Q1 2026 at GIU: A Birthday at Osu Children's Home & a Robotics Lab Taking Shape

A Birthday No One Expected

On March 14, 2026, GIU partnered with Ghanaian social media personality Ama Judith to walk into one of Ghana's oldest orphanages — the Osu Children's Home, founded in 1949 — and deliver a birthday celebration for the more than 100 children who call it home.

As co-donors, Kesse and Ama Judith brought:

• 4 bags of 50kg rice

• 2 boxes of chicken

• 1 box of tomato paste

• 1 box of mackerel

• 1 gallon of cooking oil

• 12 packs of drinks

• An undisclosed cash donation to support the home's ongoing operations

The children's response was simple and unforgettable: they sang Happy Birthday. It is a memory that will stay with everyone who was there, and it captures why GIU exists. The most powerful donations are often the most personal ones.

Robotics & STEM Center — Where We Stand

Behind the scenes of Q1, our team has been building momentum on GIU's biggest active campaign: the Ghana Secondary School Robotics & STEM Center. This is the one project on our impact map that is not yet fully funded — and it is the one most likely to change how Ghanaian students experience science, technology, and engineering.

As of the end of Q1 2026:

• Raised so far: approximately $3,000

• Goal: $50,000

• Target date: End of fiscal year 2026

• Progress: 6% of goal

The $50,000 campaign funds robotics kits and STEM equipment ($13,400), computers and a projector ($10,800), classroom build-out and furniture ($6,900), power backup and networking ($4,700), curriculum and teacher training ($4,200), and first-year consumables and logistics ($5,000). Ninety percent of every dollar goes directly to the project; ten percent covers project management.

The center will reach 5,000+ students, operate 365 days a year, and remain 100% free for every student who walks through the door. If you have ever wanted to fund something that compounds — this is it.

The Financial Picture

Q1 2026 was primarily a fundraising and planning quarter. GIU continues to operate on the same principles that earned our 2025 financial profile: 88% of all expenses going directly to programs, $0 in executive or staff compensation, and a 100% volunteer board of directors. Every dollar that came into GIU in Q1 was matched to a program need — and every dollar still outstanding on the robotics campaign represents a classroom seat we have not yet filled.

In-Kind Contributions — Full Disclosure

One of the reasons GIU's 88% program-spend ratio is so high is that key organizational functions are being performed as in-kind contributions of professional services. We want donors to see the full picture of what it actually takes to run GIU.

As of Q1 2026, two major functions are being donated by founder Kesse Anyimadu:

Website design, development & ongoing maintenance — GIU's Next.js site with Sanity CMS, dual payment integration, 20+ pages, SEO optimization, WCAG AA accessibility, and PageSpeed 99 performance. Build commenced in Q1 2026 and is ongoing. Estimated fair-market value: $45,000.

Accounting, bookkeeping & 990-EZ preparation — full financial administration of the organization. Estimated fair-market value: $5,000 per year.

These figures are not included in GIU's 990-EZ revenue — the IRS specifically excludes donated professional services from Form 990 contributions. We disclose them here for complete transparency, because we believe donors deserve to know that roughly $50,000 of organizational overhead is being absorbed outside GIU's cash budget. That's the structural reason a $100 gift to GIU does more than a $100 gift to most nonprofits our size.

Looking Ahead to Q2

Q2 is already shaping up to be one of the most active quarters in GIU's history — grant submissions, platform approvals, and new partnerships. We will report on all of it in the Q2 update. For now, Q1 reminds us why we do this work: because a child at the Osu Children's Home deserves to have someone sing to them on their birthday, and because a student at Ghana Secondary School deserves to build a robot with their own hands.

Thank you for walking with us.

— Kesse Anyimadu, Founder & President