Church supports poor school children in Lawra

Lawra, UWR, Oct. 2, GNA-The Faith Lutheran Church of the United States of America has supported 32 needy but brilliant basic school children from six schools in the Lawra District with assorted materials valued at 3,000 Ghana Cedis. The items, which included school uniform, footwear, school bags and stationery, were presented to the children on behalf of the Church by Mr. George Guri, Coordinator of the Upper West Science Foundation. Most of the children who were orphans are fostered by guardians who were financially feeble to provide them with basic items to keep them in school.

Madam Tumwin Mara, who was fostering four of her sister's children, said her brother-in-law died four years ago, after which her sister sent the children into her care and migrated south for greener pastures and had since not contacted her. "I am finding it difficult to share the little food for the house among my own children and my sister's children because my husband and I are also poor", Madam Mara said, "The assistance from the church has brought a great relief to me and my husband and we are grateful to the church", she added. Madam Mara said many parents in the district are needy and could not buy the basic school items, resulting in the high drop out rate of children at the basic level of education. Some of the children aspired to become doctors, lawyers, soldiers and teachers and thanked the church for 'helping them along the way'. Mr. Guri said the since 2007, the Church had been assisting vulnerable children at the basic level of education in the district. He appealed to parents to support the education of their children so that they would grow up to become responsible adults who could contribute to the development of the country. "Let us use the opportunity the church had provided us to send more destitute children in the communities to school, explaining: "The denial of a child of education is a big disservice to his or her parents and the nation".

Mr. Guri told the people that it was only through the education of their children that they would be able to reduce poverty that had plagued them for generations. Mr. Andrews Kpan, Lawra District Director of Education, said the Church's assistance was a challenge to the Ghana Education Service in the area and urged teachers to work hard to make the church and the children realize their goals. He said poverty was endemic in the district and that it would "continue to follow the people to their graves" if they failed to take the education of their children seriously. Mr. Ishmael Mada, a member of the Science Foundation urged mothers to always wash the uniform regularly to keep them clean and encourage their children to go to school instead of engaging them in the herding of their animals.

He advised the people to control the high birth rate and to the teachers: "avoid drunkenness and absenteeism and put in your best to enhance performance at Basic Education Certificate Examinations." The church's assistance would be extended to cover more rural districts in the region.