Dutch Volunteer builds place of convenience

Adansi-Apagya (Ash), March 21, GNA - A Dutch volunteer, Madam Nadia Huizer, has built an 18 million-cedi place of convenience for the Adansi-Apagya Junior Secondary School in the Adansi East district of Ashanti.

According to Mr Stephen Antwi Badu, a citizen of the town and a member of the Voluntary Workcamps Association of Ghana, Madam Huizer, who is also a member of the voluntary Workcamps Association International, came to the country for an exchange programme last year.

He said due to the hospitality accorded her, Madam Huizer decided to show her appreciation by doing something concrete for the community. Mr. Badu said Madam Huizer had observed that pupils of the JSS crossed the main road to toilet, which she thought was rather hazardous and therefore, decided to build the toilet on the school compound to save the pupils from danger and also solve the sanitation problem of the school.

Inaugurating the facility at the weekend, Mr Paul Odame-Badu, the Adansi-East District Co-ordinating Director, called on Ghanaians to develop the culture of maintenance to ensure the long life span of projects.

He regretted that Ghanaians know how to build but lack the maintenance culture and said without maintenance, all the numerous projects being provided by the government would not benefit the greater majority of the people, adding that Madam Huizer would only be pleased with her sacrifice if the facility was maintained to last longer.

Mr Odame-Badu asked parents to monitor the movement of their children, especially at night and said the time had come for parents to be much more interested in the movements of their children in the face of the HIV/AIDS menace.

Mr S.P. Odame, headteacher of the school, expressed the school's gratitude to Madam Huizer for her contribution towards the development of the school.

He gave the assurance that the school would maintain the facility and appealed to the Adansi East district assembly, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and stakeholders in education to assist complete the abandoned school project to ease the accommodation problem facing the school.