HELLO/AKWAABA/KIA ORA
My name is Jeanette Mary Brown Opoku. I was born in Auckland, New Zealand and am the Founder and Director of Children of the Light (CotL). I have been living in Ghana, West Africa since 1994. I have three children and one adorable grandchild. My three children were born and raised in Ghana. I attended Marist College in Auckland. After finishing school, I completed a hairdressing apprenticeship with Winter’s Hairdressing. Once graduated, I travelled the North Island of New Zealand and worked a variety of jobs, one being on orchards picking fruit. After some time, I moved back to Auckland, worked for the New Zealand Post Office as a postwoman, saved and travelled abroad. While overseas I spent most of my time in London working as a waitress. It was during this time I visited Ethiopia. Upon landing on African soil, I was intrigued by everything I experienced and prayed that I would one day live there. On my return to New Zealand, I applied to study nursing and was accepted at Carrrington Polytechnic. On graduating as a Registered Nurse in 1994, I worked for a short time and then packed up and moved to Ghana. I met my husband (now separated) and had 3 children. It was when my children were young that I started the CotL program. This was due to the lack of fun programs for children in the area we lived. It was in the second year of starting CotL that I was offered a job as a Preschool Teacher at the American International School in Accra. I stayed for seven years and then later moved to the Liberty International School and worked there for almost two years doing multiple jobs. The CotL program continued during this entire time, and I gained vast experience working in these schools. In January 2015, I took on a full-time managerial/teaching position with CotL. I enjoy walking, hiking, gardening, visual and performing arts and I am passionate about environmental issues. My desire for CotL is for all children to have a fulfilled and happy childhood, to acquire the skills needed to reach their full potential, and in return, be inspired to give back to humanity and the world at large.