Matt Essieh: Giving back to a cause that has given me so much
Dear supporters,
As a young man growing up in Ghana, I always knew that education was the key to unlocking a world of opportunity beyond the borders of my hometown of Sampa. Little did I know that my determination to go to high school would lead me to cross paths with three Peace Corps Volunteers who first shared their books with me, then their lives, and ultimately their homes back in the United States.
Today, I recognize how fortunate I am to have met Sue Major, Bonnie Gottlieb and Donna Newton, and to have experienced their kindness and generosity. The seed they planted helped me grow and build a career that has enabled me to take care of my family and my community in a way that I might never have been able to do otherwise.
I chose to give to the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to live up to the commitment I made to myself long ago: That I would do what I can to give back, to create opportunities for others and to inspire future generations to live the values that I myself benefited from. I hope this community will match my $50,000 gift and support this project in your year-end giving plans.
Matt Essieh greets local leaders in his hometown of Sampa, Ghana
As a child, I always enjoyed school, and was one of the best students in my class. But my family didn’t have the means to send me to high school, so I moved across the border to the Ivory Coast to earn money to pay for my education, and that’s where I first encountered the Peace Corps.
When I met these three American volunteers, I was struck by their passion and generosity. They were teaching English, and I would see the interest they took in their students, even outside of school. Even though I wasn’t one of their students, they showed me the same generosity and we became close friends.
Later, when I graduated from high school back in Ghana, Sue’s family helped me apply to university, and they invited me to stay at their farm in Oregon before classes started. I arrived in the middle of winter and experienced snow for the first time in my life. It was cold, but it was like living a dream.
Thanks to their kindness, I was able to earn my degree in business and computer science, and gained experience that would help me start my own business. A few years later, after the business had become successful, I created the Matthew & Emmanuella Essieh Foundation as a way to give back to my community, and to pay forward the values of service and generosity that I learned from the volunteers I had known when I was younger. In a world wracked by wars and conflict, these values are so important, and live on long after we as individuals are gone.
This is why I'm happy to support the Peace Corps Park project. On a personal level, I am a beneficiary of the values the Park represents, and wouldn’t it be nice if future generations could be inspired to embody those values too? Please join me in helping make this park a reality by making a donation, so that when it's completed, I can come to visit with my friends and family, and share the power and impact of service.
Thank you for your support of this important project.
Matt Essieh
President & CEO, EAI Information Systems
Founder, Matthew & Emmanuella Essieh Foundation
