Ketu North MCE (In Blue Black Dress), Outgoing Deputy Minister, Maxwell Blagogee, Two Chiefs of the Area, Suzan Rose (Donor-White Lady) and Freeman Gobbah of Pencils of Promise cutting the tape.
HEADMASTER OF Adzinukorfe MA Basic School, Deku Edward Kuma, has expressed excitement over the construction of a two-unit classroom block and three-unit classroom block for his kindergarten and lower primary pupils respectively.
According to him, the two completed projects which have offices attached to them are ‘timely’, especially because half of the school’s 319 student population held classes under makeshift sheds and trees.
The projects, which included a six-seater toilet facility, were constructed by Pencils of Promise, an international NGO in collaboration with the Ketu North Municipal Assembly.
Pencils of Promise catered for 80 per cent of the construction cost comprising skilled labour and building materials, while the Ketu North Municipal Assembly catered for the 20 per cent comprising sand, stone and unskilled labour provided by residents.
The Adzinukofe MA Basic School located in the Ketu North Municipality was started by the community in 1956. It was absorbed by government in 1960; however, it collapsed in 1966 due to lack of teachers.
The community, through sheer commitment and love of education, revived it again in 1978.
Three years later, government adopted it again in 1981 and constructed a three-unit classroom block in addition to the existing three-unit classroom block.
“Classes come to a stop whenever the weather threatens,” the headmaster, Mr. Kuma, noted. Some students who spoke to the media also lamented that the lack of classrooms was negatively affecting their studies. Mr. Kuma was also happy with the toilet facility which he noted would end the spate of open defecation in the area.
He pleaded that the school needed water as their existing source of water – a borehole – did not provide enough water.
Freeman Gobbah, Country Director of Pencils of Promise, said the gesture is in line with the organisation’s vision of ensuring that all children of the world, especially in deprived areas, get access to quality education.
Suzan Rose, who donated a greater portion of funds for the project through Pencils of Promise, was installed a Development Queen for the area.
Outgoing Deputy Volta Regional Minister who is now the Deputy Oti Regional Minister-designate, Maxwell Blagogee, commended the donors as well as the community for their commitment.
From Fred Duodu, Adzinukorfe (k.duodu@yahoo.com)