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What is the Manye Foundation, N.G.O.?

The Manye Foundation is a small non-governmental organization (NGO) that assists migrant families in Kpone Barrier, Ghana, West Africa. The main operation of the foundation is overseeing a primary school that offers a merger of traditional and enhanced curriculum. The foundation also administers other programs with the goal of accessible, relevant, and enjoyable education. We are a small organization that relies on volunteer work, local support, and hard work. Although we try to lay out our programs in a systematic order, you should recognize that beyond Manye Academy, many of these services are provided informally, as a need arises. As we expand, more of our programs are becoming fully integrated and institutionalized.

The Manye Foundation, N.G.O. has officially signed a memorandum of understanding with World Partners in Education (WPE), an official U.S. educational partner, so donations can be made through WPE and will be tax deductible.

Our Community

The Manye Foundation is located in a squatter settlement of migrant families in Kpone Barrier, Ghana. We are right along the prime meridian, right along the Gulf of Guinea coast in the middle of West Africa. We are on the outskirts of Tema, Ghana’s main port east of Accra. Kpone (pronounced ‘Pohn’) is the name of a nearby fishing village on the other side of the main road between Accra and Togo. The ‘Barrier’ comes from the police barrier along that main highway, established under Jerry Rawlings to stop armed robbers.

Many wealthy Ghanaians are beginning to build homes in our village, providing jobs for the squatters, yet eventually forcing them to move out. Presently, most family members make cement blocks, are carpenters, or electricians for housing construction. Some family members are “rag-pickers,” individuals who scavenge through the “boiler” (dump) for resalable goods. Nearly all farmers also farm, including goats, peppers, and other crops.

Contact Information

Mailing address:	Manye Foundation, N.G.O. P.O. Box co 1977 Tema Ghana
Telephone:	+233 (20) 815-1650
Email:	foundation@manye.org

Or Contact us Online.

Staff

The following staff list is incomplete at the moment. We are presently awaiting new volunteers and hiring teachers for the coming year.

Executive Director of the foundation and Headmaster of Manye Academy:	W.D. Kabutey Nartey headmaster@manye.org
Assitant Director:	Ben Schwartz ben.schwartz@manye.org
Nurse:	Madame Emma Nartey
Tenured Teaching Staff:	Ms. Doris
Volunteers:	Depends on season. Updated at start of new school year.

Ben Schwartz, called Mr. Ben by students and parents, a recent Dartmouth College graduate, from Maryland, USA, is a Lombard Fellow at Manye Foundation, a fellowship grant provided by Dartmouth College’s John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding. This website and efforts described within are a joint effort between Mr. Kabutey and Mr. Ben, with the help of other volunteers, gift providers, and other partnerships.

Guiding Principles and Goals

The Manye Foundation is guided by the principle that all children have the right to dream, create, play, and learn. We believe that when teachers have fun teaching, students have fun learning. Furthermore, we believe that education must be accessible, creative, and enjoyable. Accordingly, we believe that education need not stay in the classroom, but in fact we must emphasize and enhance the education that occurs in all we do. Finally, we believe that education empowers people to best inform their decisions and improve their lives. To this end, we believe education is critical to the creation of civil society and to the development of the community and nation.

Our goal is to provide all children and families in the community with a quality education, irrespective of a family’s socio-economic situation. We also work to provide access to important resources, including, but not limited to, information, healthcare, and civic engagement.

Programs and Events

The main work of the foundation surrounds Manye Academy, a center for learning in the village. Today, Manye offers a range of educational programs and events to the migrant families of Kpone Barrier. Check out all of our programs on our Current Programs page and some of the recent happenings on our Community Events page .

History and Achievements

The Manye Foundation was established in 2002 by W.D. Kabutey Nartey of Ada, to serve the needs of a growing and changing community in Kpone Barrier. Manye Academy was founded simultaneously with the motto, “Education for Efficiency.” In the past two years Manye Academy has double in size, and continues to see rapid growth. Consequently, Manye has broadened its services. In 2005, the foundation began teaching the computer at a nearby home, although electricity was unavailable in the immediate area. The foundation also has a history of providing agricultural assistance to the mirgrant farmers in the area and has been recognized for its successes in agriculture.

How we use your gifts

The Manye Foundation uses your gifts directly for programs that serve the Kpone Barrier community. Unfortunately, at the moment, your gift is not tax deductible. We are presently just registered with the Ghanaian government, however, we are in the process of registering for 501c3 status in the US. Every gift is made securely online using PayPal. Read more about how Manye uses your gifts.

Movie: Why Manye?

View this short quicktime movie to get a glimpse in the why Manye Foundation exists, Why it provides the services it does, and Why you should support the education of children in Ghana.

About this website

This website was designed by Mr. Ben specifically for the Manye Foundation. He is a volunteer at the foundation and the assistant to the director. He posted it online August 2006 in hopes of spreading the news about the foundation and give Manye a virtual home on the internet where people across the world can show their support. It is his first website, so if you have comments or questions about the site, its content and layout, or about the Manye Foundation, please contact us.