The Bentley-Mmofra Trom Partnership
Since 2006, Bentley has worked closely with The Mmofra Trom Center near Somanya, Ghana, to provide services to disadvantaged children in the surrounding villages. The goal of Bentley’s involvement with the center is to contribute to its intention of becoming self-sustaining. With the successful development of this 38-acre site, children orphaned by AIDS can live near their original home and maintain ties to their relatives and native village. The villagers who retain responsibility for these children, yet cannot financially provide for them, can find new opportunities as more economic opportunities are developed.
This site was purchased from Nene Nar Plorkey III, the village Chief of Trom, by HUGS International TLC, a small NGO whose UK founder, Carol Gray, has been a guest speaker at Bentley three times in the past. She has inspired hundreds of students with her vision for alleviating poverty and addressing the needs of the poor, with an aim of returning them to dignity and self-sufficiency. She welcomed the idea of a partnership with Bentley, where our students would have the opportunity to help Mmofra Trom develop the economic, educational, and health-care infrastructure needed to support orphans in the Region. Olan Adjetey, Director of the Center, first visited Bentley in July 2005 to explore the potential for a partnership. Olan has since been back to Bentley in both 2007 and 2008 for continuing discussions about Mmofra Trom’s five-year strategic plan and financial goals, as well as Bentley’s role going forward. Bentley has had a significant impact on the project as Charles Malgwi, Accountancy Department, has worked with the staff of the center to get their financial accounting system on QuickBooks.
The primary goal of the Mmofra Trom Center is to provide access to education, health care, job skills training and employment opportunities. Bentley’s primary goal is to further the education of our students, through service-learning projects for the center.
Facilities in place and planned at the center include:
- Elementary School for orphans in the region (grades K-5)
- Middle School for orphans in the region (grades 6-8)
- Dormitory and Cafeteria
- School Bus, available as a source of income when not in use for the school
- Two large homes for orphans
- Fresh water well
- Mango orchard and vegetable garden
- Tilapia Fish Pond
- Rabbits, Grasscutters, Ducks
- Chicken coop
- Bead-Making and Kente-Weaving facilities
- Regulation-sized Football/Soccer field
Mmofra Trom has an ambitious plan for growth, planning to add the following:
- Medical services
- Computing and Adult Literacy Center
- Wood-working shop
- League play on the field
- Social services facility for the region (education and vocational counseling, job skills training)
