Afrikids
Ghana, a child right NGO has facilitated the first ever speech and prize giving
day for Gane-Asonge, basic School, a mining community in the Nabdam District of
the Upper East Region.
This forms part of the NGO’s campaign struggle to increase
met enrolment in schools by 2017 under a three-year project nicknamed “Opening
Doors to School (ODTS). The project is also intended to ensure a 15 percent
increase in the pass rate of student within the said period.
In a welcome address, the Headmistress of
the school, Olivia Azoteyine, commended Afrikids Ghana for its sense of
responsiveness. According to her, the day marked a significant milestone in
academic pursuit of the school, having chalked substantial feat in both
curricular and extra -curricular activities including cultural performances.
She was equally grateful to Afrikids for its renewed effort in fighting early
child marriage. Correspondent Isaac Asare reports that Afrikids
Ghana has for the past seven years operated in the Talensi and Nabdam areas and
had since undertaken workable interventions to enhance school enrollment and
eliminate child labour and other laborious activities that affects the general
wellbeing of children.
Since 2007, Afrikids has implemented other child support
programs such as “Operation Sunlight” that saw the withdrawal of 155 children
who were engaged in illegal mining activities. Under the project, victims were
identified and given the needed educational support and skills training to
sustain their livelihood.
Through the support of community volunteers, some of
these children are now serving in various capacities as nurses, teachers as
well as master tradesmen and women in the region.
It was for this reason that
Afrikids resolved to initiate the ODTS with the overarching goal of nurture
poor and marginalized children through school to enable them grow in holistic
manner so that they can also contribute meaningfully to their respective
communities.
The Talensi/Nabdam Area Manager of Afrikids, Silas Ayaaba,
recounted the positive impact of the existing interventions in its operational
areas describing it as a dream come through.
He said the ODTS project which
began in March last year with funding by its implementing UK partners, namely;
Medicore and Marple Charitable Trust, had provided leadership skills training
for teachers who offer tuition for pupils and had additionally supported the
monitoring unit of the GES to conduct their supervisory role effectively.
According to Mr Ayaaba, ten schools in the district are benefiting from the ODTS
project. The
Headmistress of the school, Olivia Azoteyine, said despite an increase in school enrollment, it was still faced with myriad of challenges including inadequate
classroom infrastructure, stationary , a
library and an ICT laboratory.
She was hopeful that if the right befitting
structures with adequate teaching and materials are provided, the school will improve
on its academic performance.
In a speech
read on her behalf, the DCE for Nabdam, Vivian Anafo, said government will ensure the payment of the contractor to finish up with the classroom block that is currently
ongoing at the school to facilitate its speedy completion.
Prices ranging from
school bags, exercise books, and other stationary were presented to deserving
students that excelled in their respective academic disciplines including best behaved
student.
GBC
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