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Saint Joseph’s Catholic High School Status Report - October 17, 2008

GREAT NEWS -- ST. JOE IS OFF THE GROUND! 

This unedited letter below tells the story and we quote;

"I promised to get back to you with the latest. When the exams results finally got to the schools, we had about 400 applications for admission. We selected 173 out of that and we are taking our students from this in order of merit.In fact, we prepared the list today though I had to leave before we finished. The government gave the schools October 20 to re-open and we are re-opening on the 23rd. The selected students will come in by end of next week to pay their fees and take their prospectus and admission letters.
 
We're excited and I hope to get pictures on the first day for you. The good thing is, though lots of our applicants were placed in other schools, they rather chose to come to us. The seamstress and the tailor are standing by to make our uniforms. I can't wait to see the first batch walking around the campus.
 
My next mail should be more detailed than this. This is just to let you know St Joe is off the ground. Regards to Ted.
 
God bless.
 
Edem"

Now in our words, the first class has 170 students and will begin school Monday October 16th, 2008.  We have completed all building - 9 buildings in all including an assembly hall, dormitories, classrooms, kitchen, electricity, plumbing and the roads.  Work was completed $127,000 below budget!  Unfortunately we owe $87,000 that must be paid immediately, $30,000 by this Monday with the balance due in another 2 weeks. 

All praises to God our Father, who reigns and rules over all things -- visible and invisible.  Clap for Him always.  Amen. 

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Saint Joseph’s Catholic High School Status Report - April 2008

In early 2006 Clap for Jesus, a 501-c3 non-profit corporation was organized by a small group of individuals in the Atlanta area.  The primary objective of this group is to help Father Simon Assamoah and his associates construct a 500 student residential high school in the Western Region of Ghana.  This high school can dramatically improve the lives of young people in this region by providing them with a quality education grounded in Christian principles.  Many of these students will have the opportunity to go to college while others will pursue quality jobs in the region.

The budget for the total project is $2 million.  The beautiful 125 acre site located in Wiawso was donated by a local chief.  Construction of Phase I, consisting of site preparation, a classroom building, assembly hall and (4) bungalows, started in late 2006 and was completed in early February of this year.  Final costs for this phase came in about ten percent under the budget of $675,000.  All buildings passed final inspection and we are very pleased with the quality of construction and the excellent coordination between our US and Ghana steering committees.

Construction of Phase II, consisting of roadwork, a kitchen and a dormitory, was started in mid-February.  The budget for this phase is $500,000.  We presently have about one-third the funds required and need an additional $350,000 to complete this phase.

Father Simon will be in the Atlanta area during May, June and July.  While he is here, we will be working with him to raise these funds.  We have scheduled a fundraiser on June 19 at Saint Andrews Catholic Church in Roswell and Father Simon will be visiting a number of local parishes.  With God’s help and your support, we plan to open the school with its first class in September.  A principal is now in place and will soon be selecting staff and students for this fall.

Thank you…thank you…thank you… for your support to date.  We know that you are asked to support many worthy causes.  We ask for your continued support to help us complete Phase II and open the school this fall.  We know of few projects where your dollars can do so much for so many. Oprah’s school for 500 girls in South Africa cost $40 million.  Our school for 500 boys and girls in Ghana will cost $2 million.