Every month we are going to spotlight one of our players! This first months star athlete is Ashinyo Precious. Ashinyo has been playing at our facility, along with his brothers, since the day we opened. He has gone from never holding a racket to competing and winning tournaments and now with his sights on college tennis. He loves school, especially graphics design and art. Ashinyo has proven to be a dedicated, hard working student and tennis player and has recently started helping the foundation in coaching some of our younger players!! We asked Ashinyo to write a few words about himself and his experience with DTEF…

“I go by the name Ashinyo Precious. I am the eldest of 6 boys and we all live together with our parents. I attended Ayi Mensah Basic School, in the town where we live. The name of the town is Ayi Mensah. I continued my senior high education in West Africa Senior High school (WASS). Where I studied Visual Arts. I did painting in school and manual graphic designing. I am very interested in sports and things being done with hand. I joined the School’s team in sports where I played Football, Volleyball and Athletics.

My parents tried their best to give me all I want, but because there were so many of us it was hard. So I decided to find my way out, I started climbing the mountain to fetch firewoods and sell to get money for school and also buy things for myself. I had a friend that sometimes we all go together to fetch the firewood. I sometimes go and weed peoples houses, clean their houses, wash cars so I can get some money. All this times I told myself “I’m going be Great one day and share my story”.

My family and I moved from where we were to a different place still in the same town. At this new place I had a dream I was doing sports with other people who were foreigners. I had that dream on a Monday and on Friday that same week, we closed from school and we met a certain man who called us. He brought us to a tennis court and there I met Isaac Donkor and His Wife.

They have been so good and kind to me and my brothers from the day we met them till now, we are always happy when we hear from them. I began learning how to play tennis and gradually became better. I no more climb mountain for firewood and also weed peoples houses again. I am now able to care for myself and family. I am able to play tennis and also help others who do not know how to play. I have been to places I never thought of in my life because I met Isaac Donkor and his wife. I am forever grateful for all that God has done to me through them and I will also never let them down, I will make them proud. Thank you.