SmartKids Foundation

Academic

In the summer of 2004 the SmartKids Foundation started its work in Ghana by selecting the first batch of 34 bright and needy children. At that time 24 of this group were admitted to the first grade of Senior High School (SHS), 5 started in Junior High 2 (JHS) and 5 started in Junior High 1.
After selection, all signed our Pledge, a written promise in which it is  stated among other things  “to be co-responsible for the SmartKids program from that moment on” and to “donate at least 1% of my income to the SmartKids Foundation as soon as I start making money”.

Of the 24 older selectees 2 dropped out while in SHS, for personal reasons. The 22 others completed SHS in 2007, most with very good grades.

In 2008 out of those 22, 11 started at universities and polytechnics. 7 more followed in 2009-2011. We have not heard from the other 4 after they completed SHS.

In 2010 5 more SK’s graduated from SHS; Rashid Abdullai made 6 A’s on his final exam, making him number two in the country. 3 of those 5 are now in University, Rashid is studying Medicine. The other two are awaiting placement and sponsorship.

The youngest group (of 6) that started in 2004, are waiting for their SHS final exam results at the moment.

Some of the first selected smart kids, in 2004

In 2007 we selected a second group of kids, this time 16. Fifteen of them started at the JHS1 level, one at SHS 1. In 2010, those 15 completed JHS; half of them had excellent grades and were placed at Class A Secondary Schools, 5 had very good grades and went to Class B schools and 3  just had good grades and were placed in Class C schools.  At the moment those 15 are all in the final phases of SHS1. The one 2007 selectee that started in SHS1 is waiting for her SHS exam results at this moment.

In 2008 we selected another 15 new smart kids. In the summer of 2011 they await their JHS exam results (BECE).

In 2009 and 2010 again we selected 15 and 16 kids respectively. They are now in JHS 1 and 2.

around 75 smart kids at annual meeting in June of 2011

All in all, from 2004 to 2010, the SmartKids Foundation selected 96 children of which 2 dropped out prematurely.  The selected kids are from all over Ghana, as can be seen on the map below (click to enlarge).

Ghana map with all smart kids, selected from 2004 to 2011

Organizational

Our organization consists of an International Board (in Holland and all Dutch, for fund finding and policy making), a board of recommendation, a National Board in Ghana (hardly active any more, except for some individual members) a Junior Board in Ghana (see below) and a National Coordinator (the only hired hand the foundation has).

One of the promises smart kids make signing the pledge when they enter our program is “to be co-responsible for the SmartKids program from this moment on”. This means that the leadership of the foundation hands over more and more responsibilities to the kids. The older they get, the more they should take over. Combined with the other major promise in the pledge – I will donate at least 1% of my income to the SmartKids Foundation as soon as I start making money – this should lead (if the beneficiaries stick to their promises) to total self sustainability in the future. Which is one of the main aims of our Foundation.

4 members of the SmartKids Junior Board and coordinators in 2011

In 2007 a Junior Board was elected by the smart kids themselves, consisting of 5 older members. They took over responsibilities from that moment on. From 2008 on they organized the Annual Meetings and the selecting of new beneficiaries. With the help of many other smart kids. From 2010, they are also made responsible for the Ghanaian part of the content of our website. From September 2011, they promised be responsible for our newsletter.  Some smart kids, mainly those in Kumasi, have also been assisting the National Coordinator with her duties. While more beneficiaries were selected, the organizational workload has been growing.  That is why in the spring of 2011, when hiring a new National Coordinator, we decided to hire an Assistant National Coordinator as well. Both work on a part time basis.

Financial

From 2004 to 2010 the foundation paid all school related bills for our beneficiaries in JHS and SHS; school fees, boarding fees, feeding, uniforms and in many cases even travel expenses. And although we consider secondary education our “core business” (this is where the major drop out happens in countries like Ghana), we were able to support some of our older kids attending university. From 2008 to 2011 five smart kids were supported with a full scholarship (study fees, boarding, materials and feeding), while 7 received partial support. Despite of the fact that we were not able to help everyone, nearly all continued their education at the tertiary level.

In 2011 this will be changing both at the secondary and the tertiary level. Due to our inability to find enough funds to continue our policy of selecting 15 new kids every year, we already decided to skip the selection for 2011-2012. If that won’t bring enough financial relief, we will have to cut on our tertiary sponsorship expenses.

For our existing JHS and SHS program we will try our utmost for all smart kids to complete their education at the institute they are in at the moment. In case of having to cut on these expenses too, we will  do so according to the following guidelines:

1. Academic Performance (decided upon by the educational institute)
2. Relative Poverty among peers (decided upon by the kids themselves)
3. Smartkidsness (personal contribution to the foundation, decided upon by the leadership)

This will result in 3 order lists per peer group; the combination of those three list will decide in which order our kids will be supported, in case of lack of financial means.

Our 2010 selection, for which we didn't find a sponsor yet. You want to support them?

If you want to help us support our kids in continuing their education, you can do so with a financial contribution. Click here to get to our donations page: http://www.smartkidsfoundation.nl/what-can-you-do/322-2

(For now transfers will be made to an account that is in one of our board members name, Ruud Nassette. From this account money will be transferred to the SmartKids Foundation account.)

Major challenges

1. Funding.
2. Will the smart kids stick to their promises?
3. Will it be possible to keep the selecting process objective? In other words, how can we make sure the brightest and poorest kids will be selected in the future, instead of brothers, cousins or other members of their community?

Any suggestions on how to deal with these challenges best, especially 2 and 3?

At this years Annual Meeting a play was staged, based on this story.

‘Grandpa’, said Konka. ‘Please tell about the old times again!’ Grandpa Shadrack laughed and switched off the television. ‘I will have to leave for the hospital shortly. But okay, just for 15 minutes.’

Konka made himself comfortable on the rickety and creaky old couch and snuggled up to his grandfather. His little sister Sarah also joined in and sat herself down with them.

Grandpa, Konka and little sister on the `couch`

‘A long, long time ago there was this little boy. This little boy was very thin and also ill very often. All because he had barely enough food to eat and because he had to work very hard after school. His parents hardly had any money so there was always very little food at home for him and his siblings.

The little boy did not think that was strange. Not at all, there were many boys like him all over the country. To him it seemed like it was supposed to be that way. That’s why he was a shoeshine boy at the market every day after school. After he turned twelve he dropped out of school to shine shoes all day long, because his parents couldn’t afford to pay his school fees any more. They were always short of Cedis, as money was called those days. For in those times, at the start of the 21st century, the African Union was not functioning very well and also the ‘Afro’ did not exist yet: all African countries had different currencies.

´Father John` and the shoeshine boy

The little boy was very unhappy. Not only because he could not further his education, but also because most people around him thought he was a very strange little boy. He always wanted to know everything and never stopped asking questions. He also knew about many different subjects and was curious about everything he came across. Some people were even afraid of him. They thought he was bewitched. The little boy noticed this and became increasingly quieter and very lonely.’

Konka had heard this story at least a hundred times before, but at this point always asked the same question. “But Grandpa, how could it be that everyone was so poor?” Grandpa sighed. ‘A long time ago, Europeans fought over our country for many years. Later on, when we regained independence from our colonizers, the Ghanaians themselves also started fighting over the land. Everyone wanted to be in charge, and because they were only fighting amongst themselves, we didn’t have time and the means to develop our country.
And when peace finally came, the country was in bad shape: no hospitals, no roads, no money and few schools. Only the rich people could pay for good education. But after getting a degree many of them left to be successful elsewhere instead of helping to develop our country!

Most people had been oppressed for so long that they no longer dared to express their own opinions nor could they think for themselves. They had no money, no pride and were unhappy. In such a situation there’s little chance a country will develop.
This was weird because there were many possibilities in our country. There was gold, coconut, cacao and wood. There were a lot of people who wanted to work hard, but nobody knew exactly how the country should be governed.’
“Then what happened Grandpa?” Konka asked, although he knew the answer. Grandpa continued the story.

‘One day, while the little boy was shining shoes on the streets, he was approached by a priest named Father John. He asked the boy a lot of questions. He wanted to know why he was shining shoes instead of going to school. He also wanted to know what his grades were in school and what he would like to become in future.’
‘I want to be a medical doctor, the boy answered, Konka’s little sister, who also had heard this story before, giggled.
‘Quiet’, said Konka. He wanted to hear it from grandfather himself. ‘And then a miracle happened, right grandpa?’ ‘Yes’, my dear Konka’, answered grandpa, as he brushed Konka’s cheeks and continued his tale.

‘”I don’t think at all that you are bewitched. On the contrary, I think you are a very bright boy”, Father John said. “A true smart kid! Would you like to go to a smartkid school? Where there are many more children like you? Where you can learn a lot?” The boy was struck dumb as his eyes shone with amazement. This priest was the first person who didn’t consider him ‘crazy’  or ‘different’  Father John found him special instead, and was willing to help him with his education. ‘ Sure’, he stammered, and Father John took him to school. A very special school for very bright children.’

Konka grinned. He always liked this part of the story best. ‘Continue, grandpa, continue!’, and grandpa did.

‘The little boy couldn’t believe his eyes. A completely new world unfolded before him. Just the other day, he thought he would be a shoe shine boy for life and now he had encountered a whole new world of possibilities. He learned many interesting things, like math, civics, biology, law and languages. He even had the opportunity to work with computers!’

‘Is it true that around that time there were hardly any computers, grandpa?’ Konka could barely imagine that. ‘No Konka, grandpa answered absent-minded. ‘Back then, that was very uncommon”; there were many poor people, many diseases and very little hope.’ Konka realized this part of the story always made his grandfather sad and thus he held and gently rocked his arm. ‘But this boy started working very hard, right?’ asked Konka. Grandfather picked himself up. ’Yes, the boy exerted himself to the utmost. As well as all his new friends at school. More and more very ‘smart kids’ attended his school. And they all promised they would help to develop their country in future.
And when they mastered their degree in the myriad of subjects they pursued, they truly did.

Some of these kids became judges, others became engineers, teachers and all the important jobs you can think of. And together they made sure more and more good schools were established. As a result the development of the country was hauled to another level. More people got jobs with steady income and poverty decreased.

Of course, this development didn’t always go smoothly. For instance, on occasion people had to prevent an arrogant general to seize power. And in 2015 the entire harvest was lost due to an extensive drought. But by then we had our own agricultural experts and they built and installed a new innovative irrigation system for our crops.

In 2020 the city of Cape Coast and other towns along the coast were washed away by a tsunami. Luckily, uncle Kwaku invented a tsunami detection and warning system, preventing any tsunami victims in the future. This almost won him the Nobel-Prize for science.

Despite any mishap the country continued to prosper. In the end we reached a level that made it possible for us – together with Ivory Coast – to host the 2036 Olympic Games!
After that we were on top of the world: all developed countries wanted to do business and trade with Ghana and Ivory Coast.

In short this is how Ghana changed from a poor developing country into a strong and leading country. Now we are an excellent example for most other African countries. They all try to follow in our footsteps.’

Konka couldn’t contain himself any longer as tears welled up in his eyes. ‘You were that boy grandfather!. You became the director of the hospital!. And uncle Thomas became president of Ghana, and auntie Mary was a minister and together you ensured that everywhere in Africa schools were erected. and that there’s no more hardships and poverty. Everybody is proud to be Ghanaian and proud with themselves.’

‘Hurray, hurray, hurray!’ Konka jumped up and down on the couch for joy and his sister Sarah joined in.
Grandpa grinned and said “Yes children, it looks very much like an fairy tale, but it’s a true story!

The end.

Idea: Kees Hoogendjk
Story writing in Dutch: Marijke Mosterman
Translation from Dutch to English: André Klomp
Editing: Penelope Onuman
Drama script: Penelope Onuman
Drama director: Penelope Onuman
Actors: Smart Kids

Mariama Ross thanking Penelope Onuman for her work on the play, on behalf of the SmartKids Foundation.

The Fairy Tale cast and crew.

The award ceremony was organised for the first time; awards consisted of books, mobile phones (donated by Dutch SmartKids friends) and two laptops, donated by Wim Heebels and Mariama Ross. The laptops were awarded to Elizabeth Atulley and Smith Baidoo; they were voted SmartKid of the decade and SmartKid of the year respectively, by their peers. Click on the pictures to see larger and complete versions.

BEST S.H.S 1 STUDENT	GORDON PUTOTA
BEST J.H.S 1 STUDENT	JOYCE AKEY
BEST J.H.S 2 STUDENTS	MIATA KUYICHIANA AND DIVINE AGBONANNI
BEST J.H.S 3 STUDENTS	PETER SARPONG AND ADDISON GYABAAH
SMARTKIDSNESS	EMANUEL OBOUR
SMARTKIDSNESS	LAWRENCIA ZINPENA
MOST DISCIPLINED STUDENT J.H.S	DIVINE AGBONANI
See picture above
MOST CREATIVE STUDENT	ATANGA NSOH
MOST HARD WORKING S.H.S GRADUATE	KWAKU BOATENG
BEST BLOGGER	ALIU ALHASSAN
MOST COMMITED JUNIOR BOARD MEMBER	JUSTICE ABAKA
MOST ACTIVE JUNIOR BOARD MEMBER	ELIZABETH ATTULEY
MOST ACTIVE JUNIOR BOARD MEMBER	BAIDOO SMITH
SMARTKID OF THE YEAR	BAIDOO SMITH
SMARTKID OF THE DECADE	ELIZABETH ATTULEY