2024 TMPA Spelling Bee

TMP Academy recently held our first spelling bee. It’s a thrilling thing to add new opportunities and programs for our students as they continue to grow and develop. Our teaching staff facilitated the event with Sir Hayford as the quiz master, assisted by madam Rachel and madam Melody as quiz mistress with Sir Bernard as the board master. Each class competed for three rounds.

The quiz started with the pre-school with boys competing against girls. At the end of three rounds, the girls won with a total of 34 points against their opponents who ended with 27 points. Our KG 1 and KG 2 classes competed and they ended in a tie with with both classes gaining 30 points at the end.

LOWER/UPPER PRIMARY

Basic one and basic 2 competed against each other in what ends up begin a very close outcome. Basic 1 narrowly defeated Basic 2 class by three points, ending the competition with a total of 33 points.

Basic three and basic four competed with basic three winning with a total of 47 points against their opponents basic 4 with a total of 33 points.

Basic 5 and 6 competed and at the end, basic 6 won by a total of 22 points against their opponents basic 5 with a total of 14 points.

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL .

JHS 1 and 2 competed with JHS 2 emerging winners with a total of 43 points against their opponents JHS 1 with a total of 19 points.

The quiz was target at assessing the spelling abilities of the students. The general overview of the performances indicated an improvement in the spelling abilities of the students.

2024 Project Outlook

Since we opened the doors of TMP Academy in 2018 it feels like we’ve been on a lightning pace ever since. To a certain extent, we have as we’ve opened TMP Academy followed by the cantina, restroom facility, a new wing to the school and now we’re building a new Creche classroom to facilitate our student growth. In November our team met in-person to review 2023 progress and set our planning goals for 2024.

Which leads us to an exciting announcement! Our 2024 development plan has been finalized and we have some big things on the horizon. With the focus on student achievement remaining our top priority, we feel 2024 is the right time to begin our next phase of development.

1. New Creche department classroom and restroom facility

2. Teacher housing

3. TMP Academy storeroom

4. Modernized Kitchen

5. Bakery

New Creche Department Classroom

As our student population continues to grow we have an immediate need to expand our Creche department to include a new restroom facility. The new Creche department will be a standalone structure on the TMP Academy campus with a restroom facility to ensure we have enough sanitary facilities for the full student population. By opening this new area, we will not only expand our access for our growing Creche student population but it will also free up classrooms on the campus for the growing population of our older students. Currently, the Creche department has crept into the open spaces across the campus and we will now be able to have them all together in the new facility.

We have broken ground and the project began Jan. 16th and we plan to have the new facility open by March!

Teacher Housing

Teacher apartment housing is our biggest project ever and we are thrilled to be at this point. We have been planning for this step for a couple of years and the time is finally here! Since the inception of TMP Academy we have recruited the best talent to foster a safe, caring, and inspiring learning environment and our staff answered the call by moving from their homes to areas near Tsipasi. Each teacher has to rent a room during the school year to remain close to the facility as they are not residents of Tsipasi. This also means they have to find transportation to and from school daily, usually on a motorcycle taxi.

Now that the daily operations of TMP Academy are stabilized after years for growth and development, we felt now was the right time to undertake this huge development program. The teacher housing plan consists of 20 apartments on the TMP Academy campus and will be used to house our staff members. This will provide them a safe and clean environment and will also provide the opportunity for the staff to live within the community they serve. Each apartment unit will consist of 5 apartments and we will build a total of 4 units. The total project will cost roughly $108,000 with each unit costing roughly $27,000. Thanks to generous donations that came in at the end of 2023 we have enough funds to begin building our first unit! More to come as this project develops so stay tuned.

TMP Academy Storeroom

As the school grows so does the amount of programs we are able to provide the students. This requires us to have a safe and secure location to store equipment, supplies, and other materials that enable us to function smoothly day to day. Our third development project in 2024 will be a new storage facility.

Modern Kitchen

Our incredible Head Chef Alima and her Assistant Rita have been preparing thousands of meals in the original kitchen unit that was constructed in preparation for our January 2018 school opening. Today, Alima has one room to prepare food, one storage room, and an open fire outside to cook. That sufficed when we had 50 students but no longer serves our needs now that the student population has grown to over 175 and counting!

This new modern kitchen facility will provide ample space for Alima and Rita to prepare food daily in safe conditions. They will no longer rely soley on open fire to cook as we will have a stove and refrigerator installed. The new facility will also expand our storage capacity which will allow us to purchase ingredients in bulk, lowering the meal expenses overall.

Bakery

Our final development program of 2024 will be a bakery! This bakery will not only serve our students by allowing us to prepare our own bread and other baked good, but will also serve the Tsipasi community! Our vision is to provide new jobs within the bakery for Tsipasi community members and will serve as our first venture outside of TMP Academy alone. This dual purpose bakery will play a vital role in our feeding program at TMP Academy and will also provide sustainable jobs for Women in the community. There is a lot more developing with this so stay tuned for future updates.

International Women's Day 2023

Today we recognize International Women's Day! On this special day we're encouraged to imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #EmbraceEquity.

Prior to the opening of TMP Academy, there are not Women teachers and less than 40% of the area students were girls. Since opening the doors of TMP Academy in 2018 we have achieved at least 50% of our students being girls and more than half of the staff are Women!

We are grateful today and every day for the impact the Women and girls have within TMP Academy and the community overall. They are out there doing some great work with high hopes.

To read more about International Women’s Day check out the official website.

2022 Wrap

2022 was quite the year to remember! The Move Project accomplished several incredible things last year, and we are eternally grateful to all who donated and played a pivotal role in last year's success.

The Move Project Academy staff has been working tirelessly to create a safe, fun, and effective learning environment for the students. With everyone's help, the school staff achieved remarkable success alongside the students. In June, The Move Project Academy officially opened the Adesua Wing, including the community's first-ever library. A few short years ago, the older students began school with no formal educational experience and are now near grade-level proficiency!

In 2018 The Move Project set out to create a first-class educational environment where the children of Tsipasi can learn and grow into their future. With our donor's support, the student's vision is quickly becoming a reality. This year we will build on the momentum, expand the student population to provide even more students with a world-class education, and continue to serve the families of Tsipasi.

As always, there is no The Move Project without generous donors and supporters. We thank you for engaging and look forward to your support in the upcoming year!

Tsipasi is Electric!

We are so happy to announce that the community of Tsipasi is now, finally getting electricity! The Move Project has been advocating alongside the village leadership since 2015 to get electricity and the moment has finally arrived!

This means we are now able to take the next step in getting our library and computer lab connected to the power grid. We build TMP Academy so that once power came to Tsipasi we would be able and ready to connect right away.

This has been a long time coming and we’re so excited for what lies ahead now that Tsipasi has electricity!

OC Gala 2022

The Move Project held our first-ever gala in Costa Mesa, CA on September 10th. We gathered together with supporters in Orange Count for a night of celebration of the work we've done, and shared about the future of TMP and the TMP Academy.

The event raised over $10,000, all of which will help support and expedite our work in Ghana! We couldn't be any more grateful or excited about the night and the funds raised to carry our work forward.

While this was our first gala, it won't be our last! We are planning to host a gala for our friends in Des Moines, IA in early 2023, and continue to host these in both Orange County and Des Moines going forward, as an opportunity to connect, celebrate, and dream together.

You can see photos from the gala here.

The number one way to help us create a sustainable organization doing sustainable work in Ghana is to partner with us on a monthly basis. You can donate to our work securely here.

2nd Term of 2022 is a Wrap!

Our students recently wrapped up their second term of the school year. With the start of the second term, we welcomed two new teachers, Bright and Bernard. Bright teaches Computers and Creative Arts while Bernard teaches History. We met both teachers during our visit to Tsipasi in June and were so happy to welcome them to the TMPA teaching staff.

TMP Academy has recently begun fielding both boys' and girls' soccer teams! While we've only played a few matches, TMP Academy is undefeated! We are still looking for a few generous people to pitch in and help us fund the needs of both soccer teams. You can donate directly to the cause by visiting our website.

Following our visit to Tsipasi, Ellie M. returned home and began raising funds for a new volleyball team. She met with the girls at TMP Academy and wanted to help them achieve their goal of starting a volleyball team. Ellie shared a love of the game and decided to help. You can see her fundraiser HERE and contribute to the cause.

The Board of Directors was able to join The Move Project team in Ghana for the official inauguration of the Adesua Wing of TMP Academy. Both students and staff had worked hard in preparation for the ceremony and shared poems, plays, speeches, and cultural dances. Immediately following the ribbon cutting, the team began using the new facilities. The Adesua wing opens six new classrooms and a library computer lab mix, the first library in the area!

We are grateful to the TMP Academy staff for all their hard work over this past term. The team has put in many hours throughout the year, ensuring the highest quality education for the students.

Welcome Mercy!

A new year has begun at TMP Academy and we are so thrilled to welcome more students into our classroom than we’ve ever had before! The rising student population is a testament to the high quality education the children in Tsipasi are receiving and the parents within the community are responding with excitement.

The new school year brings with it some staff changes at the Academy. Effective Feb. 1st, Mercy Korkor will be TMP Academy’s new Headmistress! Mercy has been on staff with TMP Academy since 2021 and will keep her Class 3 teaching duties while leading TMP Academy.

Mercy has been a tremendous asset to TMP Academy and we know she will continue to lead with excellence in her new role.

With this change we are welcoming two new teachers to TMP Academy this year. Doris Abuah will serve as the new Class 6 teacher. This will be the first ever Class 6 and the student’s progress has been incredible so far. Doris will lead our oldest students into uncharted territory in their educational endeavors.

We also welcome Bernard Teye Abuah who will teach Class 5. This year is a big year for TMP Academy and our staff is a shining example of dedication and high quality instruction throughout the region.

Ending the year with gratitude

As we bring 2021 to a close I wanted to share a note of gratitude with you. While we look forward to what next year will bring, it has been amazing to look back on what was accomplished this past year.

The Move Project Academy continued to grow and our school staff pursued continued education throughout the year. Each staff member brought their unique selves to the school and their students each and every day. Through their hard work and focus on their classroom we continued to see our students grow each term.

The Adesua Wing of TMP Academy was fully funded and is nearly ready for opening! We were able to raise all the funds necessary to build a new addition to the school which will provide more classroom space as well as a new library! We are so excited about this new wing and the ability to welcome even more students to TMP Academy in the coming months.

Each day we continued to provide high quality education through TMP Academy and with each day meals were provided to our students. This year we expanded our meal program to include breakfast. We have seen first hand how hunger can limit student participation and academic growth. On the flip side, we've witnessed great improvement when the students are fed and aren't having to worry about focusing while worring about their next meal.

As TMP Academy continues to work to be a gold standard in education in Ghana, none of it would be possible without your participation. Without you there is no The Move Project. I'm grateful for all of you who have followed along and participated in the various programs we have going in Tsipasi. I look forward to reporting back to you all the great updates I know are in store throughout 2022.

With gratitude,

Nick Mahlstadt
President and co-founder
The Move Project

2021 Water Ride Recap

It was incredible to have the opportunity to host an in-person Water Ride again! We were thrilled by the turnout and impact we were able to have together.

121 riders gathered in Des Moines, IA and together we raised just over $5,000 that will go directly to the work we’re doing on the Adesua Wing, which is an expansion of the TMP Academy! The proceeds from The Water Ride covered half of the cost left to fully fund the expansion, which is so exciting.

As always, 100% of the money raised at The Water Ride goes directly to our work on clean water and education. Every. Single. Penny. On that note, we’re grateful to our sponsors who help cover our costs for the ride, and also contribute to the impact we’re having in Tsipasi.

If you missed out on the ride, or want to contribute to help us reach out goal for TMP Academy, you can still give a tax-deductible donation easily and securely HERE. We are approximately $5,000 away from completing the expansion, and no gift is too small to help us meet the goal!

To see more about the event, and to stay connected, check out our social media pages.

• Instagram

• Facebook

• Twitter

Back to Tsipasi!

We recently returned from our first trip to Ghana since 2019 and it was so great reconnecting with the team! The purpose of the trip was to visit the school, meet with the TMP Academy staff, and plan for the next year. Each time we visit, the progress of both TMP Academy and those we serve is abundantly clear.

You are contributing to life changing work in Tsipasi, Ghana and it's clear that our collective participation is reshaping the future in the community. Remember, just three short years ago there was no formal education in Tsipasi and the children were going unschooled. Now, thanks to you, they are accelerating through school and some are nearly caught up!! This is amazing and a true testament to both our giving community and the teachers and students you're supporting with your donations. Together, we are reshaping what the future holds.

The work is far from complete but those of us at The Move Project couldn't be more excited about where we are today.

Over the past three years since TMP Academy launched, we’ve witnessed some amazing progress. Students who had never before been in school are now quickly catching up to grade equivalency. Daily meals are being provided to students as well as families in need throughout the community. A community farm has started to supply the school with ingredients to supplement the meal program. Five students are now being sponsored to attend Senior High school with their sights set on college. Over 10 new jobs have been created in Tsipasi through our work. Local contractors and business owners have benefited directly from work TMP has done in the community. The list goes on and on!

While we celebrate the success to date, we have more work to do and we need your help to do it. As has always been the case, there is not TMP without you!

In our most recent trip a few weeks ago, we raised funds near-live to supply 42 pairs of new shoes to students who don’t have the means to buy their own. We have begun adding breakfast for our youngest students who we learned oftentimes aren’t being fed at home to due lack of food for the family. We met a young mother who needed supplies to have her baby. That very day she gave birth to a beautiful daughter and her needs were met. The community elders hand delivered a letter of thanks for all the work TMP and our donors have done over the years and the smile on their faces was priceless.

You see, TMP Academy means way more than simply educating 140 students daily. TMP Academy serves as an outpost of hope for the community. We are working to one day not need to exist there any longer but until that day comes, we will be there, hand-in-hand with the community supporting them every step of the way.

Will you join us?

2021 TMP Academy Staff

Now that our 2021 school year is underway, we would like to introduce to your our 2021 TMP Academy staff! This group has been working diligently to prepare for this year and serve our students and their families each day. The Move Project Academy has a wonderful team!

Mercy

Rita

Bernard D

Bernard A

Hayford

Selina

Rachael

Melody

Enoch

Paul

Bridgete

Enestina

Celestina

Alima

Rita

First Term Update

The Move Project Academy re-opened on January 18th, 2021 and the first days are customarily used to prepare the classrooms by washing the floors, organizing the shelves, and other tasks to ensure the school building is ready when all students report to class. Each classroom, lead by their teacher, also prepares the school grounds by cleaning up trash and ensuring the grounds are cleared of any debris. The students who attend these cleaning sessions were rewarded with a snacks!

This year we’ve made some changes to class start times to help get the most out of our time with the students. Classes now begin at 7:30am which includes our Creche (Preschool) classroom to bring all grade levels into alignment and help prepare the younger students for the academic rigor they will experience as they advance through grade levels at TMP Academy. The teachers were happy to have implemented this system and have done a wonderful job helping students make the proper adjustments to their school day.

As our students continue to develop in their academic knowledge, we have begun to assign them into grade levels and classrooms that best suit their specific needs. This has developed into the creation of a brand new Class 5. Class 5 is the highest grade level our students have achieved and it was through their hard work and our staff’s wonderful job of teaching that they continue to advance! When TMP Academy was originally opened, formal education was not previously accessible to children in Tsipasi. So, that meant most everyone went without education. Due to the lack of access to education TMP Academy was established and each student was placed in a classroom by age, not by academic grade. In the beginning, each classroom, regardless of age, was learning from the same curriculum. As students began to advance we further divided the classrooms so they continued learning at their grade proficiency. Throughout the 2020 school year, abbreviated as it was, the highest level of classroom was Class 4 (4th Grade). Following the end of year exams it was determined that we had students prepared for Class 5. This is a wonderful achievement!

With this new achievement, we need to continue developing the grounds of TMP Academy and build a new wing to provide additional classrooms. We’ll be announcing more specifics about this plan in the coming weeks so please stay tuned.

We are now four weeks into the new year and by all accounts the year has begun with expectations high and the students and staff very excited to get back to in-person learning. Our team continues to take proper health and safety precautions and the Ghana Education Service has provided face coverings for students and staff.

Back to School!

Today TMP Academy reopens for in-person learning! As is customary in Ghana, the first day of school is a day in which the school is cleaned and grounds prepared for everyone’s return. We are excited to welcome the students back in a safe manner and look forward to watching them continue to grow.

The students of TMP Academy has continued, term after term, to make great strides in their learning adventure. As we gather again the joy is evident on the students faces. They have been patiently waiting while diligently completing their studies remotely for this day to come.

The first academic term of the school year begins today and goes through April 16th at which point we will break for end of term vacation. Our second term will begin on May 4th and run through Aug. 6th. Finally, the third term will be from Sept. 6th through Dec. 10th.

2020 - It's a Wrap!

As we wind down the year, it provides us a natural opportunity to look back over the past year and look forward in anticipation to what's to come.

In this past year, with your support, The Move Project has been able to accomplish extraordinary things! Even in the midst of a global pandemic, which impacted us all - including our neighbors in Tsipasi, Ghana - together we were able to carry forward the life changing work at TMP Academy.

In the past year we expanded our reach and now serve over 125 children. We've grown our staff, developed our nutrition program which serves the kids meals, and have leveraged TMP Academy for community programs to break the cycle of poverty through education of our K through 5 kids as well as adults in Tsipasi.

As we look back over the past year and reflect on the lives forever changed, we can't help but be wildly grateful. We're grateful that together, we are creating new realities for the children and families in Tsipasi.

And of course we're grateful for you! We are grateful that you have trusted us and our work, and have come alongside to support it.

It's with your partnership that we're able to do the work we do. It's through your giving that we were able to build a school, and it's through your continued support that we are able to expand and grow into the future.

2021 is filled with opportunity and we invite you to invest in the future of Tsipasi and support our work as we look forward to new and exciting opportunities to carry our work forward.

For a list of upcoming projects, visit TheMoveProject.org or feel free to reach out with any questions.

Thank you again.

2020 Holiday Party!

As we bring the year to a close at TMP Academy we had to end with a party! On the last day before Holiday break we brought everyone together to celebrate our progress so far, the Holiday season, and all the hard work by our students and staff. It goes without saying but 2020 was an incredibly difficult year yet our team in Tsipasi gave it all they had.

We are thankful for the support of the families in Tsipasi and for all the effort they put in to fostering education even when our doors had to be closed due to COVID-19. The parents of Tsipasi and staff at TMP Academy worked hand-in-hand to create a learning environment where the students could continue their education in a safe and healthy way. Since opening our doors in 2018 all involved in this endeavor have worked diligently to prioritize education so that the children could grow and thrive, even when faced with monstrous hurdles, the entire community came together and because of that, the students continued along their education path and furthered their development.

So, to all the families in Tsipasi who created a way forward - to all the donors who provided the funding and support - we say THANK YOU.

Above are some pictures from our Holiday party, we hope you enjoy scrolling through them.

Happy Holidays!

Star Student - Ruth

Recently, TMP Academy paused as we ended our first term of the 2020/2021 academic year. Our school, like schools all over the world, was deeply impacted by the current global pandemic. First, let us hold space for all of those around the world that have been impacted and suffered loss by COVID-19.

During the first academic term, TMP Academy saw strong student attendance and participation through our distance learning set up. The community of Tsipasi doesn’t have electricity nor are there electronic devices which we could use to help educate students. So, we relied on paper and social distancing. The TMP Academy staff did an incredible job preparing lesson plans, printing materials for the children, providing distance support throughout each week, all while ensuring a safe space for the students to engage. Without the hard work and dedication to education that the staff demonstrated, we’d be telling a completely different story.

The group of students in Tsipasi continues to shine in their educational endeavors and have demonstrated that with support, they are able to achieve so much while facing what would look to outsiders like insurmountable odds. The communities support of education has continued to help ensure that the students are supported outside TMP Academy as well.

Clement, TMP Academy’s headmaster, had this to say regarding our first term, “First term was a glorious term. New ways of teaching and learning were introduced upon which all teaching staff attended. The students were assessed based on take home exercise, class test, contribution in class, group work and learning, presentations were done by the students not forgetting Examinations.”

In selecting our Start Student, Clement goes on to say, “Out of all, we have several students who have shown drastic improvement in all subjects but one student stood out, her name is RUTH OMAN. Looking at the geographical area of the school location and their attitude and understanding towards education majority of the student has this lackadaisical attitude. But RUTH OMAN who is in grade two, never really misses anything in school. She comes to school early, helps to sweep and clean the environment and has a attitude of determination, I must say she's a go-getter and always ready to improve!”

Ruth, we are proud of who you are and all you’ve accomplished over the first term!

TMP Academy Farm

In the Summer of 2019 TMP’s Board of Directors went to Ghana to see firsthand how the work the organization has been doing, meet with community members and village leaders, host a medical clinic for the entire village, and work with our team on the ground while planning for the future. One of the longer-term goals TMP has is to have our meal program become self sustaining by growing our own crops. The goal is to accomplish this two ways; 1) grow crops that we use in our meals for the students, 2) grow crops that we can sell in the market and use those funds to supplement the cost of goods we need but can not grow.

While we were in Ghana last year, we discussed this plan with the village leadership and they agreed to provide land to begin this farming project. To kick-off this project TMP hired local farmers to prepare the land and have since provided income for weeding and harvesting. In our school farm we’ve begun by planting beans, red pepper, and okra. The harvest of beans and okra will go directly into the school meals. Red pepper is a staple of many Ghanaian meals and it is an important ingredient in meals served at TMP Academy. Our plan is to use a portion of the harvested red pepper in our meals and sell the remaining crop at the market.

All signs point to a great first harvest of the beans and okra (red pepper isn’t ready for harvest yet) and we have already begun to see a benefit to TMP Academy and the meals served each day. Tsipasi community members have been instrumental in making this first round a success and it has been wonderful working alongside them in the interest of the communities children. Stay tuned for more farming updates as we grow and develop the program.

In-Person Learning Delayed

Recently, the President of Ghana announced that the 2020/2021 in-person learning would be delayed for Nursery, Kindergarten, and Primary classes until January 2021. As these are the classes currently available at TMP Academy this announcement has a direct impact on education we provide in Tsipasi. While we wish the circumstances were different we hold the health and safety of our students and staff as the highest priority.

Knowing that any loss of instructional time will have a dramatic impact on the long-term educational development of our students, TMP Academy will continue “virtual” learning as well as the daily mail program until it is safe to re-open. You can read more about what we’re doing and how we are accomplishing this here. The staff at TMP Academy continue to do an amazing job in these incredibly difficult times and we thank them greatly for their efforts to ensure instruction persists for their students!

Water Ride 2020!

Last Saturday we held our 8th annual Water Ride and although it looked a little different, the event continues to raise funds for our work in Tsipasi, Ghana. This year has proven to be a difficult one yet the ride was still a success! We had riders all over Des Moines and Kansas City participating in our new choose your own adventure ride format due to our inability to gather in large groups.

The selfies taken throughout the event were so great to see and riders this year raised over $1,800 or clean water and education!! Even though this year’s ride is over, you still have the chance to support all year long by signing up to become a monthly desk sponsor. Sign up at www.themoveproject.org/donate and for $30/month you’ll be sponsoring a desk at TMP Academy for a student in Tsipasi.

Thank you to our riders and event sponsors for helping to make a huge impact in Tsipasi. We are grateful for your participation each and every year. Without you there would be no Water Ride.

We’ll meet up again next year but until then, see ya on the trails!