Introduction
Future Stars International is a non-profit and non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Buduburam. Buduburam is in the Gomoa East District, the Central Region, of Ghana. We aim to improve health and educational opportunities for the less privileged children in the Buduburam community through projects which rely on the support of volunteers from around the world. Our work supports the principles of the UN Global Compact and aims to fulfill the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Our grassroots organization has taken the lead in the community of Buduburam, Ghana. Future Stars is addressing the needs of some of the more than 5,000 less privileged children in the Gomoa East district. Currently, Future Stars provides educational services and counseling to 150 less privileged and vulnerable children between the ages of 4-15 years.
Services include providing food, clothing, health care, educational opportunities, and life skills training.
Our methods of eradicating poverty:
- Creating educational opportunities and reducing illiteracy.
- Researching the local causes of child labour in order to eliminate it.
- Hosting HIV/AIDS awareness seminars
- Focusing on children’s self-confidence to improve their ability and capacity to learn.
- Teaching gender equality through discussion.
Mission and vision
To promote education in impoverished rural communities with solution-oriented projects that enable people to lift themselves out of poverty. We focus on empowering people, particularly the less privileged so that they can become agents of proactive change within their local communities.
Our vision is to become the driving force in education, health, and safety for the impoverished in Ghana.
Programs and services
Education: Future Stars operates a primary school in Buduburam which gives access to basic education and feeding to 150 less privileged children in the community. The primary school has helped to establish the name and trust of the organization with Ghana Education Service.
Child Labor Project: In 2017, Future Stars recognized the need to support Child labor victims. Children are forced into labor in Buduburam and the fishing villages (Senya and Fetteh) for years at a time and exploited with little to no compensation. Some children labor because of their family’s financial circumstances; in desperation, a family may force their child into service for a small sum of money. We strive to eliminate child labor through education, rehabilitation and community empowerment.
Public Health Program: Future Stars International has therefore placed a great importance on health work in the Buduburam area. In order to help alleviate many of these endemic health problems, Future Stars works closely with local administrators, community members and stake holders to improve the health of the surrounding area. We are involved in several projects, each of which aims to provide long-lasting impacts and emphasize prevention. These projects include education in schools and assisting at the local health clinics.
Each month, the public health team travels and conducts health talks to the students at district schools. The topics of these talks include symptoms, treatment, and prevention of malaria, HIV/AIDS, diarrhea and more. Future Stars recognizes the power of the youth to lead change in their communities and aims to provide them with the knowledge necessary for action and empower them to work for change. Students are encouraged to not only learn the information, but to put it into practice, as well as to share the information with their families and community members.
Organizational Structure (board, staff, volunteers):
Future Stars International is made up of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals. Members of our team engage in research and filed operations, programs implementations and community awareness projects. Future Stars International consists of a Board of Directors, an Executive Director (Programs Director), Finance and Administrative Director, Administrative Secretary, Project Coordinators and Field Facilitators (Project Assistants). Future Stars International is supported by a Board of Directors. This board advices the organization on the implementation of projects and formulates policies for the organization. The field teams are directly responsible to the Board of Directors, and are required to submit costs of projects, proposals, and updates on a regular basis, as well as at General Meetings. Future Stars International also receives various interns and volunteers from abroad.
Future Stars’ major programs:
- Education standard program
- Operating a primary school which supports 150 less privileged children in the community
- Feed A Soul program that ensures that our 150 children receives a protein rich meal throughout the year in our primary school.
- Child Labor and Trafficking program
- Public Health: Education, Empowerment and Assessment program
