Tragic death influences woman to make a difference in Ghana
Learning to make their own decisions: Children from the school opened by the Attah Appeal
When Jessica Blend volunteered to work in an orphanage in Ghana, she had little idea that the trip would not only change her life but also transform the lives of more than a hundred local children.
While working at the orphanage in 2002, the healthcare assistant from Epsom hospital met Attaah, a young girl who was left an orphan because her mum, Vivor, died from a complication during childbirth.
But the problem Vivor had was very simple and Jessica was angry that a lack of medical facilities had led to her death.
"If she had been over here she would have been fine, but she basically bled to death," Jessica said.
Unable to forget Attaah's loss, Jessica decided to set up a charity to raise money to fund better health treatment. But she did not expect the idea to be such an uphill struggle.
"There was a lot of red tape," she said. "I realised that it would be better to put the money towards a school.
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"If the children can be educated then they can learn to make their own decisions rather than forcing western medicine upon them."
Jessica began researching the idea of setting up a school and, after many visits to Ghana, she successfully set up the charity that would eventually achieve her goal. Drawing from the inspiration that had begun the project, Jessica decided to name the charity after Attaah. The Attaah Appeal was born.
Building for the future: The charity hopes to build a new school
Through fierce determination and hard work, Jessica and the Attaah Appeal opened their first school in July 2006, using a dilapidated church for the main classroom.
Initially they began teaching 30 children, but within a few months their student population had swelled to more than 115.
Earlier this year, they suffered a huge setback when their church building blew down during heavy weather.
Since then, Jessica has pursued the fundraising even more ferociously, with the aim of getting a new purpose-built school for the pupils.
In the meantime, the charity has persevered with a bamboo structure which allowing the pupils to continue with their education and satisy their thirst for knowledge.
Work on the new buildings began last month, and Jessica admitted she could not wait to get back out and see the progress made so far.
She said: "I try to go out twice a year to catch up on what's happening.
"We had a meeting last time about the new school and they wanted to name it after me, but I said it would be too embarrassing.
"In the end we decided to name the school Vivor, after Attaah's mother. If it hadn't have been for her then none of this would have happened."
For more information on the charity visit attaah.org.uk
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