THREE RGU students have returned from Ghana following a life-changing fundraising campaign providing children with essential school supplies after raising over £4000.
The Dugbatey Foundation was formed in 2017 by RGU Construction Management alumni Dugbatey Teye (24), who is from Accra, Ghana.
It now has over 85 volunteers and has embarked on life-transforming campaigns to empower those less privileged in Ghana. With his classmates, Sam Montague (21) and Michael Robertson (29), Dubatey raised £4000 which provided 200 new desks and a range of school stationary for the village of Mfadwen in Ghana.
Streetsport, a national award-winning programme created by RGU, Denis Law Legacy Trust and Police Scotland, has also donated a batch of sport bags and Yes Ball Games t-shirts towards the cause. Former Torry Academy student Michael led a football event and the donation of football supplies on behalf of Streetsport. Michael and his brother Scott, who works for the Denis Law Trust arranged football strips, stencils and footballs to be given to the local children followed by a football game watched by 1000 people from the village.
Streetsport and the Dugbatey Foundation have decided to collaborate from a sporting perspective by competing against each other from across the globe as school children in Aberdeen to go head-to-head with those in Mfadwen, Accra.
Following the successful campaign, the Dugbatey Foundation team were gifted 80 acres of farmland which will be managed by the trio to allow employment in the village and develop their community.
Dugbatey, the founder, said: “Myself, Sam and Michael started working on the fundraising campaign in 2019 after we met at University. Our belief is that every single individual deserves the chance to realise their full potential and by supplying essential educational supplies, we allow the local children to learn and feel empowered.
“We are incredibly ambitious with our plans and can’t thank those that have already supported us enough. Our next aim is to raise £10,000 to enable the build of much needed toilet facilities as well as the renovation of the school library. This will be carried out in August and we can’t wait to go back and start on the next stage of our project.”
During the trip last month, the fundraisers were greeted with native dances and songs while Sam and Michael taught the villagers Scottish dancing and some Doric words and phrases.
Mark Williams, COO of the Denis Law Legacy Trust, said: “It was a privilege and delight for Streetsport to be asked to be involved in the campaign and we were more than happy to donate a variety of sports kit to the Dugbatey Foundation in Ghana.
“Using two simple football games was an ingenious idea by the volunteers at both charities and enabled school children to compete and unite from across the globe, a great example of using sport for good.
“Huge credit must go to the Dugbatey Foundation for working tirelessly to reach their fundraising target. By doing so they’ve enhanced the lives of 2,000 school children in Accra, a life-changing achievement and one which they should be very proud of.”
Streetsport was launched in 2006 to use sport for good and help change young people’s lives, their communities and raise aspirations. Today, Streetsport volunteers support over 15,000 participations annually across Aberdeen taking free-of-charge sport and creative activities to the doorstep of disadvantaged communities that need it the most.
The Dugbatey Foundation is looking to bring up to 20 volunteers with them from the UK to help them with the next campaign and experience Ghana.
