The educational system in Africa is rapidly growing but still faces many challenges including overcrowding, underfunding, and inaccessibility to necessary supplies.  In Ghana, the home country of footballer Josh Yaro, education is not accessible to all children due to various barriers.  The Josh Yaro Foundation was established as a means to combat some of these issues and give back to the communities in Ghana.  The overall goal of the organization is simple:  to ensure every child in Ghana has the basic necessities to learn, grow, and thrive as a student.

 

Growing up in Ghana, Josh Yaro noticed children absent from school as a result of not having access to basic school supplies.  Not having a pencil could be the difference between obtaining an education or dropping out of school.  Beginning winter of 2020, The Josh Yaro Foundation will deliver basic supplies to schools identified as having high dropout rates as a result of inaccessibility to such items.  Items will include pens, pencils, books, textbooks, etc.

 

Every student in Ghana is required to wear a uniform.  Unfortunately, not every child is able to afford such uniforms, and as a result, they do not attend school.  Josh also noticed some children would attend school in uniforms with holes, rips, stains, and barely being held together.  The Josh Yaro Foundation will provide uniforms to children identified by educators.

 

Lastly, the Josh Yaro Foundation aims to initiate construction of basic infrastructures, such as classrooms and libraries beginning 2024.  Currently, there are many schools in the remote parts of the country holding class outside under the trees as there is no building available.  Children must bring their own chairs and sometimes tables to school each day.  Outdoor schools face many challenges as they are exposed to outside distractions and susceptible to inclement weather, placing children at risk.  

 

As the schools in Ghana are rapidly developing, they are also grossly underfunded.  It is the goal of The Josh Yaro Foundation to supplement education in Ghana by providing basic school supplies, required uniforms, and construction of infrastructure.