During the Christmas season, it is customary to share with those who are less fortunate. For Fred and Elyse Maindonald, this act goes beyond just a seasonal gesture.
In 2011, the couple from Windsor became winners of the Brentwood Dream Home Lottery, securing ownership of a new house.
Instead of keeping the house for themselves, the Maindonalds decided to sell it and use the proceeds to support impoverished and orphaned children in Ghana, West Africa.
Fred Maindonald, 84, expressed, “It makes my life worth living. I could have indulged in material possessions like a boat and a truck, but in the long run, they would lose their value. Now, we have schools and children who appreciate our help.”
“The Star of God Children’s Centres, established by the Maindonalds, have been offering healthcare, nutrition, education, and religious teachings to children in underserved communities in the upper west region of Ghana for over ten years.
The area faces challenges due to limited resources and infrastructure, with approximately 70% of the population relying on subsistence farming, making them vulnerable to food scarcity during poor harvest seasons, as reported by the United Nations.
Elyse Maindonald, 73, a former nurse practitioner, remarked, “It’s hard to return home and witness the abundance we have, which many fail to appreciate. In Ghana, every little thing is valued, and despite their lack of material possessions, they give us so much more than we give them.”
The Maindonalds commenced their project in January 2012 with a single classroom in Wa, catering to about 20 young children who had lost parents to AIDS.
“At that time, the AIDS epidemic in Ghana was severe, with parents and children succumbing to the disease,” Elyse recalled.
Over the years, the Star of God project has grown to encompass eight structures in Wa, Duori, and Jirapa, with a current enrollment of 976 children.