4th Grade Thank Yous

We were recently asked to present the mission of The Move Project to a group of fourth graders at Whittier Elementary in Indianola, IA. The class specifically wanted to hear about our clean water projects in Ghana.

A few weeks prior to our visit, they had discussed the global water crisis. In each classroom the kids were given an article on this crisis that they read and discussed as a group. Once they were finished, we came in to facilitate additional conversation on how important clean water is to people, especially since we take this item for granted in the United States. With pictures, stories of meeting people in the villages we serve through our projects, and demonstrations, the children were able to further engage with the topic.

It is staggering the amount of people globally that do not have access to clean water! It is currently estimated that roughly 358 million people are without access in Africa alone. We discussed how lack of access to clean water impacts children just like them. In Africa, women and children spend about 140 million hours a day just collecting water. In most cases, the water they are collecting is contaminated and causes illness when consumed, which keeps kids out of school. If kids are out of school, they aren't properly educated. Without proper education their lives are profoundly negatively impacted. This cycle plays a significant role in the extreme poverty we still see today.

 Having access to clean water disrupts that cycle.

We spent our time with these elementary children talking about how we can help. There are very practical things they can do as children to impact the lives of other children on the other side of the world. They were also able to carry a jar of water on their heads to get a better sense of what collecting water really means in Africa. As they learned, it's not as easy as turning on the faucet or getting a drink out of the fountain.

We received some wonderful questions from the children following our visit that we'll be responding to this week on our Facebook page. We also received some very creative and colorful Thank You cards which we'll highlight on our Instagram account (@The_Move_Project) with the hashtag #4thGradeThankYous. Give us a follow to see the wonderful creations!

TMP Academy Construction Update

Work on The Move Project Academy has begun! We broke ground on Monday, April 13th with a ceremony with the Chief of Tsipasi, Mr. Nene Azagodo Kabu.

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TMP Academy groudbreaking with Chief Nene Azagodo Kabu

We are thrilled to see the beginning stages of what was once just a vision on paper spring to life. We have heard on multiple occasions from Michael (pictured above in TMP t-shirt), our TMP Ghana representative, how excited the village of Tsipasi is to have the school project underway. In January we discussed with the village leaders what the next step were as we partner with them to break the cycle of poverty in this rural area.

The obvious need was access to a quality education. 

Following the groundbreaking on April 13th, the crew got right to work! 

Today, the village provides what they can for the roughly 167 children that need schooling. As a community partner, The Move Project is investing in the long term with this village and we are honored to provide a high-quality education for the next generation. We strongly believe that access to education is paramount in the fight against poverty.

We originally joined with Tsipasi by installing a clean water well in order to disrupt the poverty cycle. Now that the well is in and working beautifully, our next move is the school project.

As you can see, we are tackling the very large issue of poverty one step at a time. The projects that we've undertaken are specific to the village as it relates to their needs but you'll notice a general pattern: Water > Education > Sustainability

We believe that by joining hands with the village as a partner, we can have lasting impact that will bring about significant change. Click HERE to learn more about Tsipasi.

We would be honored if you would join us by donating to the work we're doing in Ghana. We posted the line item budget a few weeks ago for the Academy that outlines where the fund will be going. You can click HERE to see that post. 

Tsipasi Community Profile

We recently introduced our partnership with the village of Tsipasi. At the time of our introduction we were just beginning to cultivate what we hoped to be a lasting partnership with the community. Since then we have created a strong bond which has allowed us to come alongside the people of Tsipasi and link arms in the work to eliminate poverty, one project at a time.

Tsipasi is primarily a farming community with a population of about 2,915. The community relies on crops of okra, peppers, tomatoes, maize, and cassava for their sustenance and economic well being. They also raise livestock such as cattle, turkey, goat, guinea fowl, and sheep, also on a small scale. 

Water in the Ewe language (one of the original languages spoken in the area) is “Tsi’ - Tsipasi means an area where water is in abundance. 

It is ironically tragic that the name of the village means an area where water is in abundance, yet prior to the well being installed they did not have access to clean water.

We changed that!

They USED TO draw their water from a "nearby" stream, which did not provide safe drinking water. The stream is about 500 meters, or one third of a mile from the village.

Prior to the installation of the well, the local children had to travel for water in the mornings before school. Because the community is a farming village, their dwellings are very scattered. Many children have had inconsistent access to education due to the distance some of these children lived from both the school and well.  

There are also neighboring villages that now have access to clean water thanks to the newly installed well. 

The impact of just one well has been tremendous!

In January we made our first trip to Tsipasi to see the completed well and meet the villagers and community leaders, continuing to form lasting relationships. Our vision is to establish deep roots in the communities we serve, standing with them for as long as it takes. We are about empowerment through partnerships, not dropping in, patting ourselves on the back, and leaving. 

We have two next steps which we consider to be immediate needs.

First, we need to continue with our purification work to remove salt from the well water. Tsipasi sits relatively close to the ocean and because of this there are traces of salt in the ground water. We have already begun the work necessary to remove the salt and provide the community and its neighbors fresh and good tasting drinking water. If you'd like to partner with us in our on going water projects, you can do so by signing up for either our Indoor Water Ride at the Indianola YMCA on April 11th, or our signature Outdoor Water Ride which will be held on Saturday, May 16th.

As with all our Water Rides, 100% of the proceeds will go directly to funding our ongoing water projects.

Secondly, Tsipasi has a desperate educational need. Currently, the community has roughly 167 school aged children in need of a formal education. We believe that education is a vital path to combating poverty and providing a way to improve the future. To that end, The Move Project is pleased to announce the founding of The Move Project Academy!

Our Academy will serve the children of Tsipasi and surrounding communities by providing them quality education that will enable them for future success. As you can imagine, this is a tremendous undertaking and we're asking for you to partner with us through this endeavor.

In our last blog post, we introduced our new campaign which we've called The Move Advocates. The commitment of becoming a Move Advocate is to donate $100 per month. This contribution will be used to ensure sustainability and success of this and other projects, and will allow The Move Project to increase the scope of our poverty eliminating work.

Click HERE to become and Advocate today. It's as easy as setting up a recurring donation.

In the coming weeks, we will begin to outline the costs we anticipate to begin building The Move Project Academy as well as the costs associated with the daily operations. Our initial plan is to staff the Academy with five teachers which will provide one teacher per classroom plus a Head Master to oversee the daily operations. 

We can't do it alone, but we can do it together. Partner with is to revolutionize the future of our friends and neighbors in Tsipasi.  

The next move is yours!