Ho Municipal Assembly takes over school block gift

Anyiboboe (V/R), Sept 23, GNA - The Ho Municipal Assembly on Thursday formally took over ownership of a school block donated by a consortium of local and foreign non-governmental organizations at Anyiboboe.

Before, a child needed to trek between three to five kilometers to school and back for primary education and in many cases had to relocate some 10 kilometers away to attend Junior High School (JHS).

Mr Emmanuel Keteku, the Ho Municipal Director of Education, told the Ghana News Agency that as a result many of the newly enrolled 61 pupils of the Anyiboboe School, christened “Soul Light Basic School,” have had no basic education.

Ms Aisling Neary, an Irish volunteer in Ghana, is the facilitator of the project working through groups, including Cross Course Charity (Ireland) and Life for Living Humanitarian Centre (Ho).

The Rev Benjamin Dzifa Bankas said Ms Neary, whiles on medical outreach with the Life for Living Humanitarian Centre to Anyiboboe, was stunned by the deprivation in the area and went back home to solicit for funds for the school block.

In a message on behalf of Ms Neary, who was not present, he urged the community to always chase their “dreams because it is only then that you can catch them”.

He said the about the 80 percent completed six-classroom and office block would cost around 20,000 dollars when completed.

Madam Edith Akpoto, an Associate of the Life for Living Humanitarian Centre, and also Presiding Member of the Hohoe Municipal Assembly, said poverty eradication could best be tackled through the provision of education for the people.

She said the school would bring changes in all spheres of life in the community so that kids there would no longer roam the bushes ferreting for rodents and picking wild fruits, while others are in school.

Mr David Atikpo, the Circuit Supervisor, said the school was beginning with five classes - kindergarten 1 to class three for the primary and JHS 1.

He said teachers posted to the school would have to commute from nearby communities as there is no accommodation for them in the community.

Mr Benjamin Hafianyo, the Headmaster of the school who commutes about 12 kilometers from Hodzoga to the school every day and back, told the GNA that he had braced up to meet the challenges of building up the school.

He said some pupils in the lower primary are 16 years old and expressed the hope that supplies would be regular and adequate, especially books including those on the National Literacy Accelerated Programme (NALAP).

Mr Isaac Kodobisah, Ho Municipal Chief Executive who distributed school uniforms, soft drinks and biscuits to welcome the fresh pupils, appealed to parents to take education of their children seriously.