Native Houstonian Alice Otchere is sharing something near and dear to her heart with the world – a library. More specifically, Otchere and her non-profit Literacy for Life are opening a library in the Ghanian city of Sagyimase whose schools lack one.
“I’m an avid, avid reader, always with a book, and I’ve been with books since I was a little child,” said Otchere, who had a successful career in human resources. “I basically grew up in the downtown library; that was my safe place, my sacred place,” said Otchere, who grew up in Fifth Ward an avid reader who has always had a book in her hand and a love of libraries in her heart.
While on a trip to Ghana, Otchere came upon a community with a school “library” that consisted of a milk crate filled with a few books.
“So, to see a place where the kids didn’t have a library… I was like, ‘A library is what I wanted to do for that area.”
Otchere was in Ghana to connect with her son’s Ghanian family in Accra. During that trip, Otchere and family were taken to the “family village” of Sagyimase. It was there she discovered a school and community that lacked a library. And easy access to books and the world reading makes available.
“A library is a place where you can travel and never leave the space you’re in,” said Otchere, intent on providing that opportunity to Sagyimase residents.
After returning to the U.S., Otchere established Literacy for Life (www.literatelife.org) in September 2019, to help bring her vision to fruition.
She has received tremendous financial support from her immediate family, including her family in Ghana who donated the land. In addition, she received support from friends and Port City Chapter (TX) Links, Incorporated sisters by hosting fundraisers and receiving donations to support the effort. Otchere went back to Ghana in Jan. 2020 to announce her plans and seek permission from the people of Sagyimase to proceed.
Though she received the go-ahead from the people, COVID had other plans, shutting down travel to the West African nation for nearly a year.
“But actually, that delay was a gift from God, because that allowed me time to do all the necessary planning, contact the Consul General of Ghana in Houston about her plans and start fundraising. So, by the I got back to Ghana in September 2021, I was ready to start,” said Otchere.
And now, the library is set for its grand opening on Oct. 16.
“We’re excited. I’ve been in contact with the director of education, the director of libraries and the chief of the village, of the area. So, everyone will be there. And they’re excited about this library in their community at large. It is a community library. It’s near a grade school and a high school, in walking distance for those kids. But the library will be open also to the community at large,” shared Otchere.
