About Us
World Joy was founded in 2005 as a private, United States-based, charitable organization with its purpose to improve the lives of Ghana citizens living within a rural 13-village area of the Atiwa District (Eastern Region) of Ghana, Africa.
Current Activities
Health:
In January 2010 an initial launch of the Family Health Care Initiative was carried out by World Joy in Atiwa District, the first of a coordinated three-phased program to be implemented over several years in three of the six sub-districts. Phase 1 includes the Abomosu sub district, comprising a population of 25,000 people which provides health services support through three health service outlets: (1) the Abomosu Health Centre; (2) the Asunafo health post; and (3) the Akakom health post. The Abomosu Health Centre is the major health service unit in the sub district and has a sizeable facility and numerous staff, including outreach nurses who, with the health posts, serve fourteen (14) smaller outlying villages.
Education:
A newly initiated Quality of Education Initiative by World Joy focuses on strengthening classroom teacher effectiveness and preparation. Collaboration with another Utah based non-governmental organization, Inside Out Learning, made it possible to conduct a week-long workshop in April, 2010 to begin this effort. A team of educators from the United States, Kenya, and Uganda provided this initial training. Other sessions were conducted over subsequent months by local trainers, resulting in over 500 teachers trained across the District in 2010. In the summer of 2011, World Joy began a specially-designed Early Education Training program for KG (kindergarten) teachers and trained local trainers in the new curriculum along with 100 KG teachers in a matter of weeks.
Total Trained to date: 1000
Housing:
A major challenge associated with field support efforts in rural areas is the provision of safe and comfortable accommodations – a place for groups to live and to have clean, nutritious food and water. World Joy identified an available un-finished home in Abomosu, one of the main Atiwa villages, which was available to lease. The home is owned by a Ghanaian living in the United States and is now finished and furnished by World Joy through a generous donation by the Laughlin Anaya Foundation. World Joy has obtained a five year lease.
World Joy staff, University guests, and Excursion guests have all enjoyed the accommodations while supporting World Joy projects and programs.