Pencils of Promise (POP), an education-focused Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO) has handed over a three-unit classroom block with office to Akwamufie Presbyterian Basic School in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region.
The edifice has ancillary facilities including a six-unit water closet, four-unit urinal and 10,000 litres of water storage tank to harvest rain to address water challenges, and will be used by the kindergarten pupils.
The NGO also supplied the school with 45 chairs and 15 tables for the kindergarten, 35 dual desks for the primary, three teacher’s tables and chairs and an office table and a chair.
Mr Freeman Gobah, Country Director, POP, said the facility would create a safe and conducive environment for both learners and instructors to carry out their academic duties.
He said the school was part of the NGO’s teacher support programme, and that provided an opportunity for teachers to attend two workshops annually to build their capacity and improve on their teaching skills.
The Country Director said the school was also a beneficiary of their electric reader and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes as well as teaching and learning materials.
Mr Gobah disclosed that POP since its operation in the country from 2012, had built 185 classroom blocks, with nine in the Asuogyaman District and work was currently ongoing on another twelve.
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He said they would continue to discharge their duties to promote literacy in the country, disclosing that come January 2022, the NGO would be launching its programmes in 30 schools.
Mr Gobah was grateful to all including the District Chief Executive, Member of Parliament, Chiefs and Queens of the area for their support.
Mr Daniel Darko-Mintah, Headteacher of the school, expressed appreciation to POP and all who in diverse ways contributed to the completion of the facility.
He said with the provision of the edifice, teaching and learning would be enhanced for a better foundation for the pre-schoolers
Mr Darko-Mintah said though the school was doing well in terms of academics, it was understaffed, and this was affecting effective teaching and learning.
The Headteacher said the kindergarten had only two trained teachers with no attendants, the Primary had four teachers while the Junior High had no mathematics and science teacher, and appealed to the Education Directorate to help address the situation.
Mrs Theodora Kutokor Entee, the Asuogyaman District Director of Education, in a speech read on her behalf, thanked POP for their continuous support in promoting quality education delivery in Basic Schools in the District.
She appealed to the community to show a sense of ownership and ensure that necessary measures were taken to maintain the facility.
Mr Samuel Kwame Agyekum, the District Chief Executive, also expressed his heartfelt thanks to the NGO for their immense contribution and support in promoting and bridging the infrastructure gap within the educational setup.
He said through the interventions of POP, the District had achieved a lot, not only improving infrastructure in the educational sector, but also rekindled the spirit of communalism and community participation in development projects.
The DCE charged management and staff to institute mechanisms to promote maintenance culture in the school to promote the life span of the building for future generations.
Mrs Bozoma Saint John, the Global Brand Ambassador of POP, in March last year, cut sod for the construction of the edifice after she joined Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, Paramount Chief of Akwamu State and the royal house of Akwamufie to celebrate the country’s Independence Day.
