UPDATE!

Well, the satellite communications equipment finally arrived in Ghana this week!  It all started with an email I sent in April to a company called iDirect, based in Virginia.  The email was sent before my trip to Ghana, and I was trying to find out the cost involved in getting internet connectivity to Crossover.  A woman named Genevieve Gwen responded to my email, and after several back and forth emails, I realized internet by satellite was just too expensive and not a realistic option for Crossover.  However, a few days later, I got a phone call from Genevieve saying that her company has agreed to provide all of the equipment to Crossover for free!  I was simply floored.  I could not believe it, and I kept telling myself it was just too good to be true.  But, it is true, and the equipment is literally being installed as I type this update.  Furthermore, the service provider in Ghana, SkyVision, has agreed to provide 12 months of free service!  I am not sure what the service cost will be after the initial 12 months, but we will have to deal with that and try to figure something out by then.

Also, my very good friends Tom Ferry and Kathy Ferry have agreed to help Crossover by selling t-shirts (provided by Ei-Lo, thank you Eddy Chavez!!) at their big summit in a few weeks where all the proceeds will go to Crossover. Our goal is 500 t-shirt sales ($9k), which will be enough to buy 2 acres of land for Crossover!

Step by step, things are starting to happen for Crossover.  We needed the good news because 2 weeks ago, an 11 year old boy from Crossover died from a fever.  His name was Ameko Emmanuel, and he is sorely missed by his brothers and sisters at Crossover.

Our 501c3 should be up and running soon, and that's when our serious efforts will start at raising enough money to build a proper school for Crossover: 2 dorms (with walls and a roof), classrooms, a kitchen/mess hall, bathrooms and showers.  Thank you for reading the blog and please feel free to pass it on!

back home

It's great to be back home.  I've had lots of people asking me about the trip and wanting to help and it is all so appreciated!  I had to post this one piece of exciting information I just found out...

Earlier in my blog, I mentioned a company that is a leading IP-based satellite communications company based here in the U.S.  

Anyway, I heard back today that they are providing the hardware and their partner (a network operator) will be providing the connectivity (service) for FREE to Crossover!!  

I cannot tell you how significant a gift this is for those kids in terms of their education!  I contacted this company randomly as I was doing due diligence on internet options for rural areas.  This company (and specifically 2 people who made it happen at that company) truly stepped up to the plate here.  They didnt know me or Crossover from Adam, it just blows my mind and makes you realize that the world is FILLED with good people who want to do good things and help others who need a helping hand.  It's easy to lose sight of this given that most of what is covered in the media is people doing bad things.  

I've also gotten some requests of how to send things to the school...here is their address in case you want to send over a care package:

Crossover International Academy
P.O. Box AB 446
Akosombo, E/R
Ghana, West Africa

Please let me know if/when you are going to send something so I can give the headmaster a heads up of when to expect it...Akosombo is a 90 minute drive from Crossover so he only goes there when he needs to.

here are some additional pics I couldnt post from Ghana

the last 4 pictures are a kindergarden that was built by a non profit called Sabre...I think we might be able to hire the builder who built this school

 

This last video is one of the kids wearing the t-shirts that Eddy Chavez and EI-LO donated.  the music director, named Samson, made up this song in about 2 seconds.

last leg of the journey

This is likely my last post about the trip. On Tues morn, I left the hotel around 5:30am to catch a Tro to Cape Coast (via Accra, the capital). Before I explain what a tro is, I have to digress back to when I was checking out of the hotel . The front desk manager couldn not figure out how to print my bill. He tried several differecnt computers, and even showed me the total amount on the screen. So I said no problem, they can just give the bill to Jim to bring back for me (they had my credit card from when we checked in). So off I went. However, there was a "misundertanding" as the hotel thought I left with out paying my bill so they put the hard court press on Jim to come up with the finds for my bill and his. YIKES! Like I said, the front desk had my credit card but apparently that wasnt enough. Thanks Jim and sorry jenny for the middle of the night phone call!

 So a tro is basically like supershuttle but it is used city to city and basically there is no schedule. The tro leaves the station when it fills up. So when I got to Accra and found the tro going to Cape Coast, there were 3 other people in it. It took us 90 minutes to fill it up, 90 minutes of just standing around being hot and sweaty with food vendors asking you every 20 seconds if you want bo buy: water, mementos, cookies, empanadas, chicken & rice (yes please), shoes, shirts, razor blades, toothbrushes, etc etc.

 We finaly got the tro full and drove about 3 hrs to Cape Coast/Elmina. These are coastal towns, fishing villages, that are well known for the slave castles that still stand today. temporarly prisons for slaves before they were put on the ships that brought them to America. If you've ever seen the movie Roots, and the conditions the slaves were put in on the boats, you have a good sense of what the prisons in Elmina & Cape Coast are like.

I stayed at the Elmina Beach Resort, $130/night. on the beach, albeit a rocky beach. rooms were fine, wifi was pretty good. I was sitting across from this white gal, both of us working on our computers and we got to talking. She started an organization in Elmina called "Global Mama's" and what they do is they train women in a trade so that they can earn a living...dont just train but help with working capital so they are able to generate income right away. And they do this with hundreds of women in Ghana (my facts might be off a bit), creating a sustainable business for them. Anyway, she has a boyfriend named Miles who works with an organiztion called Sabre Charitable Trust, and they build schools for Kindergarners. So on Wed, Miles drove me to the school that was just recently completed and it was AWESOME (See pics on next post). Environmentally built with bamboo, coconut husks for insulation from weather and noise, soil bricks (sourced locally).  These types of buildings/classrooms would be perfect for Crossover, and I think we can get them done for cheaper than that second contractor we met with. Additionally, they use as many local worlkers as possible and train them on how to build what they are building, so it improves the economy of the village and the skill sets of the villagers.

 After visiting the school, Miles invited me to join him and his boss velmina for lunch at Ellie's place, a local Elmina woman who serves up awesome food. We had rice, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber and some curry sauce. Also over lunch Velmina offered me a ride to the airport, which saved me $100. 

That was basically the trip. It was one I will never forget and I am charged up to help those kids so that they are not sleeping on mats on the earth anymore. If you read this blog, and got inspired like I did, we are going to need all the help we can get. We do not yet have our 501c created (we decided to call it Wings for Crossover), but once we do, its going to take a community to get this thing off the ground. Assuming we do raise enough money and get the school built, maybe there will be a handful of people that will want to go to Ghana to visit Crossover for the open ceremonies. That would be really cool and Jim & I can help with planning & logistics. It's a fairly expensive flight ($1500'ish I think) but a good opportunity to use miles. Thank you for reading this blog and sharing it out there in social media circles. as of the time of this writing, I think I've had over 1700 page views. I think thats pretty good! If you can forward it to people who might be interested, or share it on Facebook, etc, tha would be awesome. It's a numbers game and the more people that read it, the better our chances to help these kids!

my last day at Crossover

Today was my last day visiting Crossover. It was quite the celebration. We were welcomed once again like heroes (and it never gets old)! Once we arrived, Dave took us to meet the chief of the village that Crossover is in. And lo and behold, he is a trojan fan! Fight on!!





After the formalities of meeting the Chief & his 3 wives, Jim I were treated to a traditional song & dance that lasted about 45 minutes. Some very cool dancing (see clip below).



Next, lunch was served. As I mentioned in my last post, Jim was able to coordinate a snack bar at the debate held at Pegasus school and the proceeds bought a lunch, actually a feast for today. The kids couldnt believe they were actually going to eat chicken, they were so happy and appreciative! They actually ate until they were full, which never happens at Crossover. Just too many kids and not enough money. Just before lunch was served, they put Jim & I in traditional chief garb, which really excited everyone.

 


After lunch, Jim, Dave & I met with the contractor again. We went thru the needs of the school and prioritized them. It will likely cost about $200k USD to build 2 structures: (1) a dormitory for the boys & girls; and (2) a building with 8 classrooms and a kitchen and mess hall. We hope to have plans drawn up shortly. Jim & I decided to name the 501c Wings for Crossover and our goal will be to raise enough money to pay for the structures and to provide internet access for the school. We are still working on some solutions for internet access, which is not easy given the remoteness of Crossover. After meeting with the contractor, we passed out the tshirts generously donated by Ei-Lo and Eddy Chavez. See the clip below. Thanks again Eddy!!

 

Then, it started raining...hard. And the temperature dropped about 30 degrees, from 95'ish to somewhere in the 60's. To you and me, rain just means outdoor activities are curtailed. You grab an umbrella or stay indoors. It means something very different to Crossover.

 It didn't really hit me until we left Crossover but I started thinking about all those young kids. And I thought about how tonight, they would be forced to sleep outdoors, under a thatched roof that leaks. on the muddy ground with no blankets. on top of all that they have no parents to comfort them. I couldnt stop thinking, what if it was Jacob or Savannah? It just tore me up to think of those poor kids who just dont have that parent there to help comfort them when its wet and cold. It's that combination of no real shelter AND no parents that makes their situation so devastating to think about. it starts to make a lot more sense why the little ones follow Jim & I around so much, grabbing our hands at every chance they get. They just want to be loved and touched and cared for. they want attention because with 250 kids, and only 8 teachers and no parents, they just dont get that attention that all kids crave. When you think about it being your own kids in that situation, it really hits home. This is why I am here and this is why I will do what I can to help them. 

 The truth is Crossover is just one school/orphanage, in one village, in one region in one country on one continent. It starts to get really overwhelming when you think about how much poverty there is in the world. But like Jenny said to me, you can't let yourself get overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem. Focus on a detail, something you can make a difference with. So that is what we will do.

 

blog stats

I just checked the blog stats and I am floored! check out the different countries that have viewed the blog! if you have forwarded the link out to any of these places, thank you! stay tuned to the blog tomorrow...should be a doozy, it will be my last visit with Crossover and likely to be an emotional one. There was a snack bar at the Pegasus debate yesterday (and yes, Pegasus won) and the snack bar raise about $300, all of which is being used for a feast tomorrow, enough chicken & rice for the kids to get seconds (and thirds if they are still hungry)!

more pics & video

Crossover students after their bread & Nutella treat

Baboons on the side of the road driving from Accra to Akosombo

This is the computer lab/library/equipment room/Dave's office.  

This was one of my little helpers...he demanded he carry my water bottle around for me all day

 This is the Crossover student body singing "Peg-A-SOOS"...Pegasus is Crossover's sister school in Huntington Beach, CA., where Jim Conti is a teacher/debate coach/star, and where my son Jacob goes to school

 This is the girls "dorm".  My stupid question "There are 120 girls at Crossover, I only see like 20 mats, why is that?"  Dave's response "No, no, 5 or 6 girls can fit on each mat."  Wow

Cute little guys in the classroom/boys dorm

This is my daughter, Savannah, whose team took second place last night in their dance competition!  So sorry I missed it Savannah!!
Sorry, First place, taking home the GOLD!!  and the hardware to prove it