school (first 3 classes) and nursery school
-
Setting up a sanitary block for all school buildings
-
Organising a scholarship programme for bright students
-
Organising automated water supply using water pumps and taps
-
Organising a waste management system and raising awareness about it
-
Organising basic medical care (doctor, dentist, midwife, ....) - hopefully by local students who we want to let continue their studies through the study grants and try to move back to their villages.
MEET OUR SPONSORS
.png)
Your name here ?
Yes please ! Feel free to contact us for more info
Your name here ?
Yes please ! Feel free to contact us for more info
Your name here ?
Yes please ! Feel free to contact us for more info
WHERE WE WORK
Ghana
​
Besides being known for its lush forests, diverse wildlife and miles of sandy beaches along a scenic coast, Ghana is also a country steeped in history, which hasn't always been so rosy for local residents. In the 17th century, for example, many slaves were traded in the various slave forts that can still be visited today on the coast.
The economy has also been challenged in the ensuing years of political turmoil, with another economic low in 2022 when the country was declared bankrupt and the associated disastrous devaluation of the local currency.
Despite the setbacks, it is a country with cheerful and colorful residents and there are urban areas (eg around the capital Accra) that are slowly starting to grow economically.
Our working area, however, lies in the poor rural villages in the interior, where hardly any aid organization or government representative has ever been.
These are the regions where the basic needs of the people, especially children, are not met, where people still have no access to toilets or running water and where electricity and education are luxury products.
Kyirimankane a village that cannot be found in Google
​
If you search for this small village in Google you will not find anything. The nearest town is called 'Akim Oda' (shown on the map) and it is a 30 min epic jeep ride to the village.
No one really seems to know what the correct spelling of the name is and we had to learn to pronounce it as 'tchieriemankennie' :)
​
It is a rural community of about 1,000 population located in Akyemansa District in the Eastern Region of Ghana. There was no basic school in the community, and so, the children in the community had to walk for long distances to the next two towns to have their education on daily basis.
The people are extremely poor in this village. Not many of them have a job and their kids get poor or no education at all. There are no running water distribution facilities and no toilets. People live in small huts and live and sleep with several family members in the same rooms.
​
​
​
​
​
​