Over the years, the author has observed the vicious cycle that undermines the effectiveness of and access to good basic education in her own village and family, and in poor rural areas in general. Located in one of the most deprived areas of rural Ghana, there is a huge "reality gap" between school and children's everyday lives. The weak foundation of the early school years places children of poor rural families at a serious disadvantage. Many drop out; a few struggle on in school but without success. Their educational level is too poor to enable them to find jobs, yet they no longer fit in their communities. This further discourages parents from sending their children to school. As one of the few fortunate enough to overcome these obstacles, her life path has presented opportunities to pursue her own education and careers in rural development and early childhood education. Having completed a Master's in Education in 2004, she returned to her people with a desire to give back in a way that would make a significant impact. Born of this desire is a project to provide excellent, culturally appropriate primary education in a nurturing environment for children in northern Ghana. Children learn most effectively when teaching and learning begin with and build on what they already know. Based on Montessori's philosophy and her multisensory approach to learning, PAMBE will employ an additive bilingual method, the goal of which is to develop children who are both bilingual and biliterate in English and in their mother tongue. While they are preparing to enter the wider society where English is required for economic success, they will also, through their native language, acquire mastery and understanding of their rich cultural heritage--the history, stories, customs, music, dance, and arts of their ancestors.