A recent post copied (with permission) from the blog by Joe Sesil, who joined our July 2012 team.
You can see the entire post as well as learn more about Joe’s world-wide water tour at the following page: JOE’S BLOG PAGE
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Today is my Mom’s Birthday – Kathleen Agnes Cody Sesil Payant – July 18th – HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!! — Miss you HUGE!!!
The title of this post includes the words my Mom would often say “what can I do… to help, to give, to add, …” – The truth is she said them more in action than actual words; from sponsoring a family from Cambodia in my hometown of Antigo, Wisconsin growing up, to bringing RIF (Reading is Fundamental) to our town, along with the “book bus” to bring books to all the parochial schools that did not have access to the libraries that the school district had… that and a thousand more things every day (I truly think she may have self funded save our children and other organizations!) – She was always there to give and do whatever was needed, whenever it was needed. She raised us all, somehow on a teacher’s salary, to believe we were the richest people around – I guess obviously we were in love more so than money, but I know and I assume most others would say, we could not ask or want for anything more!! – Thank you Mom!!
As many of you know, my Mom was the starting basis of what I am doing this year traveling around the world to learn and to help in any way I can, to try to follow at least in a small way, in her way too big to fill, women’s size 5 footsteps. The travels have continued well, and this past week I had the chance to work with another amazing group of people, this time here in Ghana, on a well project along with the great work the group was doing bringing educational material, medicine, medical screening and service, other supplies, clothes, books, bikes and doing projects, including painting buildings that they have built or worked on for this small village about 5 hours north of Accra. I will tell you more in a later post about the village, Yaw Tenkorang and of one of its amazing citizens, Emmanuel Sackey, who was born here and since has moved to the US and started this group called, Adopt One Village (AOV), doing all this work along with TLCC and the youth group from the Church in West Orange, NJ, that came along to work on projects and help – It is an amazing story!! – But today, instead, I would like to take this opportunity, on my Mom’s Birthday, to provide the reference of a couple of the groups that I have had the chance to work with first hand in Country, to give you the opportunity to learn more about them and do… – whatever feels right and fits you best.
The references below include AOV, the group I spent this past week with and for the well project there and the Etta Project, the group I worked with in Bolivia and for a focus on continued education and leadership for one of their citizens, Dilma, a women who has donate her life to the organization (following in my Mom’s focus on education).
There many more great organizations to consider and to learn about, some that I mentioned in the “Water Links: a Running Reference” post. Potter House, being one. The group that we help build a new home for the family living off and along side the local dump in Guatemala City. Blue Plant Network, to be another, who is working with now over 80 different NGO’s around the world and who has been a huge benefit to me with meeting and coordinating water being involved in water projects around the world, to name a few.
What I have learned about all these groups, is that each individual involved is they are all giving so much of themselves to make a difference helping other in need. I hope I can give a little back to them.
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Adopt One Village (and the water well project)
Child Carrying Water Home...
Before meeting Emmanuel Sackey for the first time in person this week in Ghana, I knew him only as how I was introduced to him via an email by a close friend, Schmidty, as being Schmidty’s mailman in New Jersey and a guy who was doing work in the Village he grew up in, in Ghana. After meeting Emmanuel, I learned what a remarkable person he is and what an amazing story he has, more than just being a friend of a friend. Emmanuel was born the youngest of nine children here in Ghana, losing a brother and almost dying himself in an accident that the two little boys at the time drank a poison unknowingly think it was something sweet to drink. Emmanuel knowing he was given a special opportunity of life, he has committed his life to live it in the fullest and to giving back in the fullest means possible, to all he can possibly help. – The AOV website below and Emmanuel himself can fill you on more of the detail of the story and his selection and journey to the US, continuing to give back to his village and homeland and more recently starting this non-profit in the US, Adopt One Village, to have a way for others to help as well. – Kudos’ Emmanuel!!
Some of July 2012 Group
Adopt One Village Website: www.adoptonevillage.org
Sponsorship: www.adoptonevillage.org/how-to-help
(if interested in contributing/participating specifically to the well project, please note “Well Project” on correspondence)
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You can see the entire post as well as learn more about Joe’s world-wide water tour at the following page: JOE’S BLOG PAGE