By Evelyn Yinghan Pan
When Andrew Garza HC ‘08 thinks about the work at the school he started in northern Ghana, he likes to remember its grand opening.
Kids were sitting with their parents in uniforms, "excited, smiling, running around."
"Parents were telling their kids, ‘Don’t get dirt on the uniforms.’"
The Chinese Proverb "Mighty oaks from little acorns grow" could describe Garza’s education project in Dalun, Ghana since he graduated Haverford.
Last semester bi-co students met Garza during his talk “Leveraging Youthful Energy and International Partnerships to Create Educational and Economic Change," sponsored by IMPACT!’s Social Innovation Lecture Series. Garza majored in sociology, minored in economics, and was an active leader on campus. He experimented with careers throughout college through internships and externships in business and non-profit sectors.
After discovering organizations committed to work in Ghana, he decided to spend two months there in 2006. The intern experience that followed gave Garza a perspective on education and social enterprise.
Abukari Abdul-Fatawu, Managing Director of Titagya Schools and one of Andrew’s colleagues, had been working for an educational radio station based in the village. He told Garza of his passion for early education in Ghana. The idea of starting a school blossomed from their emails and conversations.
“There was a tremendous lack of schooling,” said Garza, who had researched the state of education in Ghana.
He and his colleague started reaching out to families and friends. Garza had many involvements with bi-co alumni and student groups like Project Educate in Africa and IMPACT. In fact, all of the funds that Project Educate in Africa raised last year have been directed to Titagya.
Two of Garza’s colleagues stayed in Ghana and managed the process on the ground, while Garza did institutional work in the U.S. Recently, Garza has been trying to get tax-exempt status for the school, coordinate interns - including bi-co students - and raise money for the school.
Titagya opened a pre-school for 50 students in 2009.
“It was the talk of the town,” Garza said.
Since Garza chose to have registration on a first come, first served basis, he described with a laugh how it felt like parents were bribing officers and staff for their kids to go to school.
How should the student learn? How do you find good teachers? What kind of education model should Titagya have? These are some of the questions Garza had to consider when planning the Titagya school, he said. The school selected teachers based on teacher’s ability to speak English, their attitudes and most importantly, their passion. Titagya classes are based around experiential learning.
Garza aims to expand Titagya. He plans to have three schools by 2010. He and his colleagues also plan to start a scholarship program for children who need help paying their school tuition. He believes that Titagya schools will give students a head start to their long-term education successes.
This is fitting with Garza’s goal. He said he doesn’t just want to create schools but to also make partnerships with local government and NGOs.
Garza said that he learned a lot of practical leadership skills while he was at Haverford. He started an Obama support group and several student organizations on campus. He learned how to keep people enthusiastic, organize details, and practice sustainable solutions. All these skills helped him become better prepared to tackle the challenges during the initial stages of Titagya, he said.
“Titagya” means “we have changed” in Dagbani, the language spoken in Dalun. It fits Garza’s goals– not just to create schools but also to make partnerships with local government and NGO’s.
It also means, "We have grown."
This article is © 2008 The Bi-College News. The material on this page is free for personal or educational use, but may not be reproduced, reprinted, republished, redistributed, or otherwise transmitted to a third party without the express written permission of The Bi-College News, 370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041.
Editor's note: Articles that appear in the Last Word section are works of satire.
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