Harriet Bruce-Annan, wearer of the Federal Cross of Merit, founded the African Angel e.V. association in 2002 to support children in their homeland Ghana. These are children from the slums of Bukom near the capital Accra.
In the beginning, it was primarily about ensuring that slum children ensure safe accommodation and giving them the chance of schooling.
Under high self-engagement, Harriet collected Bruce-Annan donations and also worked as a cleaner to give hope and perspective as many children as possible. Dedicated people in the club as well as many small and larger donations enabled amazing things.
In the meantime, the African Angel project operates a small village consisting of houses, a school, farmland and workshops. You can find more details on www.african-angel.de.
The aim of the commitment is to get the children out of the slums, give them education and perspective and to open up the opportunity for vocational training or study.
„The educational offers in Ghana often do not meet the needs of the country,“ explains Harriet Bruce Annan. In this way, courses are offered that hardly offer future prospects, competencies in the craft, in agriculture and in the technical fields are hardly conveyed. In order to avoid this defect, talents are specifically trained abroad or are given the opportunity to complete a degree.
The Rotary Club Velbert has been supporting this remarkable project for many years. This is done by donating and taking over a sponsorship for a young person. “Our godchild Raphael regularly keeps contact with our club. So we can make a contribution to a monthly donation and look forward to his development, ”says Jörg Tillmanns, the president of the Rotary Club and long-time contact person to Raphael.
In addition to this long -term commitment, there are always short -term challenges. As a result of climate change, a heavy rain recently destroyed the boys‘ residential building on the African Angel campus. Roof construction, electrical installation and much more had to be renewed.
Two potential young people, Rachel and Daniel, study international business and agriculture in Kyiv. Together with Harriet, the two visited our club today. Here they reported on their studies in Kyiv, the shocking experiences when the war broke out and their escape from Kyiv via Poland to Germany.
They hope for an early end of the war and are emotionally alongside their fellow students and teachers. It is particularly noteworthy that despite the war, teaching is maintained via online media and that students are given the opportunity to take exams in this way.
The members of the Rotary Club Velbert moved these descriptions very much. There is also the conviction of using the African Angel project to provide help in a real place and to be able to positively influence life paths of young people.
An additional donation of € 1,500 was promised, which will be launched at short notice and, according to Harriet Bruce-Annan, will make a large contribution.
(The picture shows Harriet Bruce-Annan, the students Rachel and Daniel as well as the members of the Rotary Club Velbert.)