Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has donated educational materials to the Atewase Basic School in the Eastern Region.
The items, which would hopefully improve teaching and learning in the community, include exercise books, pencils and clothing among others.
COCOBOD in collaboration with Dr James Quartey, a US based dentist and a philanthropist donated solar panels under the ‘Light a Village’ project to the community.
The solar panels will serve as a substitute light for the school children to learn during night hours.
Dr Emmanuel Agyemang Dwomoh, the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Agronomy, Quality and Control, COCOBOD, said the gesture forms part of the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts to respond to the needs of needy schools.
He said the donation was part of the company’s Child Education Support Scheme to help the education of children for better future.
Dr Dwomoh said the company has constructed school infrastructure and clinics to cocoa growing communities for their contributions to the development of the nation.
Government has distributed over 200,000 tonnes of fertilisers to registered farmers this year under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme.
An additional 20,000 tonnes of organic fertilisers will be supplied to the farmers for organic farming.
He said government is working assiduously to connect the community to the national grid and improve rural electrification projects.
Nana Frimpong Siaw II, the chief of Atewase, commended COCOBOD for the gesture and called on the school authority and the community to make good use of the items.
He appealed to government to come to the aid of the community’s road network and school infrastructure especially with the Junior High School unit which was in a deplorable condition.
COCOBOD also presented two schnapps, cocoa products and an undisclosed amount of money to Nana Siaw II.