About the Project
The project consisted of multiple repairs to a six-classroom block in order to open Little Angels School.
Location
Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana
Quick Project Stats
| Funding Date | February 2025 |
| Luena Investment | $5,000 (in partnership with Andrews Foundation) |
| CBO Partner | Society of Divine Mercy of Jesus (SDMJ) |
| Village | Wa |
| Country | Ghana |
| # of Children Impacted | 35 |
| Community Contribution | four plots of land; manual labor for building repairs |
Stigma Creates Barriers to Education and Social Integration
In this region, people living with HIV/AIDS are seen as evil or as having witchcraft. They also believe that when one touches or eats with an affected person one could also get the disease. Because of these perceptions, victims of HIV/AIDS are isolated, rejected, and stigmatized by family and the public. The stigmatization they experience has a negative effect on society because those who are infected are reluctant to get tested, or when they test positive, they refuse to go for counselling and treatment. This has led to an increase in the spread of the disease. Children who are infected, or whose parents are HIV/AIDS patients, are also stigmatized and isolated. Some teachers will not want to teach them, and children in the school will not want to touch them or play with them. As a result, they are not comfortable going to school and often drop out.
SDMJ wanted to create a school that would not only provide education for children who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS but would also provide a social mix, including children who do not have the disease, that will help the whole community understand what HIV/AIDS is, how it is transmitted, and what to do when infected. We see the school as a wonderful place for socialization and a perfect place to achieve our goal to eradicate stigmatization and bring about good relationships and acceptance of one another.
In order to open the school, SDMJ received a donation of land that included a six-classroom block with a kitchen, store room and pantry, toilets and bathrooms. However, the building was in very bad condition due to damage from termites.
Refurbished School Facilities Provide a Safe and Welcoming Educational Environment
The joint donation from Luena Foundation and the Andrews Foundation was used to repair the roof and classroom ceilings and to place new metal window frames and doors in the building. It was also used to repair a broken latrine. With these repairs complete, Little Angels has enrolled 35 children who are receiving quality education, and stigmatization of HIV/AIDS is being reduced in the community.
Meet our Partner Community-Based Organization
The mission of the Society of Divine Mercy of Jesus (SDMJ) is to work in the world for the holistic development of the poor and needy by providing medical treatment for the mentally ill; feeding and clothing the mentally ill; educating and sheltering abandoned children; and providing vocational skills for needy but brilliant girls.
