Atiyorum, a community in Kandiga under the Kasena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region has benefited an ultra modern six unit classroom block from Engage Now Africa , an international Non-governmental Organisation with funding from ASEA Foundation.
Atiyorum is among the many communities in the Upper East Region that has been disadvantaged and denied access to basic social amenities including a befitting public or private basic school.
Before the intervention of Engage Now Ghana, the community with over one thousand population relied on an old dilapidated and near collapse school block that was constructed over fifty years ago to educate their children.
The Assembly member for the area, Hon. Charles Akanfule, never slept on the issue. He followed up and kept pressure on the Assembly and the MP, Hon. Thomas Dalu for an intervention to save a looming disaster.
Hon. Charles also frequently invited the media to amplify their plight to the public during fund raising events by the community members towards constructing self initiated projects.
Wordfmonline.com in July, 2022 carried a story with the headline: Tindaama Done: A Community that Walk 3KM to Fetch Water, Has No Electricity, School,Health Centre and No Access Road.
Hon. Charlse’s persistent appeals has paid off as a Non-governmental Organisation, Engage Now Africa with funding from ASEA Foundation has constructed and handed over an ultra modern six unit classroom block with axillary facilities to the Ghan Education Service and the community to replace the dilapidated old classroom block.
Speaking to a Word News at the sidelines of the handing over ceremony of a new ultra modern six unit classroom block which has been constructed by Engage Now Africa with Funding from ASEA Foundation, the District Chief Executive of the Kasina-Nankana West, Hon. Gerald Atogewe, said he lobbied the NGO through a native for support to construct a new school block for the community when his attention was drawn to the plight of the students and the community.
” When I was going round to look at schools in deplorable state, I realised that though some of the schools are not in good shape, this particular school, Atiyorum primary was just a disaster. So I talked to Engage Now Africa which helped us earlier with a some boreholes sometime ago. God being so good, one of our brother, Polycarp is with them so I approached him and he asked me to put in a proposal which we did and they responded appropriately. “
Hon. Gerald was full of excitement with the new school block and predicted that with the new edifice, enrollment will increase and the students will have a good place to learn.
” I am really a happy man today and i know that within the twinkle of an eye this school will be full . Once it’s so beautiful like this, you know the enrollment will increase. This kids I know, they will now have a conducive place to study and it will produce ministers, members of parliament and President’s for this nation. “
The district director of education for the Kasina-Nankana West District, Mr. George Woyongo, expressed his appreciation to the NGO for the quality of the classroom block for the school and the students.
“I’m so happy and excited for the provision of this infrastructure. I will say it is the latest most modern building that we have in the district and I’m so impressed about the quality of work exhibited here. The building will go a long way to motivate our children to learn because the old school block was a dilapidated infrastructure and we were just afraid that at any time, that building could collapse. I’m just too much excited that I don’t even know how to express it and I want to thank the donors for giving us this building.”
The Country Director of Engage Now Africa, Madam Cecilia Abankwah said the plight of the community was brought to their attention through the District Chief Executive who applied to them to support the community with a school block because their old block was dilapidated and was almost falling.
” We had a letter from the DCE appealing for us to come to their aid because the school they were in , had fallen down and it was very dangerous for students to learn in. So we head their cry and we appealed to ASEA Foundation to help us to put up a safe and a beautiful place for pupils to learn. So we came together to fund and build this school for the people of Kandiga. “
Madam Cecilia added that she has taken note of the appeal for the construction of a JHS block which is the next school for the pupil after they exit the primary level ,and promised take their request to the board for the necessary consideration.
The Chief of the Kandiga Traditional Area, Naba Amenga-Etigo II, admonished parents to ensure that the school is kept in good shape at all times for the benefit of the students and to attract move support from donors.
Mr. Polycarp B. Kazaresam, the Executive Officer of Ladneeds Ghana Ltd, the construction firm that constructed the edifice said he used only four months to construct the facility which includes six unit classrooms, an office, a staff common room, a library and an eight seater toilet facility. He said but for the protracted inter ethnic conflict which resulted in the imposition of a curfew in the community, he would have completed it in three months.
By: Simon Agana Blessing/mywordfmonline.com