A Message from our
Founder and Ghana Country Director
Bernard and I love this time of year when we get a chance to highlight all the accomplishments of 2023. We are excited to share that the Care Center in Kumasi has undergone extensive maintenance over the last year. While truckloads of concrete and lumber were delivered for the major projects, the Touch A Life students unleashed their artistic talents, creating and painting bright murals in the dorms and Art Center. These murals are a reflection of who they are as Africans and show how far they have come as individuals. They continue to amaze us all with their skills and talent, as well as their willingness and enthusiasm to work together as a team.
The self-sustaining projects continue to expand and produce. We started a pig farm and quickly advanced to chickens, but it’s our catfish farming project this year that may earn us some bragging rights. We are so proud that our team has effectively utilized every inch of the ten acres at the facility to meet the rising needs of a thriving program and offset skyrocketing inflation in Ghana.
Bernard and I agree that the true heroes of our organization are the dedicated staff in Ghana who continuously show up day after day for the children in our program and make our jobs manageable. I want to take this time to acknowledge that Bernard just celebrated his 10th anniversary in June of joining the team. He has been a fantastic leader, and working alongside him has been a privilege.
Together, we sincerely say thank you. We couldn’t have done this without your generous and continuous support for the last 16 years.
Pam Van Dorn Cope, Founder
& Bernard Fianku, Ghana Country Director
2023
Accomplishments
What A Wonderful Year!
2023 was a wonderful year for Touch A Life, starting with a major maintenance overhaul of the Care Center. From resurfacing Opportunity Court to installing new ceilings and fans in the dorms to launching ongoing expansion of our kitchen, the Care Center is more beautiful than ever before!
Catfish & Tilapia Farm
We are also overjoyed at the addition of a catfish and tilapia farm to the Care Center this year!
Visitors Back to the Care Center!
We were thrilled to reopen the campus to guests and volunteers this summer for the first time since 2020. Artists, counselors, teachers, medical professionals, and more poured out time and love at the Care Center in so many ways by providing the following services:
- Dental cleanings for students and staff
- Reading assessments
- Online safety classes
- Photography and screen printing classes
- Implemented new art healing curriculum for all students at the Care Center, provided by our friends at Art Feeds (artfeeds.org)
- New murals (check out a few of them featured on the cover) painted through-out the Care Center
Welcome
Selorm Nyamalor!
Another great addition to our Care Center in 2023 was the hiring of Selorm Nyamalor, Director of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support. She specializes in education that brings about holistic transformation to the mental, social, and emotional needs of each student. Selorm develops customized care plans with a trauma-based approach to meet the healing needs of each child at the Care Center.
The Children
Are Growing up!
From elementary to college graduates, our Touch A Life Children are growing up and we need your help to continue to support their growth.
The Need
Make An Impact This Year
Over the last 10 years, our Care Center has continued to grow and meet the needs of over 100 trafficked and vulnerable children in Ghana. Because of your support, our self-sustaining projects are growing and meeting the needs of not only our students, but of the nearby communities as well. With your continued generosity, we will be able to add the following equipment necessary to continue our self-sustaining efforts:
GROUND TILLER
$5,200
A fuel-operated machine used to break up the hard soil around the Care Center into loose dirt that is suitable for plant cultivation.
FISH FEED GRINDER
$1,300
Used for grinding feed mixtures into fine powder that can be easily digested by the catfish in our new catfish pond!
MULTI-GRAIN GRINDER
$5,200
For grinding whole grain wheat, corn, millet, and sorghum into powder for feeding poultry and will aid in processing corn for meals at the Care Center.
Storage Shed
$20,000
Construction of storage shed for all of the new equipment.