2017 Abduhl Rafiq Lartey met the other Ambassadors; saw social media posts of them collecting books. Rafiq pledged to continue to have maximum respect for them due to their dedication to serving humanity. He said: ‘I am very happy to have been a part of this organization and look forward to being a contributing factor to its success. It is my intention to start a chapter of this organization in Ghana and I am hoping all goes well and that can be achieved. I am a proud representative of this organization and I believe that not only my shirt but my lifestyle, will reflect this organization every there I go’.
Abduhl, was a yearlong Scott High School ACES exchange student. He is a bright, intentional young servant leader. In a recent conversation, although extremely rare due to the lack of access to the internet, time difference and his education - Books4Buddies, he said taught him; LEADERSHIP, LITERACY AND LEGACY!
January 2017
Alpha Phi Alpha, MLK breakfast
February 2017
University of Toledo’s Black History Month celebration. He met Angela Davis
Monroe (MI) Rotarians - Black History month program
April 2017
Attended Books4Buddies Board meeting
May 2017
Meet/Greet Books4Buddies Ambassadors
June 2017
Returned home to Ghana
Document signed, including official school logo and scanned, time stamped - ‘It is worthy of mention that the Ghanaian Ambassador of Books4Buddies, Lartey Abduhl is a proud Alumnus of the Princess Diana Memorial School and has been humbly working under the guidance of Mrs. Laneta Goings the co-founder of Books4Buddies to FIRMLY ESTABLISH a chapter of the organization in Ghana.
Headmaster Signature and official seal - Princess Diana Memorial School - and Lartey Abduhl Rafiq, (Books4Buddies Ambassador, Ghana)
March 2018 - apologized for the difficulty using a phone in the school.
June 2018 - A Books4Buddies Literacy Quiz Competition, hosted by the Headmaster of Princess Diana Memorial School, was arranged to encourage students to read and take their education seriously. The competition was spread over a variety of quiz questions - math, science, English and French. Primary 6 to JHS3 selected the best students. The competition was steep and the junior classes emerged victorious over the seniors.
Teachers organized the event, camps up with questions and worked very hard to ensure a healthy and fair academic competition. It was not possible to focus on boys because the school system is different. However, Books4Buddies is still very young, so some females participate in the program and contests.
The goal going forward is involving other schools and a t least a regional competition every year. Hoping to fund via the government or other NGOs.
The winners received tee shirts, mechanicals pencils, wrist bands, etc. No additional competitions had been organized because there were no prizes to be used as incentives.
November 2018 - Rafiq was now in college in another region at Jamia Ahmadiyya International. His coursework included Theological science, mastering and becoming fluent in Urdu, Arabic in addition to his native languages. He had very limited contact although he’d hoped to stay in touch monthly. The school forbids/limits phone usage and/or internet.
March 2019 - Although the letter had been written it had not been signed and had to be delivered in person to the Headmaster for his signature.
August 4, 2019 - Rafiq sent a message that he’d not forgotten and spoke to school officials the previous day. He needed the Books4Buddies logo (he already had the ACES logo) that would appear on the letterhead prior to getting the Headmaster’s signature. It would then be sent via Google docs.
After numerous delays, riding down bumpy roads, observing time required for prayer, appointments that had to be rescheduled, attending college in another region, receiving the Books4Buddies logo....finally....
Tuesday, October 1, 2019 (8:31 a.m., EDT) - permission granted to go to the school, spoke to the headmaster and headmistress in person. The Official Books4Buddies logo and ACES logo added to the letterhead.
They did not only agree to sign but they also suggested to add their school stamp to make it more official. Abduhl signed it too. It was then scanned and transmitted.
