International Educational Services

International Educational Services (IES) is a small, non-profit organization created in 1996 to serve poor subsistence farmers in Ghana, West Africa. Our varied projects and programs over the past 16 years have all been completed successfully mainly because we work in close partnerships with local schools,parents and other community members. They want and deserve the same high educational advantages for their own children that are evident in the majority of western, economically advanced countries in which primary through senior secondary school is usually free of charge. Our Board of Directors serves on a volunteer basis, which means that over eighty-five percent of all donations goes directly to villages in cash or kind. We welcome all donations!

 (shown above with Degedege Village kids)

Natalie E. Gray, Director

A former high school teacher for twenty-two years in the New York City public school system, Natalie personally learned of the plight of rural West Africans in the Peace Corps (Liberia/85-87). Subsequent to that experience, she conducted doctoral research in the Upper West and Greater Accra regions of Ghana in 1995: (USAID's Assistance To Girls' Education in Ghana) and has been involved there ever since.  Natalie was awarded her PhD from New York University in 1998.  She resides in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn, New York.

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(shown here at Brooklyn Museum Batik Workshop with Adam, an IES supporter)

 Susan I. Richardson-Sanabria, Co-Director

An arts administrator in New York City, Susan's focus has been the infusion of creative arts, particularly theatrical, into the lives of high school students.  A co-founder of IES in 1996, Sue and Natalie spent many hours together designing the foundation of the organization and our guiding principles. She has continued to serve over the years as a sounding board and advisor in our effort to provide the best support for rural Ghanaians. Susan graduated from Bennington College and the University of Michigan.  Oh, yes, she is also Natalie's cousin.

(shown  in Degedege with members of his "crew")

 Kelvin Mensah Amegashie, Co-ordinator

Our newest Volunteer, Kelvin, joined IES in October 2010 after learning about our work from Natalie during one of her brief stays in Accra, Ghana's capital city. "Kojo" simply resigned from his position as a hotel receptionist and hopped on a bus to Degedege Village shortly after meeting the IES Director. Surprisingly, this "fish" has taken to the "waters" of rural Ghana in quite an extraordinary way.  Kelvin  is IES   Lead  Co-ordinator for the Degedege Primary School Construction Project.  He also serves the needs of villagers in our "Outreach Programs" and somehow found time to   design the new I.E.S. logo, as well.  That's what I'm talkin' about!   

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 (shown here planning Phase 2 of the school project)

 Kwame Gyamfi, Project Foreman

Kwame has worked for over 20 years as Project Foreman and mason, constructing schools, houses and estates. His role in the Degedege Primary School Construction Project is to insure completion of the project in a timely and cost-saving manner.  He is a native son of the Brong-Ahafo region and therefore, well-respected by Degedege villagers. This is Kwame's first project with IES, but we are hopeful that there will be many more. In fact, we are sure of that!

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 Degedege Village Communal Laborers-2010/12

IES construction projects would be impossible to do in a timely way without the consistent contribution of all villagers-men, women and children. They endure the basic physical labor which does not require skilled workers, such as clearing land,molding cement blocks by hand, digging the new school's foundation, carrying water and any other needed heavy lifting.  To see women with babies on their backs carrying heavy loads also on their heads is a testament to the depth of their commitment to create futures for their children which far exceed the present reality.

 Degedege children perform communal labor 

Kelvin carefully places a cement  block on a Degedege woman's head for transport to the nearby school construction site. This young mother's child will benefit in the near future from the work we are doing on his behalf today.

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As of April, 2011, our new school was 60% completed. We are presently (1/27/12)in the last phase of the project.  New photos are on the way!

The primary school which is currently still used in Degedege is unacceptable. IES will replace this old, dilapidated structure with our new school block by March 2012.  In the meantime, any donations made to IES will go directly towards the school project.
 

These smiling faces will soon be attending a new school
 

If you would like to help us reach our goal, please make a contribution today.  Me da se!  Thank you!

 International Educational Services (IES)

Who We Are

I.E.S. is also open to volunteers from the United States and other countries, who wish to 'give back' and receive much more in return.  I.E.S. staff have traveled throughout Ghana and worked with a myriad of energetic, creative,  and committed workers, both African and American. Would you like to join us for a new experience? 

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IES provides many colorful learning materials which children in rural Ghana have never seen before. We have an after-school informal program which is open to all who wish to come.

Natalie and after-school class greet each other.  We do not use rote learning, which is the usual teaching method in Ghana. Instead, our work each day focuses on a task, such as strengthening hand/eye coordination.Kelvin gives individual attention to each student in the class.  We use a variety of stacking blocks to encourage each child's creativity.  In this exercise, there are no wrong answers.
Children come to the school office in search of after-school teachers. Our primary goals are to increase the students thinking and analytical skills.

Children in rural communities are responsible for farming and home activities, such as carrying water and taking care of younger siblings. IES obtained permission of each family for their children to attend after-school, if desired.  No one declined.
 

When we saw children in Degedege classrooms sprawled all over the floor because there were only a few stools, Natalie went immediately to the local carpenter and ordered 50 desks that each seats 3 students.  Kelvin applied the IES lettering.
 

Students are also welcome to bring their own school books and study in the after-school program, such as this girl who chose to work on her alphabet skills.  We are there to help, if needed.Kelvin traveled to the SOS Children's Village in Tema to pick up a donation  of toys, books, and clothing from U.S. Africa Children's Fellowship, a U.S. based organization led by Mark Grashow, a retired NYC teacher.  Thanks Mark!  Thanks Kelvin!
A box full of chalk will be donated to teachers in Degedege when our school construction project completes in February 2012. Thanks USACF!
 

This donated box of books is suitable for primary school and there were more books for junior high students. Again, Thank You USACF!  In total, there were 15 boxes of gifts to Degedege Village.
 

This after school program would not have been possible if IES had not donated 50 desks and brought materials from the U.S. and Accra, Ghana's capital.  The little girl at the board was brave enough to raise her hand, walk to the board in front of 200 children and write her name.  Her courage will diminish in Ghana's still entrenched male-dominated society 
if not permitted to flourish in the classroom. 

Natalie glues the letters of the alphabet above the chalkboard.  Also, Kelvin and other volunteers have placed photos taken of the kids on the back wall each month.  We love to see their pleasure when seeing themselves for the first time in photographs.

 When IES first visited Degedege, the children were so starved for play equipment, that they fought over the jump ropes.  It was very hard to look at, but informed us about the role of play in educating children.  Now they have learned to take turns with the several jump ropes that are always on hand.

Although decidedly in the minority, some small boys also like to jump rope.  They are-like the girls-a joy to watch!
 

Natalie does her own "exercising" to some wonderful Ghanaian music at the STC bus rest stop.  She needs to be in really great shape to keep up with the kids in Degedege. No problem.
 

A couple of lucky kids get rides home from school.  It is so good to see the smiling faces everyday on this school compound which was very bleak when IES arrived there for the first time in 2009.  A lot has changed since then.

There are always those who prefer to spend a little free time learning how to play the numerous "thinking skills" games IES brings to Ghana.  Here a few boys are working on Connect Four.
 

A primary school girl has chosen to work solo on the task of stacking a set of variously-shaped blocks without any falling off. The ability to focus well, hand/eye coordination, and problem solving strategies are the tasks we had in mind for this exercise. By the way, this child managed to stack all of the blocks one-by-one without any falling-on her very first try!  Great job!
 

Some children like to spend free time looking at books donated by IES. We focus on interactive books which require the reader to pull tags to discover the correct answer. The tasks are to correctly identify numbers, animals and vehicles as well as to develope manipulation  skills.