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Taste of Ghana fundraiser held to help benefit Ghanian students

A WNY foundation's second annual fundraiser will help provide better educational opportunities and healthcare for 500 students at a rural school in Ghana

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — Hundreds of people came out to the Taste of Ghana fundraiser hosted by the group Hope for Sisi's Kids in Williamsville Thursday night.

It's all to benefit around 500 children in need in the Greater Accra region of Ghana.

The fundraiser featured Ghanian music and food, as well as a silent auction, vendors, a fashion show, and more. The goal was to raise money to build new classrooms for a rural school in Ghana, the Bawaleshie Elementary and Middle School.

The group Hope for Sisi's Kids, or Hosikids for short, was founded by the teenaged grandchildren of Gladys Komle Tawiah, who passed away in 2010. She was a teacher who first taught at Bawaleshie.

"This particular school is very special for the kids that founded this foundation," said Dr. Kofi Fynn-Aikins, President of Hosikids. "That's why we are supporting this particular school, and these particular kids, in Ghana."

Hosikids makes a volunteer trip to Ghana each year to work on improving the school, especially when it comes to technology.

"Before we started supporting them, there was not even a single computer in their entire school," said Fynn-Aikins. "The teachers didn't have computers. The kids didn't have computers. We want to change that. We want to level the field."

It's too early for Hosikids to count up the money raised this year, but the organization hoped to beat last year's total of $9,000. It's going to take around $120,000 in total to build news classrooms equipped with laptops for the school.

You can read more about the foundation by heading to its website.

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