Ghana Mission – Kinder Zentrum International School, Hobor, Ghana

My name is Jackie Lilly and am a member at Kingdom Revival Church in Ocala, Florida.

Last year, in July 2023, I had the pleasure of visiting Ghana on a pre-arranged group tour.  The visit was educational yet, at times became emotional and overwhelming, when you realize how much we in the West take for granted.

Through a friend that lives in the next country Togo, I met Antonio who was teaching at a Junior School but was about to embark and assist with the opening of a free, non-paying school in the local community.  I asked Antonio if the children’s parents were not able to pay for schooling what happened?  When he told me that they just didn’t go to school, it broke my heart.  He said that was the reason he wanted to open the free school, whereby the parents only have to pay for their own children’s lunch. I asked him to keep me updated on this venture. 

In October 2023 he contacted me to let me know that the school was soon to be opened and they were in need of school supplies for the children.  He asked if I would be able to assist them in anyway.  I told him I would seek the help of my community and went to work asking, my church, friends, family and acquaintances for donations of money, clothing, computers, printers and ink, paper, bibles, notebooks stationary, and school supplies, everything which we knew they were in need of.  Everyone was very receptive and jumped on board. 

The monies received were used to pay for the shipping costs, the barrels and some of the stationary goods and clothing items.  The computers were donated by P.C. Planet of Ocala.  Kingdom Revival Church and many of the members donated money, clothing, stationary and their time to assist me.

I then had to source a shipping company which proved more difficult than I at first thought.  Eventually I managed to find a company in Tampa, who was very helpful and gave us a reasonable price.  The service they provided was excellent, from Ocala to their warehouse in Ghana.  From here the school had to arrange their own transportation for pickup of the barrels and box to the school at their own expense.

After the school opened, Antonio provided me with an update, that on the first day of school over 100 children turned up but they only had space for 60, therefore the rest had to be turned away.  The school is currently in the process of trying to raise funds for an additional three classrooms to enable them to intake more students.

I would not have been able to do this without the help of so many people, from the donations received to the collecting and shopping for items and barrels, folding, packing and shipping of the goods.

As a result of our community work we were able to ship 2 large barrels and one large box to Ghana in June 2024, less than a year after I had visited Ghana. 

Please see some of the photos at the presentation day when the children and family members received their gifts how happy and joyful they were.  It was so nice to see the items we actually packed ourselves on them and in the hands of those to which they were sent to.

Thank you all very much for all you have done, and may God continue to Bless you.