Sponsors Needed for Project 500

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By Staff Report-

NORTH MANCHESTER- Pastor Tim Morbitzer of Victory Christian Fellowship,  North Manchester, traveled to Ghana, West Africa, in September, where his oldest daughter, Sarah Joy Morbitzer, is volunteering.

As a result of his experience, Morbitzer has begun “Project 500”, an endeavor to find sponsors for the poverty-stricken, at-risk children attending school at Challenging Heights.

“While there I was able to meet many of the 500 plus children at the school, as well as many of the staff members and James Kofi Anan, the founder of the ministry,” Morbitzer said.

Kofi Anan started Challenging Heights in 2003, with hopes of rescuing children from modern-day slavery in the fishing industry.

Kofi Anan, who was the youngest of 12 children born to their illiterate parents, was enslaved at 6 and worked 17-hour days with scarce food or shelter - and constant abuse.

He escaped seven years later, but couldn’t read or write. At 14, Kofi Anan befriended some kindergartners to use their books to teach himself how to read and write.

He worked hard to feed himself and eventually earned enough to pay for school, where he broke several scholastic records.

“The poverty in Ghana is tremendous, but the people are very friendly and out-going,” Morbitzer said.

“The kids are truly amazing – they work hard and they reach out to you.”

When he met with Kofi Anan, Morbitzer said that the church would like to help them in some way with monthly support.

A few weeks after he arrived back home Kofi Anan sent an e-mail to Morbitzer asking if he’d had time to think about the offer to help the school.

The $120,000 yearly budget for the children weighs heavily on Kofi Anan and anything that could be done to help would be, and is, greatly appreciated.

Morbitzer started thinking about the email, and as he prayed an idea came to him. It would only take 500 people, perhaps reading this article, to realize that they can sponsor a child for $20 a month.

For many people, $20 is the equivalent of eating out just once, or the amount they spend on coffee in a week, but the kids going to the school can’t afford it.

Currently, the school does not have a lot of donor support. Finding sponsors for the children who attend Challenging Heights would mean that the money Kofi Anan is currently giving to pay school fees, buy books and uniforms, etc., could be used to hire more teachers or build more classrooms.

The existing classrooms typically hold 50 or more children with three to four students often sharing a single desk.

It would also remove the burden many of the parents feel, as more than 54 percent of people in Ghana live on less than $2 a day.

After Morbitzer received the email from Kofi Anan, he told his daughter Sarah he was going to do what he could to help find 500 sponsors in this area.

Of the 500 plus students, approximately 125 have been rescued from modern-day slavery.

About another 125 to 250 children were figured to be targets for slavery and likely won’t end up in that because they are going to school and being educated.

Most of the other 125 kids come from extreme poverty in the local community of Winneba.

The kids at Challenging Heights study the core curriculum (reading, writing, arithmetic), they have classes that incorporate physical education, and they are taught some trades.

For more information about Project 500 or to sponsor a child, visit www.victorynm.org/Project500 (or contact Nikki at [email protected] or 260-982-8357).

For more information about Challenging Heights, visit their website at www.challengingheights.org

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NORTH MANCHESTER- Pastor Tim Morbitzer of Victory Christian Fellowship,  North Manchester, traveled to Ghana, West Africa, in September, where his oldest daughter, Sarah Joy Morbitzer, is volunteering.

As a result of his experience, Morbitzer has begun “Project 500”, an endeavor to find sponsors for the poverty-stricken, at-risk children attending school at Challenging Heights.

“While there I was able to meet many of the 500 plus children at the school, as well as many of the staff members and James Kofi Anan, the founder of the ministry,” Morbitzer said.

Kofi Anan started Challenging Heights in 2003, with hopes of rescuing children from modern-day slavery in the fishing industry.

Kofi Anan, who was the youngest of 12 children born to their illiterate parents, was enslaved at 6 and worked 17-hour days with scarce food or shelter - and constant abuse.

He escaped seven years later, but couldn’t read or write. At 14, Kofi Anan befriended some kindergartners to use their books to teach himself how to read and write.

He worked hard to feed himself and eventually earned enough to pay for school, where he broke several scholastic records.

“The poverty in Ghana is tremendous, but the people are very friendly and out-going,” Morbitzer said.

“The kids are truly amazing – they work hard and they reach out to you.”

When he met with Kofi Anan, Morbitzer said that the church would like to help them in some way with monthly support.

A few weeks after he arrived back home Kofi Anan sent an e-mail to Morbitzer asking if he’d had time to think about the offer to help the school.

The $120,000 yearly budget for the children weighs heavily on Kofi Anan and anything that could be done to help would be, and is, greatly appreciated.

Morbitzer started thinking about the email, and as he prayed an idea came to him. It would only take 500 people, perhaps reading this article, to realize that they can sponsor a child for $20 a month.

For many people, $20 is the equivalent of eating out just once, or the amount they spend on coffee in a week, but the kids going to the school can’t afford it.

Currently, the school does not have a lot of donor support. Finding sponsors for the children who attend Challenging Heights would mean that the money Kofi Anan is currently giving to pay school fees, buy books and uniforms, etc., could be used to hire more teachers or build more classrooms.

The existing classrooms typically hold 50 or more children with three to four students often sharing a single desk.

It would also remove the burden many of the parents feel, as more than 54 percent of people in Ghana live on less than $2 a day.

After Morbitzer received the email from Kofi Anan, he told his daughter Sarah he was going to do what he could to help find 500 sponsors in this area.

Of the 500 plus students, approximately 125 have been rescued from modern-day slavery.

About another 125 to 250 children were figured to be targets for slavery and likely won’t end up in that because they are going to school and being educated.

Most of the other 125 kids come from extreme poverty in the local community of Winneba.

The kids at Challenging Heights study the core curriculum (reading, writing, arithmetic), they have classes that incorporate physical education, and they are taught some trades.

For more information about Project 500 or to sponsor a child, visit www.victorynm.org/Project500 (or contact Nikki at [email protected] or 260-982-8357).

For more information about Challenging Heights, visit their website at www.challengingheights.org

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