Charity built school in rural Ghana in need of computers

Sony Assuon, 44, moved to the UK in 24 having grown up in a poor area of Ghana. He had little education but went on to complete GCSEs, A-levels and a degree.

In 2015, Sony created the charity Assuon Foundation Trust - "a small charity with a big vision: promoting educational development."

He said: “It started up when I was in the Army in 2015. The reason why was because I came from a very poor, rural area in Ghana where education was under a tree. I came to this country with nothing.

“This country is full of opportunities, so I took the opportunity.”

He now lives in Longhedge with his wife and children, running the charity as well as New Tadi Market on Brown street.

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The United Nations has set out 17 ‘sustainable development goals’ which it intends to fulfil by 2030, but Sony thinks this is “impossible” and has instead chosen to focus on goal number four: ‘quality education’.

“I want everybody to speak English regardless of situation, sex or gender. You need to speak English if you want to do well”, he said.

The Assuon Trust's Educational Resource Centre (Image: Sony Assuon)

By doing this, Sony is trying to control child labour, stop street selling and sex working and allow children to have the opportunities he went on to have. He visits Ghana every year to promote a good education.

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Now, he has built an Educational Resource Centre (ERC) which will offer computer training, IT training and apprenticeships to pupils. He has built this entirely from fundraising and donations, the work of volunteers and support from C3IA solutions in Poole. It contains a 150-seat library, 80 seat computer lab, 20-seat internet cafe, 15-seat PC repair lab and apprenticeship centre.

One woman he has supported in Ghana has gone from being a street seller to being a qualified nurse, the first of many he hopes to see succeed.

Sony said that children are 'hungry' for education in rural Ghana (Image: Newsquest)Sony visits schools in the UK and gives presentations on topics such as black history month.

He said: “When I go to schools to give presentations, the environment is so welcoming – teachers, tables, chairs to sit on, a whole computer lab and yet how some of these kids speak to teachers – it’s really heartbreaking – some don’t even want to be in school.

“Where I’m from, we’re crying for it, we’re hungry for it.”

Sony is appealing to the general public, companies, organisations and individuals to give support either by donating unused laptops or computers or donate to support the purchasing of computers, tables or chairs to allow the ERC to open.

If you are able to donate, contact Sony at admin@assuontrust.org.uk.