Florence’s Machine

Hello all,

Hoping everyone in the UK is staying cool and hydrated this week!! And we are wishing all the young people in your lives finishing exams, a wonderful summer. 

We received an email update from the wonderful Barry Hedges who introduced us to the St Nicholas School in Ghana and many of the children in that community who we have been able to assist over the years.

The first young person we helped was Florence. We sponsored her for several years until she reached 18 and this week’s update was to let us know that Florence has just finished her high school final examinations and is hopeful to go on to further study and possibly university.

We immediately agreed that we thought the group would like to extend a gift to her this week to support her in whatever her next steps are. We are so proud of her and so honoured to have been able to watch her grow and blossom into such a wonderful young woman. We hope you’ll all join us in wishing her well!!!

Hello everyone at 500 Reasons,

Please post the following on the group's Facebook Page so that everyone can see the update on Florence. Thank you.

It has now been several years since this group began sponsoring Florence, a child at the St Nicholas School in Ghana. Looking back I can see updates that were posted here in 2022 and 2021. I wanted to bring everyone up to date. I especially want to update Dawn and Denise who became our points of contact between 500 Reasons and Florence. I want to thank Dawn and Denise for the interest they have taken in Florence. Florence has just completed her three-year term at Keta High School and has returned home after her final examinations. She is waiting for her results.

I asked that Florence write a short note about herself that could be posted to the group as ab update. The text below was written by Florence and I reproduce it here in full. 

I am Florence Damalie. I'm 19 years born on the 24th March 2007. I was once living with my parents in Tema New Town where life was really difficult for me. But for the past 14 years I have been living with in a home belonging to the charity from the  age of five. I was put in the care of Madam Mabel who has been like a mother to me. She has taken care of me like her own daughter. She always sees to it that I'm healthy and always ready for school. I attended St. Nicholas Charity Foundation School. I started the school in 2012 from nursery to Junior High School (JHS) and completed in 2023. I went on with my studies at Keta Senior High School which is located at keta in the volta region of Ghana. I studied General Arts with electives of Elective (advanced) Mathematics, Elective ICT, Geography and Government. I started Keta Senior High on the 4th December 2023, went through my registration and finally settled in for my studies. I attended boarding school throughout, which is the norm. I did three years in school and finally wrote my WASSCE examinations and completed on the 10th of June 2026.

My next plan after senior high school is to go to the university after my result is out. My dream university is the University of Ghana (Legon). To be able to get there I need to have a good grade.

I am hoping to go to College or University to study further.

I like reading. I really like reading stories especially adventurous books.  Throughout this period, I have been helped by the organisation 500 Reasons on several occasions, and I am deeply thankful for this.  Also, two wonderful women Dawn and Denise who I believe are members of 500 reasons, has also supported me as has Mad Vivienne and Mad Deborah Trustees of the charity.

I am very grateful and consider it a blessing that so many people have supported me and I hope to make everyone proud of me.

The above words are Florence's own and I would be grateful if they could be posted to the group.

Many thanks,

Barry Hedges