Regional News of Thursday, 25 June 2015

Source: Ghanaian Times

Awormefia calls for support for Education Trust Fund

The Anlo Education Trust Fund – AETF under the auspices of the Awormefia Togbui Sri III, patron, in the Keta Municipal of the Volta Region has appealed to all members, agencies and NGOs for financial assistant to support either in cash or materials.

The trust was set up to raise and manage funds in support of educational attainment in Anlo and thereby ensuring that every child has access to quality education to the highest level.

Speaking at a ceremony to create awareness about the existence of the fund and also raise funds, the Awormefia of Anlo, Togbui Sri III, expressed worry about the falling standards of education in Anlo, adding that there was the need for immediate support hence the trust fund.

“The Anlo state was once the Centre of Education in Ghana but now literacy level has fallen drastically low and the rate at which professionals such as doctors, lawyers, accountants and others are being trained has reduced beyond measure,” he said.

He said the situation could be attributed to the increased poverty level of the people and their inability to afford the high cost of education.

Togbui Sri III was optimistic that the Fund would improve the educational performance and support the needy but brilliant students in Anlo to have access to education through scholarships.

He called on stakeholders especially indigenes of .Anlo to donate to support the Fund to develop career centers in Anlo to help the youth to make reasonable career choices.

The deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary Education, Samuel Okudzetor Ablakwa, commended the leaders of Anlo for their vision in providing quality education.

He said government alone could not do it; therefore the trust was a good initiative which will help boost government’s plans towards education.

According to him the needed support would be laid down to sustain the Fund and enable children of school going age attain the highest education.

The Chairman of the Fund, Professor Victor P. V. Gadzekpo said since the inception of the Fund in 2009, 57 needy students have been offered scholarships to further their education in the Senior High level, 3000 exercise books distributed to basic schools in the area.

“We have also procured and distributed 114 laptops and also donated over 1000 library books to basic schools” he said.

He said the Fund would continue to support any other activity that may be deemed necessary to develop the youth of Anlo and Ghana at large.