How High School Students In USA Supported Becky’s Orphanage Home

Sylvia Wang ’18 – The Gunnery Media Club

Gunnery community raises $603 to help an orphanage in Ghana.

On October 15th, Ms. Bethany Grupp, was invited by Mrs. Wojcik to speak to The Gunnery community about her experience in Ghana with the kids of the Becky’s Home Orphanage. Ms. Grupp, a college student at Central Connecticut State University, got involved with the orphanage after working with Habitat for Humanity during one of her spring breaks. She helps the orphanage by securing donations for basic things like food and water. She has travelled to Ghana to visit the children in the Orphanage a couple of times since her first visit in 2013. She always brought donations and supplies to Ghana in order to improve the kids’ living conditions.

Ms. Grupp published a blog to write about her experiences in Ghana and the little things that happened between her and the children. She published the first article on her blog on April 22, 2013, about 5 weeks before her departure to Ghana. She talked about her flight plans and stated her needs for donations so that more money could be collected to help the children in Ghana. On June 4, 2013, Ms. Grupp wrote that she arrived in Ghana, and met the kids of the Becky’s Home Orphanage. According to Ms. Grupp, the conditions for the orphans were, “simply horrendous.” The kids bathed outside with rain water, they slept on rugs, and they did not have a bathroom.

In her blog posts , Ms. Grupp expressed her love for the children in the orphanage. The children helped Ms. Grupp fix things, and taught her the Azonto Dance, which is traditional in Ghana. The kids were lovable, and they were always willing to help people with anything.

In order to help the children in the Becky’s Home Orphanage, The Gunnery sponsored a fundraiser. Students who donated $5 dollars were allowed to wear ugly sweaters in the Gunnery Winter Concert. In total, $603 was raised on that day, and all the money collected was given to Ms. Grupp to help with the expansion of a chicken coup and the purchase of around 300 chickens. According to Ms. Grupp, the donation will “help make the orphanage more sustainable.” The orphanage will sell the eggs and the children will also be able to eat the eggs for protein.

“I cannot stay away from Ghana,” says Ms. Grupp, “the children have the biggest impact on me. They are the most deserving children I have ever met. My first year, my parents sent me a package of underwear for the children; we danced around for 30 minutes celebrating how exciting it was to get underwear. That impacts you. The children make every sickness, every missing home moment, and every difficult day, worth it. Seeing the children run to you as you walk to the orphanage every single day is pure joy. These children deserve the world, I will help them every way I can. Also, these kids need love. Even without money, having someone there to hold you when you cry, to rub your back when you are sick, really helps a child grow. Every child needs these moments, but I think I enjoy it more than they do.”

For more information about Ms. Group Grupp and her experience with Becky’s Home Orphanage please visit her blog at https://gruppb.wordpress.com/. Ms. Grupp, a college student at Central Connecticut State University, got involved with the orphanage after working with Habitat for Humanity during one of her spring breaks. She helps the orphanage by securing donations for basic things like food and water. She has traveled to Ghana to visit the children in the Orphanage a couple of times since her first visit in 2013. She always brought donations and supplies to Ghana in order to improve the kids’ living conditions.