Sponsor a Ghanaian Student
The Yonso Project's scholarship program links donors in the US with children in rural Ghana who would otherwise be unable to attend school.
Although the government of Ghana provides primary and middle school free of charge, many children are nonetheless unable to take advantage of public education. There are several reasons why this is the case. First, the cost of even the most basic school supplies may be out of reach for disadvantaged families. Second, parents are often unable to provide their kids with more than a single meal each day, depriving them of the basic nutrition that children need in order to learn and develop. And finally, for a family struggling to feed itself, every hour a child spends in the classroom is a valuable hour of labor lost on the farm.
The Yonso Project's scholarships provide students with a uniform, a pair of shoes, one meal per day, and school supplies including a backpack, pens and pencils, and workbooks. By sponsoring a scholarship, you can provide a child with the opportunity to go to school for an entire year! Follow the “Donate” link at the bottom of this page to sponsor a student.
As a scholarship sponsor, you will be in direct contact with the student your donation supports. You will receive personal correspondence with the student though US post, as well as a copy of their grades at the end of the sponsorship term. The cost of sponsoring a scholarship to provide a child with an entire year of education is about the same amount you might spend on a hotel room or a new outfit – one hundred dollars. A breakdown of the basic costs for a scholarship for a primary (elementary) or middle school student is below:
| Backpack | $7.00 |
| Shoes | $12.00 |
| 10 Exercise Books | $5.00 |
| School Uniform | $15.00 |
| 10 Pencils and Pens | $1.00 |
| 1 Meal a Day for 10 Months | $50.00 |
| Western Union Fees | $6.00 |
| TOTAL: | $100.00 |
As in the US, public primary and middle schools in Ghana do not charge tuition. Unlike the US, however, high school is not paid for by the government. Tuition fees for high school students average nearly $300 per term, and students are routinely dismissed for not being able to pay.
We issue scholarships for high school students as well by pooling together three $100 sponsorships from three separate donors. Of course, you are also welcome to contribute the full cost of a high school scholarship -- just follow the “Donate” link below and make three separate $100 sponsorship donations; in the box labeled "Add a Message for The Yonso Project" box, note that each of your three donations are intended for one high school student.
You can find more information about the program and bios of students in need of scholarships on our Yonso Project scholars page.
If you are unable to afford a full sponsorship, please consider contributing a smaller amount – no matter the size, every donation helps! Click here to donate, or here to read about some of our other programs.