DW's Heromobile tours Ghana

La is one of Ghana's traditional but impoverished communities. Children here lack quality education and the basic necessities to support their growth.

One of these children is Simon Kotei, who cannot manage to attend school regularly. "I must … help someone, to get money before I go to school," he told DW. "It's not always that I am in school. That is the problem I always have."

Simon often has to stay at home with his mother so his father can travel. "There is no one to pay the school fees," he says. "I am supposed to sit in the house, so (when) sometimes they are writing exams, I will not be writing some," Simon explains.

But there are a few people in this community who strive to support kids like Simon and help them achieve their aspirations. They are unsung heroes, who deserve to be celebrated - and that's where Deutsche Welle comes in.

The international broadcaster would like to be part of the daily lives of its audiences. It has launched a project to show off some of Africa's local heroes and celebrate them.

A large truck called the "Heromobile" moves into communities bringing live musical performances to entertain audiences and to get local heroes to tell their stories.

On the Heromobile's final tour in Ghana's capital, Accra, a kid raps as the audience breaks out into roaring applause.

DW talked to some of the local heroes to be honored there including Nii Lartey Lartey. "I am an IT expert and I help the community, teach them IT," Lartey said. "I help anybody who has no idea about computers."

"I help my community, those who didn't go to school (and) those who go to school, too, if they come," Odoi Yemofio said, adding that he has made study material for them and does not charge them any tuition. "I have helped about 320 people in my community," he told DW.

Laura Pick is in charge of marketing for DW. She is confident about the prospects of this project. "It's the first time for many of them to tell people about what they do, and what they are engaging in. They realize the chance, and they tell their stories. And they are happy about it," she said.

After the Heromobile wrapped up its tour in La, what many people took away from the event was that their communities needed their support, because they are the local heroes.