San Francisco officer creates program to enrich lives of Bayview District students

A group of teenagers from San Francisco's Bayview District took part in a program funded and created by a San Francisco officer hoping to enrich their lives.

The group just returned from Africa and San Francisco Police Department Chief Greg Suhr was one of the first people to greet them. "I'm just glad you guys are home. I got worried," he said.

The trip was the first time many used a passport, and left home to see the world outside of the Bayview District.

San Francisco Ofc. Jason Johnson started Operation Genesis to give the kids a chance to change and grow. "I realized they didn't really know about their culture, where they came from and the struggle that took place for them to have the opportunities they have," he said.

While in Ghana, they donated supplies to schools, gave shoes to kids, and spent time in villages. Poverty was hard to ignore. "It's like a wake-up call to be grateful for everything because not everyone has it like us," Makayla Mouton said.

A sense of gratitude and community are two things a student named Mike L. Gregory promises to build once he gets home to the Bayview District.