In July, 2001, Dr. Hanley led a small group from American to Ghana, West Africa. In keeping with the tradition of bringing gifts upon returning “home”, to Africa, each group member brought school supplies. The entire community of Abono Village and Trinity Cathedral Secondary School in Accra, West Africa came out to express their appreciation. This experience resulted in a commitment to the development of …….. AFRICA’S FUTURE-UMBUNTU.
The purpose of Africa’s Future – Umbuntu is to provide school fees, in targeted countries. In many countries, free public education does not exist, and fees take up a large portion of a families annual income - thus few children are able to attend school and the numbers declines drastically as children advance from between Primary to Junior Secondary and again between Junior Secondary to Senior Secondary grades.
Dr. Hanley witnessed the critical need for educational support of the students in the local villages where literacy can be as high as 60%. He made a personal commitment to the teachers at the schools and universities whenever possible to contribute funds to support individual students and provide school supplies.
There is such a thirst for knowledge seen in the eyes of the youth and to own their very own pencil is for many, a gift worth more than gold. It was apparent that access to the basic supplies we often take for granted, could have a tremendous impact on pre-college education. To that end, schools were selected in the village of Buea, Cameroon, Nyimba, Eastern Province of Zambia and Kokofu, Asante Region, Ghana. By assisting youth and supporting the educational systems in these targeted areas, the entire community benefits as literacy rates and employment opportunities are improved.