This summer, Selikem Kartey ’25 was able to translate her passion for helping others into an international service project that provided hospitalized children with much-needed educational and enrichment resources. With the help of a $10,000 grant from Projects for Peace, Kartey developed and installed a portable library for the pediatric intensive care unit at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana.

Projects for Peace is a global program that encourages young adults to develop innovative, community-centered responses towards building sustainable peace. Along the way, these student leaders increase their knowledge, improve their skills, and learn to see themselves as agents of change. Randolph-Macon serves as one of the Projects for Peace partner institutions that annually provides students with the opportunity to apply for the summer grant.

Kartey, a sociology/anthropology and Black studies double major with a minor in communication studies, is of Ghanaian and Nigerian ancestry and has a number of family and friends in Ghana. She gained inspiration for the project after a friend who worked at the hospital mentioned that she often sees sick and visiting children “just wandering around with nothing to do.” To address this issue, Kartey decided to design a project centered on providing books and toys to children at the hospital.

The initial vision was to renovate the library already located onsite. However, this proved to be impossible, as that library was privately owned and not open to renovation. Instead, Kartey pivoted to the portable library design. This option had the benefit of being more accessible—children who were unable to visit the library could instead have the library brought to them.

After arriving in Ghana in June, Kartey spent much of the next three weeks in markets and bookstores assembling necessary items for the portable library. Crucially, all of the project’s materials were locally sourced: the shelves were handmade by a local carpenter, and the books and toys were purchased at local vendors. As Kartey states in her post-project report, “this not only supported the surrounding community, but also ensured that the items reflected local culture, language, and values, making them more meaningful for the children and their families.” She also talked with children at the hospital to hear what they’d like to see included in the library. A common refrain was that they wanted to be able to keep up with their peers in school during their time at the hospital. With this in mind, Kartey was careful to select books that were not just entertaining, but educational, so that when children return to their classes, “they feel like they’re still on track.”

When the portable library was completed, Kartey was touched by the number of people present at its unveiling, many of whom she had never met. It showed her how even one small act can have a great impact on a community in need. Months after the library’s completion, it is a confirmed success: “families really love it,” says Kartey. She hopes that it will continue to positively impact children and families for years to come, helping to soothe the anxiety and boredom of a hospital stay. “This project showed me that peace can be fostered through even the smallest gestures of care, such as placing a book or toy in the hands of a child facing hardship,” writes Kartey in her report. “It taught me the importance of adaptability and reaffirmed my belief that compassion can transform even the most difficult environments.”

Kartey credits Randolph-Macon for providing a litany of service opportunities that encouraged her to think big when it comes to helping others. During her time at the College, she was involved with numerous organizations, including the SERVE Program, Habitat for Humanity, the Black Cultural Society, and For Women. The service-oriented environment “makes you want to do something bigger than yourself. I don’t think I would have done that without Macon,” notes Kartey. “I think it really did make an impact.”

Kartey is continuing to pursue her passion for helping others through her career, currently working as a first grade teacher at Summit Elementary School in Charlottesville, Virginia. She has also stayed in touch with doctors and staff at Korle Bu to monitor the ongoing status of the portable library, with a dream of potentially expanding it to other wings of the hospital or even other hospitals in the region.