Afrikids Ghana, a child right NGO has
facilitated the first ever speech and prize giving day in 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.
Afrikids Ghana has for the past seven years operated
in the Talensi and Nabdam areas and had since undertaken workable interventions
to enhance school enrolment 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 enrolment, 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 befitting structures in place coupled with adequate teaching and materials the school was posied to 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 currently working on a classroom block 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 NEWS
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