Seventeen years ago, Brooklyn native Patricia Wilkins, founder of B.A.S.I.C.S. International, an NGO in Ghana, was a successful fashion merchandiser in New York. Deeply involved in the United Methodist Church, she asked her church to bring the missionary work they were doing in Europe to Africa, and was told no. After much prayer, she packed up possessions, jettisoned most, and boarded a plane, feeling called to teach the extremely poor in Ghana who live on less than $1.25/day. She started out volunteering at local schools and cajoling family and friends in the U.S. to sponsor a child’s education. That turned into three schools of her own. Here, her students celebrate afternoon “Harambee,” a gathering of self-affirming song and dance.