Personal Statement: Why Streetwise?

Although my initial interest in Streetwise was one of only moderate enthusiasm, it's recently increased dramatically due to the book What is the What by Dave Eggers. Multiple friends recommended it to me, but I never really wanted to read it until this January, when I went on a roadtrip and needed an audiobook to listen to (otherwise I would have gotten at least one speeding ticket).

After listening to all twenty-one hours of What is the What - some on the trip and many more once I returned to New York - I was engrossed in the history of the Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya to a degree I never would have predicted. I've spent time tracing the approximate route the Lost Boys of the Sudan walked from Sudan to Ethiopia to Kenya in search of home safe from civil war and terror. I've tried to imagine a life similar to the one Achak describes, both in terms of the horrific living conditions as well as the dreams he harbored - dreams of things I've taken forgranten.

One of the central themes of Achak's story is his desire for a higher education. He describes in detail the education he received in the refuge camps and his longing for a college education if or when he gets relocated to America. Getting an education is something to be proud of, something for his family to be proud of. When he returns to his village in southern Sudan, his education will render him an asset to the family and his father's business. Most, if not all, of his dreams revolve around getting an education.

Education is the thread that connects my interest in Achak's story to the children on the streets of Ghana. Although Ghana and Sudan aren't close in proximity and don't share the same history, they absolutely share the same need for their children to be educated. Education has always been readily available--mandatory even--for me, so I'm not familiar with the struggle to obtain an education, but I can certainly appreciate it. This appreciation inspires my commitment to my thesis - the Streetwise project.

Thesis Abstract: StreetWise in Ghana

During her semester studying abroad in Ghana, my friend and former roommate Rachel Ishofsky collaborated with the Jaynii Cultural Troupe in James Town, Ghana to create StreetWise, a organization dedicated to providing Ghanaian children with the opportunity and means to attend school. To date, the organization has paid the school fees and purchased school supplies, uniforms, and meals for 21 children in James Town. While the Troupe and Rachel have conducted several successful fundraising events both in Ghana and in New York City, the charity needs a more stable, sustainable source of income to continue to accomplish its mission. 

My thesis will begin to address this issue on multiple fronts. At this point, I'm still in the process of narrowing down exactly which aspects of the project I'll tackle first, but some possible projects include: publicizing the organization online and creating an online donation system, beginning the legal process of applying for official non-profit status, investigating possible grants and other sources of funding, organizing a fundraising event, and eventually/ideally travelling to Ghana to document the accomplishments of the organization and produce further promotional media.

Obviously the scope right now is far beyond what I can accomplish in fourteen weeks, so my project for the next few days is to list and organize all the possible projects in order to be able to prioritize and set reasonable goals for the semester. In addition, I'm still familiarizing myself with the history and current status of the project which includes establishing a connection with Rachel's contacts in Ghana, researching Ghana - both in general and in regard to education, culture, etc. - and giving myself a crash-course about the basics of non-profits.

A crucial part of executing my goals for the project is recruiting the services of people who have different skill sets than I do. For example, I can develop a functional website with whatever components I want, but I can't do the graphic design aspect. I can read about non-profits online, but I'm not a lawyer and won't be able to do some of the necessary paperwork for starting one.  Thus, this project will be almost as much about finding and organizing the skills of multiple people (pro bono) in order to achieve my goals as it is about the content of the project itself.  I expect the project to challenge my abilities to be persuasive, perseverant, and most of all, resourceful.