Charity for Akwidaa

Todd and Kyungmi have been thinking about creating a charity for the village of Akwidaa, and we thought our wedding would be a great opportunity to start this. We would love it if you can donate to this charity in celebration of our marriage.

Kyungmi has been researching about microfinancing programs and has a couple of connections with charities who does microfinancing in Ghana. She will do further research and possibly collaborate with these charities to bring a program specific to the village of Akwidaa, or start a unique program for the village. Right now, we have no non-profit status, so your donation will not be tax deductible. We might be able to collaborate with another nonprofit later on and receive the donations through them so it will be tax deductible. For now, we request that you consider it as a wedding gift and not worry about tax deduction.

We have learned that helping the people here in Ghana is not a simple matter. Handing money out as a free gift only breeds dependency, and as we study more, microfinancing program where you create an accountability for the money they borrow to start or expand a business and have to repay the loan within a year seems like the most empowering and effective program. Once they successfully go through a lending cycle, then they will be qualified to borrow a larger amount of money. Setting up the program properly so it becomes an effective program will take time and effort. The challenge is the maintenance program, checking on the people who do get the loan, to ensure their business efforts are working. We are hoping we will be finished with our research by the end of 2009 and begin the program sometime in 2010.

You can donate by using Paypal or by sending us a check. For details, please email us at kyungmishin@gmail.com.

Hello from Akwidaa Village

We bought a 3 acre of land on the beach on the Western region of Ghana, West Africa. The village near our home is Akwidaa, a fishing village with the population of 1000. We have no electricity on this part of Ghana, though we are told that it's on its way soon. So the life in Akwidaa is very simple. Houses are built with bamboo and earth walls (with some cement for those who can afford it), roofs are made out of leaves or corrugated metal (if you can afford it). There are small wooden stalls and small stores selling basic items. Most people grow their own food (Casava is the main staple) in addition to fishing. There are quite a few churches here. Majority of the population is Christian on the coastal area of Ghana, evangelical or 7th Day Adventists and are devout. They mix traditional and Christian customs in their daily rituals. Education level is fairly basic, but people are eager to educate their children if they can afford to. Even elementary school is fee-based, so only those who can afford can go to school. There are some who have finished technical training such as masonry, woodworking, electrical work (for work in the city), cooking school, and they tend to be a little better off, mostly working for foreign hotels. The nearest large city, Takorati, is an hour away, and the life is a little more modern and hectic but also more expensive, congested, and polluted. Life in the village is simple and more humane, but there is little opportunity for employment for people.

Here are some photos from the village Akwidaa.