Barclays Bank adopts Street Academy

Accra, Oct 25, GNA-Workers of the Treasury Department of the Barclays Bank of Ghana, are to adopt the Street Academy School in Accra and enrol more school-going street children.

Led by the Executive Head of the Treasury, Mr Felix Nyarko-Pong, the staff on Saturday refurbished classrooms and replaced broken-down electrical fittings at the school at a cost of eight million cedis. The workers later interacted with the children and refreshed them. The exercise forms part of the bank's "Make a Difference Day" celebrated in Ghana and other African countries where the bank operates. Mr Nyarko-Pong said one per cent of the bank's profit before tax is allocated to the needs of communities in which it operates.

He said the bank showed concern about the increasing rate of street children in Accra and that was why it chose to assist the school. He said the exercise was also meant to encourage self-help spirit among the staff and the communities in which they live.

Mr Nyarko-Pong told the press that similar exercises were being held at Frafraha, Korle Bu, Pantang and Ridge Hospitals, and some deprived communities in the country.

Mr Atta Lartey, founder of the Academy, who expressed appreciation to the Bank, said the school, which started in 1994, with 10 children now has 92 pupils and is sponsoring more than 400 children in mainstream schools, who graduated from the Academy.

He said the school adopts children of school going age but who are not in school, and takes care of them and later put them in mainstream schools, where it continues to sponsor their education. Mr Lartey said apart from government support in the form of national service personnel, and books from the Non-Formal Education Division (NFED), the Academy is funded through fund-raising activities and appealed for more assistance from individuals and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).