Yeko Anim
Godfried Ofosu, a Kelly Ann Brown Scholar
"Michelle and I are here only because we were given a chance at an education."
––President Barack Obama
The Kelly Ann Brown Foundation was happy to award Kids First Enterprise Yeko Anim again this year with scholarship money for students from Ghana to attend college.
Dutch Meyer, founder and executive director of Yeko Anim, wrote to express his gratitude on behalf of the students of the village of Kwahu-Tafo, Ghana:
“Family and ancestors are very important in Ghanaian culture. To praise the ancestors and to remember them is as normal as we remember our parents and maybe a grandparent. ANCESTORS. The notion that you and David and Katy Jo and Steve and Eric would do such a thing in remembrance of Kelly is not overlooked by the chiefs and elders. With their strong belief in ancestors, they identified and understood this gift as an honor to your loved one and as a blessing to their community. It is the universal bonding…of life if you may…where if we search hard enough we find the common bond that links us to one another and to understand that our lives are not that much different.”
This lovely letter came to us from a Kelly Ann Brown scholar from Ghana. Initially, it was wrongly assumed that the student did not know that Kelly had passed, because here in the U.S. we don’t write letters to those who have died. However, most African cultures believe that life does not end with death, but simply continues on in another realm. In the Ghanaian belief system those that have died are still with us acting as guardian angels, helping us, protecting us and encouraging us to do better in this life. The Kelly Ann Brown Foundation board wholeheartedly agrees with this sentiment. We feel Kelly’s presence with us. Mr. Ofosu wrote directly to Kelly to thank her:
Dear Kelly Ann Brown,
This is just a quick note, but it comes from my heart to yours as I head out of my hostel for Saturday lectures. I would like to express my profound gratitude for your kind gesture. In fact you have being of good help to me for the past two years.
I am writing this letter to appreciate your benevolence as I climb my educational ladder. In fact your contribution to my education has been a great source of relief not only for me but also to my parents. Before your eleemosynary relief that is my first year on campus, life was very difficult for me even buying handouts was a problem but now with your help I was able to rent a hostel, pay my school fees and also buy handouts and other relevant books. I am Godfried Ofosu a third year student of University for Development Studies, pursuing Environment and Resource Studies.
GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU.
Click here to learn more about Yeko Anim (also a grant recipient in 2011).