The Otwetiri Project (TOP)

The Village of Otwetiri

The village of Otwetiri is located near the town of Adawso in the Akwapim North District of Ghana, West Africa. A very small farming community composed of not only the local Akwapim people but also other ethnicities from Ghana. This tiny village is surrounded by other small cottages many of which children attend the Otwetiri Municipal Assembly Basic School has more than four hundred and fifty (450) students from Kindergarten through lower primary, upper primary to junior high. Life in this Ghanaian remote community is hard as in many poor localities. Nevertheless, the people within this community always appear joyful happy and hopeful despite all the complexities of their living conditions.

Building Schools

The Otwetiri School house building began with a thank you letter from the then headmaster, Mr. Fredrick Akuffo to Tometi (Tim) after receiving some donations from Tim in California, USA. This letter accompanied with three photos (see IMPACTS) showing a broken down school hut and the Otwetiri students in the used Davis Senior High School (DHS) uniforms obliged Tim to find a way to assist his poor village community in Ghana. Hence, the founding of this nonprofit organization (www.otwetiri.org).

The City of Davis

Davis is a very small city about 10 miles from Sacramento, the capital city of California. The city is known for its University of California, Davis (UC Davis) acknowledged as the "Coolest University" in the US in 2013. People in the community are very caring and loving. In fact, the Otwetiri Project would not have seen its birth without the incredible support of the benevolent community, the soccer in particular, the soccer moms whose children are involved in the Davis Youth Soccer League (DYSL) now known as the Davis Legacy Soccer Club (DLSC). These "soccer moms" were very instrumental in the launching of this organization. Many, whose kids Tim Gbedema coached as a DYSL youth soccer coach, and the Davis High School (DHS) JV Girls soccer team which he has served for more than fourteen (14) years, contributed to the establishment and existence of this nonprofit organization. Nationally known as the bike capital, the city of Davis is a friendly community one would love to be part of.

Education

As we know education is the key to success in the future. A Tibetan adage also says "A child without education, is like a bird without wings." This is why The Otwetiri Project's goal is to improve the educational environment for children in poor regions. The poor world faces several difficulties because many of its people have not the opportunities to acquire the necessary academic education to build their lives. The Black leader, Malcolm X, also reiterated that "Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today." It is for these reasons that our organization continues to seek support to enhance the livelihood of these future leaders in underdeveloped nations. Together, we can assist them in their efforts to prepare themselves for the future.

The D3C (Davis California Challenge Cup) Tournament in Ghana

The D3C (Davis California Challenge Cup) Tournament (est. 2007) is an annual tournament played between fourteen (14) village schools including the Otwetiri Municipal Aurthority (M/A) Basic School. The purpose of this annual D3C tournament is to keep children in these poor village schools, keep them fit and educate students on how to face and overcome challenges and be competitive in life. In fact, according to Headmaster Anthony Gbagba of the Otwetiri M/A Basic School, organizing this tournament has helped the school increase enrollment and develop the achievements of students. He also indicated that the tournament has brought a lot of excitement and interest in academic education to the students, hence their increase of attendance. Funding for this D3C Tournaments comes from The Otwetiri Project each year. Thanks to the Davis Legacy Soccer Club (DLSC), Davis Senior High School (DHS), Second Touch Soccer Non-profit Organization and the UC Davis Men's Soccer team, The Otwetiri Project has been able to provide used uniforms and soccer playing gears (used balls, pennies, etc.) for the tournament.

Fundraising

The annual "A Taste of Ghana" (TOG) Fundraising event remains the principal source of funding for The Otwetiri Project (OP) works. In addition to this event are local small fundraising activities like wine tasting, garage sales, car washing, the UC Davis Global Medical Brigades-Otwetiri Project student soccer tournaments, Pizza Nights at local restaurants, public presentations and talks to local rotary and other civil organizations as well as local educational institutions. The community of the Davis Legacy Soccer Club (DLSC) is very instrumental in the OP's fundraising events. Also, great thanks to the UC Davis students of Tometi Gbedema's classes and the soccer players of his DHS and DSLC teams, who, with their parents, never hesitate to support the causes of the OP's and its humanitarian works in Africa. The presence of current and past students and players always influences these fundraising events. There are also the incredible contributions from time to time from our "Friends of the Otwetiri Project," such as Mr. Tim Ainsworth who always takes time to attend the events and chips in a contribution from his family. The endless support of The Davis Enterprise newspaper corporation and the Board of Directors is key to the success of this organization's works.