CHARITY PROJECTS

Nkabom Artist and Craftspeople Association of Accra, Ghana was founded in 2000 under the leadership of Samuel Nkrumah Yeboah. The organization began organising African music and dance events and facilitating workshops with children around Ghana to address health and environmental issues and to preserve traditional music, dance, arts and craftsmanship. In 2002, Nkabom registered as a non-governmental organization (registration number D.S.W 2216) and began to build the infrastructure needed to serve its mission – to unite artistic talent to share skills and give training to street children and orphans, creating health/ environmental awareness and education through performing arts, and building a platform for talent development in the arts. In 2006, Nkabom collaborated with Djole African Drum and Dance Company, Gethsemani Circle of Friends, and Family Services Research Center of the Medical University of South Carolina to create a music and dance drama to address HIV/AIDS in Ghana. 21 children and 19 adults from South Carolina in the U.S. came to Ghana to work with Nkabom Music and Dance Ensemble to develop a dance drama that teaches prevention and care methods for HIV/AIDS, malaria and other treatable diseases. This show was performed in three regions of Ghana and was well received. It was filmed by Ghana National Television (GTV) and screened on television in Ghana on many occasions. This work led to the start of Project Okurase, whose purpose is to build a much needed centre in the village of Okurase and address the needs of unclean water, lack of sanitation infrastructure, limited medical care, limited educational and job opportunities.

Okurase is a drum making, carving, and farming community in the West Akyem Municipal of the Eastern region of Ghana. Samuel Yeboah says, “Being born in Ghana and having been to many rural communities it was still a shock for me the first time I went to Okurase and saw the water that the people there drink. In the village I saw that despite this great drum making talent among the men and strong spirit among the 2500 people (of whom 1400 are children) who live in the village, the people of Okurase have no clean or safe water, medical care, little in the way of educational opportunities, not enough food, and few skill training opportunities. On a regular basis children die from small sicknesses that are completely treatable if medical care were available. The Chief, Baffour Ampofo, III, and the people of Okurase invite you to partner with them to build the Nkabom Centre for Skills Training and Formal Education. Nkabom is from the Ashanti word meaning unity or coming together.

Project OKURASE (Opportunity, Knowledge, Understanding, Renewed Health, Arts-Based, Skills Training, and Education) is the vision of Samuel Nkrumah Yeboah in partnership with the people of Okurase and others he has drawn in from around the world. The 4 overarching goals of Project OKURASE are to develop:
1. A model for job and skills training for youth, young adults, and women in the arts and building industry
2. A model for family and village-based formal education for nursery through senior high with .special emphasis on education of girl children
3. A family-based model of caring for orphans and vulnerable children
4. A model for sustainable architecture and building

Project OKURASE’s goals will be carried out through the building and operation of the Nkabom Centre for Skills Training and Formal Education. The Centre features 16 buildings: Skills Training, A Medical Centre, A School, Performance Training, Administration/Health Education/Auditorium, Dining/Kitchen, Performance Stage, Security Hut, Homes for village families to raise orphaned children along with their own, Recording and Yoga Studio, General Accommodations, and Accommodations for Artists and Teachers. The land was donated by the Chief and has been fully registered in Ghana to the NGO, Project OKURASE. The architectural design was completed as a service learning project by students from Clemson Architecture Centre in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. and the structural designs were done by an engineer in Ghana

Most of the Nkabom Centre will be built from environmentally friendly bricks that 9 women and 9 men from the village were trained to make. These bricks have been tested through Clemson University (USA) research and found to be very solid, strong bricks. The centre is being built by people from the village of Okurase who wish to make a better life for their children and people in their village and nearby villages, and to leave a legacy.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
There are many ways you can help bring change in the lives of vulnerable people around the world. Okurase is a good place to start, as the need is very big. We welcome people from all walks of life to join us. You may not even realize you have the skills to help but you do.

At the moment Project OKURASE is constructing the initial buildings of the Centre. In addition we are carrying out skills training programs on brick making, sewing, and education. To keep our construction and programmes going, the following are needed:

• Donations for construction of the Nkabom Centre
• Volunteers to help with building (brick layers, masons, plumbers, electricians, carpenters), health care, education of children and adults, sewing, music recording, organic farming, marketing, advertising, business, micro loans, writing, and grant writing
• Building materials
• Material for solar power or other alternative energy
• Work vehicles transporting of materials to site
• Computers for administration and computer training,
• Furniture for the buildings
• People or groups to do fundraising
• Lighting, sound equipment, PA, stage décor, and props for performances
• Projector for health and academic training
• To be remembered in your daily meditation

Africa is a continent endowed with incredible potential. She has rich culture, music, skilled artisans, and warm, welcoming, industrious people. BUT limited educational opportunities, low medical care, hunger, and poverty early loss of parents due to AIDS or other diseases has left her people disempowered to carry out this potential. Children, in particular, are in a highly vulnerable situation with little hope for their future. The problem is so large that people often think what they can do is too small to bring solutions. BUT…. the people of Okurase, Ghana say that small actions combined can solve big problems. No act of partnership is too small.

Project OKURASE Structure/ Donations
Project OKURASE is a registered charity (Non Government Organisation) in the Country of Ghana. The NGO is almost entirely a volunteer organisation. People from the village are paid for 50% of the time they put into building and they give 50% of their time as a donation to their community. Supervisors from outside the village who come in to teach building, masonry, and brick laying are paid fair local wage. 

Project Okurase UK is a registered charity in the United Kingdom (charity number 1126490) that was set up to support fundraising efforts that take place in the UK ,you can donate to the project through our bank account in the UK (details below)
www.projectokurase.org

Account Name: Project OKURASE
Account number: 53334759
Sort code: 206088
I.B.A.N.: GB49BARC20608853334759
SWIFT B.I.C: BARCGB22

Bank Address, 14 High Street, South Devon Group, Totnes Devon, United Kingdom

Gethsemani Circle of Friends is a nonprofit 501 c 3 in the United States that oversees any donations that are made in the U.S. This nonprofit also oversees a children’s West African dance and drumming company called Djole that Samuel mentors. Visit www.projectokurase.org to make a donation or write to:
Gethsemani Circle of Friends
c/o Ida Taylor
2449 Beacon Street
North Charleston, SC 29405

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN
We believe in people. We believe that we are all one family. It takes one person to have a child but it takes the whole community to take care of it. We are one global community and it will take all of us together to bring solutions to communities that do not have their basic human needs met. We invite you to join Project OKURASE. Small actions lead to big changes.

To learn more, visit our website, www.projectokurase.org or contact:

In Ghana or the UK:
Samuel Nkrumah Yeboah (Powerful)
Director of Project OKURASE
projectokurase@yahoo.com

Nana Ama Yeboah
Project Coordinator
nyeboaa@yahoo.com

In America:
Dr. Cynthia Cupit Swenson
Co-Director
swensocc@musc.edu

VOLUNTEER IN GHANA WEST AFRICA
There are many opportunities to volunteer with Project Okurase - teaching in rural communities in math, English, computer training, women empowerment projects, health-care, working in schools, orphanages, in rural communities and in cities, performing arts, theatre with children, construction work and with children in rural 
Communities - athletics and sports. We have links with a wide list of orphanages and schools. Volunteers get the authentic experience of living and working in an African village with different community projects.

LINKS
www.projectokurase.org

www.powerfuldrums.co.uk, powerful drums@yahoo.co.uk
07940179598 in UK, 00447940179598 outside the UK