Pastor in Virginia plans to build a library

An Episcopal church pastor in Charlottesville, Virginia , longs to bring knowledge to his homeland. Ghanaian born Nana Akyempong-Ghartey says he has always put people first in his life. He says his dream is to bring knowledge to his native Winneba, in Central Ghana. Voice of America reporter Francois Nsengiyumva spoke with Pastor Ghartey to find out how he plans to make his dream come true.

Ghartey says, “I am planning to build a library for my people. I come from Winneba, Ghana, West Africa. Winneba has a University of Education …(it) trains all the teachers in Ghana … (it has) a police academy, an institute of languages , a sports college, 13 elementary xchools, but (no) library .. (so) I am planning to build a library.”

Asked how he came up with the idea, Ghartey says, “It was my own initiative but then I called the member of Parliament in Winneba and the District Chief Executive of Winneba and told them about my idea to build a library. They said their contribution would be to give me a big plot of land…”

Ghartey says that, in addition to providing students and the public with a place to read books, the library will also provide education. He says, “Apart from university students, elementary school pupils are going to know how to use the computer. As a matter of fact, the library is going to be a computer lab and a computer learning center.”

Ghartey says the cost of the project goes far beyond what he can afford personally: “The cost of the project is estimated at $350,000.00 and I cannot afford even a quarter of that money. I have appealed as much as I can to the community to come to my help.” Ghartey says he is still appealing to people all over the United States to come to his aid in helping to build a library in Winneba. He says he can easily be reached through the Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, Virginia.