Ghana native George Ipraim, 43, came to Hoboken in 1998 with the dream of raising enough money to build a school in his hometown of Obuasi.
He has raised enough to start the foundation and a basement with six classrooms, but now he needs support of the Hoboken community reach his goal of providing a schoolhouse for nearly 300 children.
On Nov. 9, Ipraim and over 20 of his friends from Ghana who now live in the United States will hold a celebration to raise funds for the building at the Community Church of Hoboken at 606 Garden St. The school in Ghana will be called the Christ Community School.
At the event, there will be traditional Ghanaian cuisine, pictures of Impraim’s hometown and the school site, and discussions about Ghanaian culture and customs.
Beginning of his dream
Impraim’s hometown, Obuasi, is in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Ghana is situated in West Africa near the equator and on the Greenwich meridian, bounded on the north and northwest by Burkina Faso, on the east by Togo, on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by La Cote D’Ivoire, also known as the Ivory Coast.
Ghana is known for its acclaimed hospitality. Formerly a British colony known as the Gold Coast, Ghana was the first black nation in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve independence in 1957.
Obuasi, which is several hours west of the capital of Accra, is one of the most populous towns in the country with more than 230,000 people. For the past 100 years, gold mining has been the largest industry, and Obuasi mines have produced approximately 27 million ounces of gold. In fact, Ipraim spent 18 years working as a painter for the Ashanti Goldfields Company, which was the first Ghanaian company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
But unfortunately for the people of the region, only a fraction of the wealth that was taken out of Obuasi’s mines was reinvested into the community and the education of its children.
One constraint on Ghana’s economic growth has been inadequate human capital development. According to recent data, one girl in three and one boy in four does not attend school. The figures are worse in rural areas.
“I have always wanted to do something for the children of Obuasi,” said Ipraim during a recent interview. “It became my dream to build a school for them. A Christian school.”
He added that only way to insure future prosperity and both economic and social growth is through education. “Providing children with a good education will help them build up the country,” he said.
He added that the school that is under construction will be superior to most of the city’s other options. “Our school is going to be different,” said Ipraim. “Most schools are open – they have a roof and no walls. Our school will have walls and windows.”
Bought four and a half acres
According to Ipraim, in 2000 he bought four and half acres to build a kindergarten-through-eighth grade school. In the past four years, he has raised over $55,000 which was enough to build the foundation and a basement with six classrooms.
In January of 2002, Ipraim and Rev. Faith Link of the Community Church of Hoboken attended the groundbreaking. Ipraim had nothing but praise for the assistance of the Community Church.
“It was really a life-changing experience for me,” said Link about the trip to Ghana. “George is the most unselfish man I have ever met. He has this amazing dedication to give back to his community that’s just incredible.”
She added that she is already planning a return trip in February or March with Ipraim to check on the school’s progress as well to visit with Ipraim’s wife and four children.
“Even in the short time that I was there, you could tell that his home was open to everyone in the community,” said Link. “It was inspiring.”
And while Link spoke many kind words about Ipraim; he returned the favor and spoke volumes about how the church and the area have help him proceed toward his dream of building a school. The school will be named the Christ Community School.
“We chose this name because of the Hoboken Community Church,” he said. “The church has given us so much help in making our dream come true.”
But now, construction has stopped until another $45,000 can be raised to build the first floor and start the second floor of the school. “We hope to be ready for children in 2005,” said Ipraim.
The event will be held after church on Nov. 9. Church starts a 10 a.m. and the Ghanaian celebration is scheduled to start shortly afterwards at 11:30 a.m. To RSVP for the Nov. 9 event, call (973) 676-4308. If you are not able to attend the event, donations to the school fund can be mailed the Community Church of Hoboken at 606 Garden St., Hoboken.