In a collective mission, we need a tapestry of stories. We believe that who the story of an organisation’s development is told by, and who features as the protagonist, matters.

A core belief in EduSpots is that everyone has the capacity to shape their communities through education, building from Giroux’s philosophy that ‘all citizens, old and young, are equally entitled, if not equally empowered, to shape the society in which they live’. We have always been aware of the power of storytelling in this creative process, believing that to a large extent stories reflect, intersect with, and even form realities.

Perhaps over 500 people have been involved in creating and sustaining EduSpots – every person involved brings a different story and this is why we haven’t offered one version of the history of EduSpots on this website. Simply get in touch with any of our team or volunteers, and they can tell you their EduSpots story!

Every community Spot has its own narrative of its creation, and you can read more about all our projects here. You can also get the strongest sense of our volunteers and their activity through following us on Twitter and Facebook where we share live updates directly from community volunteers and registered volunteers can engage with our activities via our multiple WhatsApp platforms. Click here to read more about our vision and strategy.

Here are a few stories we’ve collected:

“When I grew up, it was a little village, about 500 people. I suffered a lot in terms of teaching materials like books, so when I grow up, and said that I have to do something to do something to help those small villages. As a driver, I’m often taking tourists. Any tip I get I cut into two and get some books to send them to the villages. Books are so expensive and some community areas they don’t have them. This was before I met Cat; I was so happy for the amazing idea to help the rural communities. Since I’ve joined the team, there are many that can testify in the rural communities, that lives are changing.“ (Francis Yeboah, co-founding Director of EduSpots Ghana)

“ In Akumadan, EduSpots began with passionate individuals who identified gaps in educational opportunities and seek to address them. EduSpots believes in teamwork, and these individuals from the EduSpots team in Akumadan came together through our local initiatives, pooling their resources, expertise, and connections to make a change through EduSpots. As the initiative gains traction, it attracts more members and supporters from the community and beyond, fostering a network of educators, volunteers, and stakeholders dedicated to its mission. Over time, through collaborative efforts and community engagement, EduSpots has expanded its programs, and becomes a vital hub for lifelong learning, empowerment, and social enrichment within the communities and beyond.” (Carlos Adu Boahen, 1st Project Leader, Akumadan)

“It started with just few individuals who shared in the Eduspots dream. But now, the Abofour team has a wider network of volunteers. I am highly impressed with the level of sustainability and growth even after some volunteers who were pioneers are presently not in the community but its activities are still ongoing. I’m very fascinated with the Eduspots’ approach which is community leadership. We are involved in all the activities of the designated groups and strive to partake in every challenge.” (Gloria, 1st volunteer in Abofour)

Founding members 

We would like to say a particular thank you for the role the following people took in the early stages of EduSpots’ foundation: Paul Wilson, Sarah Wilson, Joseph Addae, Gloria Addae, Janet Addae, Vida Addae, Elizabeth Cody, Suzie Sturgeon, Steve Marshall-Taylor, Dennis Wellings, Oliver Champness, Ed Warren, Seth Follen, Ali Hudspeth, Ella Dobson, Thomas Linsdell and Helen Denyer. The founding trustees of EduSpots Ghana are Cat Davison and Francis Yeboah who still work in close partnership.

Our name

The idea for the name for the charity ‘Reading Spots’ was born from the common labelling of bars in Ghana as ‘spots’: for example ‘Best Friends’ Spot’, and ‘Best Place in the World Spot’. The Ghanaian team thought that originally naming the charity ‘Reading Spots’ (later becoming ‘EduSpots’ to allow for a wider breadth of educational activities) would emphasise the importance of education being ‘alive’ and at the heart of community life

Join us!

Together, we believe we have developed a model for educational development in low-resource settings that could be replicated. We are so excited about the future of EduSpots, and would encourage anyone to get in touch who is able to support us in developing #OurCollectiveFuture. For all enquiries email info@eduspots.org