Since Goal Zero and Tifie Humanitarian installed the Technology Center in Kushea, Ghana, there has been a growing vitality, more progress, and many intangible impacts to the community. It has been a hub for students and teachers to access modern technology with over 100 tablets in use by 600 students each week. Because of It’s popularity and success, the administration has expanded the hours of operation to be open on weekends to accommodate the community members who want to attend adult education classes and a use the internet cafe.

We talked with Danso Yaw Ofori, the new School Administrator, who shared his excitement about the changes that have occurred in the community. Danso is new life blood for the ITC Center; his role is much broader than his title. He is serving as a mentor to the students, a resource to their families, and a leader in the community. This is his story:

What motivates you? “What drives me as a person is to create change wherever I find myself and train my student to aspire to greater heights than I have reached.”

What is the first thing you want to accomplish as the Chief Administrator? “I want to elicit the interest of students to use the ITC Center to study more and aspire for greater heights.”

What are your dreams for the center in the community? “I want the Center to bridge the gap between rural people and their counterparts in the city through technology. I want the Center to be used by other professionals in the community to expand their knowledge and training in their professions. I want to provide opportunities for people with financial need to complete their education online.”

Danso recognizes that there are very promising students in the village settings who, when given the needed push, move higher up the academic ladder, access good jobs, and secure a good future. This also affects the student’s family and the community. “It marks the kind of change that Ghana needs,” he said.

When he talks about the students in Kushea he is passionate about giving them opportunity and says, ”people should not be neglected just because they are not blessed to be born in the cities, but unfortunately, are located in rural settings where there are no lights, no good drinking water, poor roads and no access to a communication network.”

When we asked Danso about the impact of the ITC Center on the community, he told us things we expected, like; 120 students attend, 11 jobs have been created, and additional schools in the area want to participate. But there were many more intangible impact stories that don’t show up in data collection metrics.

Intangible Community Impact

• Student Pride has created increased volunteerism as students and teachers ensure the cleanliness of the grounds of the Center.
• Hope that as the Center progresses, the economic life of the inhabitants will change, especially the women, who are mainly farmers.
• Competition since every parent wants his or her child ward to participate.
• Job creation brings satisfaction and motivation for the future
• Community Ownership has developed since parents give a portion from their cocoa proceeds for the up-keep of the Center and organized communal labor keeps it clean.
• Academic Relationships with universities in Accra. Nana Prah brought Care International staff to provide training to teachers and students for one week

“The ITC Center brings more hope to the community, improves learning, brings more workers to Kushea, and brings more clients from nearby. All this culminates to enhance the image of the community and enriches the economic life of the inhabitants,” Danso Yaw Ofori said.

The ITC Center stands out as the high impact model for how sustainable power can truly transform a community and provide opportunities for success. “It’s mind-blowing to see the immediate impact for the kids. They don’t see lack, just excitement about finding ways to make something better,” King Nana says. Thank you to Goal Zero for your generous donation of product and people to create bright futures for the community of Kushea.