Fall 2011 Newsletter/ Fundraising Appeal

Dear friend,

The importance of African women in their societies was recently underscored by the awarding of two of the three Nobel Prizes for Peace in 2011 to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee, both of Liberia, for their work to end 14 years of civil war in that country and to reconstruct it in the aftermath.

The awards were announced shortly after the death of Wangari Maathai of Kenya, the first African woman to receive the prize in 2004 for her work in environmental preservation and human rights. These women rose to prominence against seemingly insurmountable obstacles- the common lot of most African women. World Class salutes them for their courage and resolve as it dedicates its efforts to assist the women of greater Amasaman,Ghana who- like the women of World Class -daily confront long odds and extreme hardships.

In the past ten months, World Class has assisted women in the communities it serves with 64 loans totaling approximately $10,000 in value. We completed our third well in Fise in the spring. All three wells are working well and the latrine in Doblo Gonno which, as we reported in our last letter, was not being properly maintained, is now in good order.

Next on our agenda is a new well for the community of Shikpontele. Of its approximately 900 residents, about 60% purchase water from tanker trucks, paying one cedi (67 cents) per large pail. The average family needs four pails a day. Poor families whose daily income is about 5.50 cedis ($3.67) would spend 72% of their income on water alone. Their options are to use water from polluted surface sources (and 35% do) or skimp on water purchases and/or food. About 30% of those buying water fall into that category. To say that residents here are eager for the new well is an understatement! World Class has earmarked the proceeds from last summer’s raffle for the new well, but still needs about $8,000 more to complete the project.

World Class is a very small “no frills” operation. Our annual income is about $28,000. That’s less than the salary of an office assistant in the U.S. -assuming we had an office. About $12,000 covers operational costs-the salaries of our two employees in Ghana being the largest component. The rest funds the drilling of a well or construction of a latrine. We have managed to complete one such project each year, but we could do two projects quite easily with the personnel and procedures we now have in place if we had the requisite financing.

In addition to the generosity you have so consistently shown, you could further our mission by bringing World Class to the attention of family and friends. Like you, they may wish to include a global dimension in their “philanthropic portfolio.” They might like to participate in a small effort that maximizes their contributions and provides a frank assessment of both problems and achievements. You might consider hosting a World Class presentation, creating a giving circle devoted to World Class, or acting as liaison between your church (or some other group) which might be interested in partnering, and World Class, to drill a well or construct a latrine. Please let us know how we can help you to help us.

World Class, a group of like-minded friends and friends of friends with an interest in assisting some of the world’s poorest people, makes no grandiose claims. We have not found the antidote to terrorism or war, or a panacea for economic growth. What we can take modest credit for is having provided several hundred people with a clean drink of water. With your continued help, we hope to provide it to hundreds more.


With appreciation for all we’ve done together,
Barbara Tsairis and Judy Willsey
Co-founders, World Class-Ghana, Inc.
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To contribute by:

Check: World Class-Ghana, Inc.
PO Box 325
La Grangeville, NY 12540

Credit card: Via PayPal on our donate button above

Remember: World Class is eligible for corporate matching gifts