Akosombo Dam spillage: Pencils of Promise supports affected students and teachers

The flood in many of the affected communities in the three Tongu districts of the Volta Region has receded drastically but many smaller communities and islands are completely gone.

Residents of these settlements are now homeless and left with nothing to call home.

For many affected residents, the disaster will never be forgotten as the flood has ruined their lives.

Ahlodo Mary is a 17-year-old JHS 3 pupil. She was compelled to move to Adidome for shelter with her parents because the flood didn't spare their home.

In the camp is another 16-year-old JHS 2 pupil, Gator Delali.

These girls have stopped going to school as the flood has affected their schools, halting teaching and learning in all affected communities.

Ahlodo Mary said she wants to return to school as soon as possible because she has to prepare for her Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in June 2024.

"Please help us to go back to school, education is the key to success. Our books and learning materials were affected by the flood, however, some of us are in form three we have BECE next year in June", Mary said.

Delali on the other hand appealed for sanitary pads because she didn't have money to buy one for herself.

"My parents are no longer working to earn money and for that reason, they cannot buy sanitary pads for us. I don't have a sanitary pad to use so I am appealing to donors to bring pads", she said.

Pencils of Promise's (PoP) intervention:

Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organisation operating in Eastern, Volta, and Oti Regions with a focus on education is among the many donors who visited the communities to donate and sympathised with the victims.

On Friday, November 3, 2023, staff of PoP led by Freeman Gobah, the country director toured the various camps in the affected districts.

Freeman Gobah said, "We were here two weeks ago to assess the situation and we realised that water is a key component of the challenges that people in the camp are facing so Pencils of Promise donated 1,500 bags of sachet water to the people of New Bakpa".

"And then also we gave five months supply of sanitary pads to the girls, especially the students and ladies in the community", he added.

Over seven hundred homeless people including children and the aged are seeking shelter in New Bakpa.

Edward Tekutse is a 40-year-old farmer and fisherman, he moved to the New Bakpa camp with his wife and three children as the flood washed away his home at Bakpa Awadi Kume.

He said "I've lost everything to the floods, my farm and my canoe are all gone so I've nothing to do, we're now depending on donors to eat. I am grateful to the doctors who visited here they advised us not to drink the lake water because is polluted so access to potable water has become a challenge but that challenge is now over as they (PoP) brought enough water".

Pencils of Promise moved to Mepe R/C Basic School where they made similar donations.

Freeman Gobah noted that they will return to renovate the Mepe R/C primary school block, a project of PoP, when the flood completely recedes, adding that they will replicate it in other affected schools in the Central and North Tongu districts.

"Pencils of Promise globally is raising funds, we've launched a three hundred and fifty thousand dollar fund to be able to take care of some of these repairs (renovation of affected schools) and supply (teaching and learning materials) to schools", he said.

A basic six-teacher of Mepe R/C primary school, Peace thanked PoP for the intervention.

She said the sanitary pads will help alleviate the struggle the female students go through to acquire them.

She also added that the support will also enhance learners' participation in class.

Freeman Gobah added that affected teachers will be given "Teacher Support", a programme by Pencils of Promise when the funds are ready.