A spirit of giving enveloped Adelaide Elementary in Bountiful over the past two weeks, resulting in students raising $5,300 to be donated to a local charitable organization, World Joy Inc.
World Joy's founder and president, Tim Farnes, Bountiful, told the students at an assembly at the school on Friday, that he would triple the amount the students raised, making the total enough to build a school in the village of Amonomu, Ghana.
Farnes said he was amazed at the amount of money the students had raised in such a short amount of time. "It's unbelievable what they've accomplished. Hopefully this is something they'll be able to remember for years to come."
He encouraged the students to think that each time they hear a bell ring at school, that's the students in Ghana saying "thank you."
Stephen Abu Jr., a Ghanaian native, who now lives in Salt Lake City and works for World Joy Inc., joined with the children in singing some native songs and then told them their donations will help thousands of children who will be able to attend the new school over the years. He said the students at Adelaide should remember each day that they have a counterpart in Ghana attending school, and that as the children here are learning, so are the children in Ghana.
"Somebody else is your partner and will grow with you," Abu said. "The world is one. We are all brothers and sisters."
Having a school will be a tremendous asset to all the people in the village of Amonomu, Abu said. In the evenings, the building will be used for adult education programs. It will also serve as a place of shelter during severe storms, because most of the people live in mud houses.
When the school is completed, Abu promised to bring pictures and video to show the children in Bountiful what their donations helped to accomplish.
According to Michelle Berg, one of the student council advisers at Adelaide, jars were available in each classroom for students to donate money. One fourth-grade teacher made bath salts, which her students sold to raise money. The student council also sold World Joy T-shirts and bracelets made by a disabled Ghanaian girl.
"One little first-grader sold his rock collection," Berg said. "He earned over $100 and gave the whole amount. It made our days go better at school because there was such a spirit of giving. We didn't want it to end."
In addition to the money that was donated, teachers donated teaching supplies for their counterparts in Ghana.
Farnes said the school, along with three others, should be completed in July. At that time, he and others from the organization will travel to Ghana to dedicate the new buildings.
World Joy Inc. provides the money for materials and then villagers in Ghana do the work to build the facilities. Abu's father, Stephen Abu Sr., is the superintendent over the work in 13 villages in the Atiwa District in Ghana.
Since November 2005, the organization has completed water and sanitation projects, built schools, provided government medical insurance and job training.