Adwoa’s Story
In 2009, shortly after the birth of her first child, Adwoa watched a video about the plight of three orphans, aged 7, 4, and 3, who were destitute and left to fend for themselves. As a new mother, their story moved her tremendously to the point of taking decisive action.
Adwoa grew up in a middle class family, where her dad was a ship captain and her mother was a homemaker. She was greatly influenced by her parents generosity to those in need. She learned that the blessings in life were not just for you but were to be shared with others in need. Adwoa despaired at the thought of the millions of children who were living in poverty and dying of preventable diseases and malnutrition. She was aware of the many people within her own circle who had the means to help but just didn’t know how. After she prayed for a way to help, Adwoa began to envision an organization that would connect those who were disadvantaged to better opportunities, and to bridge the gap between the poor and the privileged through community contacts. She reached out to Pockets of Promise co-founders Ernest and Henry, who, like Adwoa, grew up in Ghana and had moved to the United States, and the three got to work. Adwoa was also spurred to get a master’s degree from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. “I wanted to address some of the public health issues these communities were facing so parents could stay alive and be there for their kids.
Adwoa is married with three children and she desires to give other children similar opportunities as her children.
Ernest’s Story
Ernest’s parents divorced when he was 4 years old and his mum raised him on her own. Life was good until his mother lost her business and her livelihood during a government takeover. Despite these hardships, Ernest excelled academically and gained admission to Achimota School, a very prestigious secondary school in Ghana. Tragedy struck again when his mother died in his second year of secondary school. Things took a turn for the worse as Ernest had to fend for himself, doing odd jobs to pay for his tuition.
After high school, he couldn’t find a job or the money to go to college, so he started looking for ways to leave the country in search for a better life. He was so desperate he considered stowing away in a ship bound for Europe. It was then that Ernest met a young lady from his church, and after hearing about his plan, she offered to help him. She allowed Ernest to live with her and her husband while Ernest worked as an assistant in her husband’s company. With a place to stay and regular income, Ernest was able to attend college. He relocated to the United States to pursue a master’s degree. “I now work with a pharmaceutical company in research and have a decent life. I shudder to think of how different my life would have been if the young lady and her husband had not chosen to help me. I am very passionate about our work because I was one of these children and with a little help, the trajectory of my life changed for the better.”
Henry’s Story
Henry is the last of eight boys in his family. His dad was a retired principal and his mother was a baker. Henry was born and raised in Krobon Odumase, a small town about 50 miles outside of the capital city Accra, Ghana. Through elementary and high school, Henry excelled in his studies. He did so well he was able to gain admission to Achimota School, a very prestigious high school in Ghana. It was there that he realized that what he considered normal life in his small town was far from normal in the big city.
During his stay at Achimota as a boarding student, Henry had a hard time fitting in with the rest of his classmates because he couldn’t afford the basic needs. During his second year of his 3 year study, Henry met his sponsor who provided him with his basic needs such as additional uniform, pairs of shoes, lunch money and regular visits. Due to the support of his sponsor, Henry was able to grow up as a normal teenager, participate in school activities, and focus on his studies. After graduating from high school, his sponsor again helped him continue his studies in the US where he now resides with his wife and four children and works as a successful software developer. “I am involved in Pockets of Promise so I can help underprivileged kids around the world to get a better life”.
Henry desires to see lives of children transformed through education.
2013
After a visit to India, Adwoa launches Pockets of Promise with her co-founders, Ernest and Henry, providing scholarships and school supplies to children she met in the slums of Tirupati.
2015
We organize a Christmas party at the Royal Seed Orphanage in Ghana, feeding 300 children and providing them a month’s supply of food.
2016
We provide scholarship packages to 20 children in the village of Aniehu, Ghana, and establish an afterschool and feeding program in the slums of Tirupati.
2017
We establish a feeding program in Ramapuram, India, feeding 45 children and building homes for families.
2019
We provide scholarship packages to 20 children in Ngeye village in Uganda.
We establish our Women Empowerment Program. Our first jewelry-making training session is held for 10 women in Aniehu, with the goal to sell the products in the United States and return any profit to the women so they may start their own businesses.
2020
We build our first Pockets of Promise after-school center in India.
Today
We continue to provide education and nutrition assistance to more than 150 children and their families in three countries.
Pockets of Promise is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt social justice charitable organization dedicated to changing the lives of poor children around the world through education and proper nutrition. We are headquartered in Atlanta, GA with centers currently in Africa and Asia. All contributions designated for specific projects shall be applied to those projects. Contributions which exceed the needs of the given project will go to fund similar pressing needs.
