A non-governmental Organization (NGO) – the Stephen Torkpo Foundation, has donated assorted text books and educational materials valued at sixty thousand Ghana Cedis (60,000.00) to three schools comprising Ave Senior High school, Avega Basic School and Fiave Sanyi Basic School all in the Akatsi North District of the Volta region.
At a brief presentation ceremony at Ave Senoir High School, the Executive Founder of the Foundation, Dr Stephen Torkpo, who is also a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Ghana, said the donation was part of his organization’s drive to inculcate the habit of reading among school children which would in turn improve their academic performance within the district. Dr Torkpo said as a product of education – someone who has benefited immensely from education, “what I would like to see is an educated and productive younger generation who would take up the mantle of leadership tomorrow.”
He said his organization was established with the objective of creating alternative livelihood opportunities for women, building strong educational foundations for children, skills training for the youth, among other thematic objectives, adding that the foundation will continue to work to augment efforts by government and other well meaning individuals to improve the living conditions of the people of Akatsi North. He thanked members of his team for their hard work and dedication to duty while calling on them to do more for a better Akatsi North.
Headmaster of Ave Senior High School, Stephenson Yao Ahli, in receiving the books on behalf of his school, was grateful to the donors for the kind gesture which he described as timely seeing that the school’s library lacked the requisite books for improved academic work.
Mr. Ahli called on other well meaning individuals to emulate efforts of the Stephen Torkpo Foundation to improve academic performance in the district. He mentioned inadequate classrooms, dormitories (general infrastructure) as some of the challenges facing the Ave Senior High School, the only SHS in the Akatsi North District and called for government support to address these challenges.
The Headmasters of Avega Basic School and Fiave Sanyi Basic School, Agbesi Adido and Constance Dogbey respectively took turns to congratulate Dr Stephen Torkpo and his Foundation for the initiative saying it will go a long way to improve reading, teaching and learning in their schools. They both promised to put the books to good use.
Akatsi North District Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES) Dominic Yao Dzanado, who witnessed the presentation, expressed his outfits gratitude to the Foundation and its founders for their efforts to boost educational standards in the District adding that his outfit is prepared to partner organizations like the Stephen Torkpo Foundation to improve academic work within the District.
He entreated the beneficiary schools to make good and maximum use of the books.
By Nelson Ayivor ||Ghananewsonline.com.gh