Jackson Township teen and friends start a foundation to help orphans in Ghana

JACKSON TWP. − A good deed which fostered a friendship has resulted in a new foundation aimed at helping some of the world's most needy children.

Back in 2022, Kolbe Hollcraft, 18, founder of the newly formed United Haven Foundation, was driving to classes at Walsh University when he offered a ride to fellow student Jacob Darko, who was riding a bicycle.

"He was in one of my classes and I started to him. He was biking to school every day," Hollcraft said. "So, I started driving him home from school sometimes after classes. Over time, we became close. He spent some Christmases with us, and I got to know how life was there (Ghana). It was definitely different than what we experience here. It opened my eyes a little bit to what's happening over there."

One day over lunch, Hollcraft said Darko shared information about the state of orphanages in Ghana, particularly those smaller villages outside of his native Accra, the country's capital city.

Darko said most orphanages are run by Ghanians. Currently, there are 3,500 Ghanian orphans living in 140 homes.

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Building a foundation to help orphans in Ghana

Hollcraft, a Jackson High School alumnus and a legal studies major at Walsh, said their conversation prompted him to start asking other friends if they would be interested in helping the orphanages in some capacity. He found 20 people who said yes.

"Toward the end of February, I started looking into what it takes to start a charity and a nonprofit," he said.

The foundation, he said, is in the process of building its website and organizing fundraisers to support the United Haven Foundation.

"That name just comes from the idea that orphanages are homes, and as much as the kids sometimes have to struggle, we want to bring that in some capacity throughout the country," Hollcraft said.

Andrew Dylewski, 19, a fellow Jackson High grad and a civil engineering major at the University of Akron, serves as a co-vice president alongside Sam Karcher. Dylewski is the creator of the foundation's website and also designed the foundation's logo.

"When Kolbe approached me, I definitely was excited to use these skills I've been learning these past few years and to actually make a difference with them," he said. "At first we started out slow, there was so much to do. Kolbe's handled all of the legal things; I don't know how he's stayed on top of it. I've just tried to pick up any work that he needs me to do."

'Sometimes when the parents die, family members tend to take them to orphanages.'

A native of Accra, Ghana, Darko, 26, has been in the U.S. since 2022. He previously worked as a procurement and logistics associate for Anheuser-Busch in Ghana, and is studying supply-chain management at Walsh.

Darko said most orphans in Ghana are "street" kids, which is how orphanages and children's homes usually find them.

"Sometimes when the parents die, family members tend to take them to orphanages," he added.

The poverty rate in Ghana stands at about 24%, compared to 11.4 percent in the U.S. The average monthly salary in Ghana is about $350 in U.S. dollars. People who earn the equivalent of $8 an hour are considered middle class.

Hollcraft said the foundation has begun working with CEDI Ghana, an economic development nonprofit which helps teens who want to start a business.

"We're also focusing on finding smaller orphanages that need a lot more help," he said. "One of the orphanages we know we'll be helping is the Haven of Hope Children's Home. I've been in contact with them just discussing different needs they have."

When asked if he thinks American media adequately informs readers about world poverty, Darko said no.

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"The media tries to portray the world in a certain way for Americans to see how other parts of the world, but they are not too much informed about how other people live," he said.

Hollcraft said that in his research, he sought advice from a number of other nonprofit founders, including Sarah Evans of Well Aware, a Texas-based charity that drills water wells in East Africa.

"Mostly, she talked about the follow-through and time management," he said. "Especially something like this, when you're in school, managing time."

Hollcraft said his goal is to demonstrate a commitment that goes beyond the current moment.

"I would love for it to become something in which we're consistently helping them," he said.

Hollcraft and Darko headed to Ghana in December

In December, Hollcraft and Darko will visit Ghana.

"We'll bring what we have, and that's going to establish not just a one-time thing, but our communications, our relationships," he said. "One of the guys I spoke to in Ghana discussed how a lot of Americans will come there and they'll bring some money and take photos for social media, then leave and never come back. He just discussed that developing a relationship is what really makes the difference for them. They like to see that consistency."

Darko agreed.

"I believe that once we get it going, it will go a long way in the lives of these kids," he said.

To learn more, contact Hollcraft at 530-513-2988, or email him at khollcrafter@unitedhavenfoundation.com or visit their website at www.unitedhavenfoundation.com, or their page on Instagram.

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com.

On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: United Haven Foundation launched to help orphans in Ghana