By Rhoda Agilinko Founder of Homeland Ghana

In 2017, I returned to my hometown in the Upper East Region of Ghana and was struck by the state of local schools. Classrooms were overcrowded, buildings were worn down, and resources were scarce. I knew something had to change. Education has always been important to me. Born to parents who were teachers, and having had the chance to study in the United Kingdom, I understood how a good basic education can open doors. Seeing children limited by their environment inspired me to act. 

I founded Homeland Ghana Educational Foundation with a simple mission: to ensure every child in Ghana can attend, and thrive in, a good basic education, regardless of their family’s income. What began as fundraising for a single school quickly grew. I mobilised support, collected learning materials, worked with local communities and invested in the needs of basic schools across the region. Today, the organisation supports over 30 schools in the Upper East Region, reaching thousands of children and creating safer, well resourced learning environments.

Providing the basics has been key: pens, exercise books, backpacks, textbooks and uniforms. In 2023 alone, we consistently distributed sanitary pads to school girls throughout the academic term, provided students with uniforms and school supplies, and ran workshops that improved attendance and engagement.

My work is driven by empathy and the belief that when children are given the right tools, they can respond with energy, curiosity and hope. I know this from my own experience. When I was in Year Four, after relocating to the UK, I struggled with reading. A teacher, Miss Folds, invested in me, giving me one hour each day with a tutor and books. That support transformed my learning, built my confidence and showed me the power of guidance and opportunity. This is what I aim to give children through Homeland Ghana. My vision is long term: schools that are safe and well resourced, and a generation of Ghanaian young people who look back on their childhood with gratitude and forward with ambition, built on the foundation of a good basic education.