FOUNDERS

Meet the People Behind the Charities

KINZA MASON

Founder of the Raising Hope Foundation

As a child I had always wanted to visit Africa and to play a part in helping those whose circumstances, through no fault of there own, had been far from the childhood that I had experienced. I first travelled to Ghana in July 2008, I was 20 years old and travelled alone - wanting to completely immerse myself in the culture. The trip was completely life changing. I volunteered with a Ghanaian charity who placed me with the Living Faith Foundation (LFF) for three weeks, I lived in their home - a 2 room house that slept 6 vulnerable children and the chairwoman of the charity - Agnes Appiah.

I gained a real insight in to the work that Agnes did; she achieved so much with so little and it was incredibly humbling to see the sacrificial way in which she lived. I returned to Ghana for Christmas the same year and the charity was born in the New Year - our aim was to work with Agnes and allow her to expand her work to support more orphaned and vulnerable children. Since the RHF was founded in 2009 we have been on an incredible adventure, growing organically each year and developing to the needs of the children we are working with. In 2009 we began building a home that will provide security, stability and access to education for 36 children. In 2010 our volunteer trips expanded and we began running summer schools in Santrokofi - from this it became apparent that there was a need to support children who qualified for college but were unable to afford it - largely due to being orphaned or in a home where one parent had died. I have been incredibly proud to see the hard work of fundraisers in the UK translate to scholarship grants for students in Santrokofi - many of whom have now graduated and have given back in various ways to the projects. My passion for ensuring the children in these rural areas accessed education and had a sfae childhood led me to a career in Teaching - I currently work as Head of Maths at a secondary school in Bournemouth. I now have a young daughter of my own - and can't wait for the day that I can take her to meet the wonderful people we work with in Ghana.

AGNES APPIAH

Founder of the Living Faith

Agnes is from Santrokofi, and was herself a victim of forced child labour. This inspired her to help stop other children having to do the same and she now runs a successful school and children's home in the nearby town of Sogakope. Agnes has always desired to have a similar home in her home town, hence her collaboration with the RHF.

When the RHF first began working with the Living Faith Foundation in Ghana, providing a safe home for children who had none was our main vision. We began fundraising for a child care centre in 2009, with building work commencing in July that year. The centre will provide facilities for orphans and vulnerable children as well as supporting local families in the town. The centre is now totally complete and we are hoping to have our first children settled in there by Christmas this year!

Another of our main projects is a scholarship scheme. We currently sponsor students in further education that may otherwise not have been able to pursue their education past junior high school.

We also send out teams of volunteers on two week bespoke volunteering trips to visit the children’s centre and offer their skills and help in the town of Santrokofi. It is a fantastic way to experience a new culture and make a positive impact on many childrens lives.

For more information on volunteering and fundraising please visit our Get Involved page.

Get Involved

ABOUT US

Established in 2009, the Raising Hope Foundation has been working with the children of Santrokofi, a traditional village situated near Lake Volta. Through our work with a local NGO, The Living Faith Foundation, we are able to provide shelter, access to education and healthcare, food and support to orphaned and vulnerable children.

RAISING HOPE FOUNDATION