Today’s good people post is shorter than usual, not because I couldn’t find any, but because my own heart is lacking today, burdened by a number of things.  I apologize in advance, but it is 2:00 a.m. and I’ve been struggling to write this post for about 4-5 hours, with no success.  However, I know how much we all need to see these ‘good people’ to help restore our faith in humanity, and just as I was about to give it up, a voice in my head said, “You owe it to them.  You have a responsibility.”  And so, I dug around a bit, put my own ill-humour on hold for a while and gave it one more try.

Meet Vincent Dadzie …

Vincent is 24 years of age and lives in Tamale, Ghana.  He is also the co-founder of an organization, Motivation2Learn, which he established to end school dropouts and help students find their feet in life.

Vincent conducted research and found on USAID – Ghana (U.S. Aid for International Development) that 91% of children in Ghana enroll in primary school. Out of this, only 16% graduate with a University degree. The question he asked was “what happens to the other 75%?”  The school dropout rate is very high among students in targeted areas because many young people do not have regular motivation.  At the same time, learning challenges and poor academic performance expose most students to depression, low self-esteem, and stress. Students in these conditions normally don’t get proper counseling.Motivation2Learn engages Ghanaian students by changing their mind-sets through motivational talks and exposing them to opportunities. His talks enable students to be able to catch up with everyday challenges from all angles. Students learn how to set and meet their goals, raise their academic standards, seize opportunities, be masters in emotion, relationships, finance, and time management, besides attaining knowledge in their desired profession.

He organizes and delivers motivational talks to an average number of 350 students every week in one of the selected 50 Senior and Junior High schools in their first year of operation in the Northern Region. His team searches for at least five educative programs and opportunities, exposing them to students, and guiding students to take full advantage of them. His team gives professional advice and assistance to students to successfully apply for available opportunities.  As a change agent, Vincent strives to make a change and affect lives in any way possible.

Angela Fansey is the other co-founder of Motivation2Learn and is providing an administrative and communication support for the organization. She is responsible for the overall development, expansion, integration and implementation of Motivation2Learn’s program strategy.

Vincent holds a degree in Bachelor of Education, Accounting and Economics from the University of Cape Coast, and Angela holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Theatre Arts from the University of Ghana, Legon.  Now, think about it … these two young people could have entered the business world and made quite a bit of money … perhaps even become millionaires.  Instead, they decided to give back to the young people of their nation.Ghana is considered an economically deprived nation, with a GDP per capita of only $2500.  Compare that to the U.S. with $59,532 in the U.S., and you get a sense of just how poor Ghana is.  The answer is educated young people who can make a difference, and Vincent & Angela are doing their best to help make that goal a reality.  For them, the future is more meaningful than their own riches.  We damn sure need more people like them in this world, yes?