The Marshallan Relief and Development Services (MAREDES) has presented 100 solar lamps to the Rev. Fr Henry Roman Catholic Basic School at Obom, in the Ga South Municipal Area, to promote after school studies among the school children.
She explained that MAREDES, which is also the development wing of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall, chose to present the solar lamps to the school because it was realised that the children were unable to study after school, while those who did used either candles or lanterns, which were not very safe for children to use without adult supervision.
“We have placed an order for more, except that the suppliers are not ready so we decided to bring the first consignment so that those who are in need can start using them,” she said.
The headteacher of the school, Mr Wisdom Walter Odjamgba, expressed gratitude for the donation and said the inability of parents to provide school uniforms for their children discouraged them from attending school.
He said the situation was impacting negatively on academic performance.
For instance, he said, for so many years the school for the first time had one student scoring aggregate 10 in the 2018 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), while five other students had aggregate 15, which he described as the best performance so far by the school.
Mr Odjamgba said the situation was so bad that sometimes, the school authorities had to beg the children to attend school in any attire, in order not to keep them out of school.
He said the lack of uniforms was compounded by the refusal of some teachers to accept posting to the school.
Appeal
He, therefore, appealed to non-governmental organisations and corporate entities to support the schoolchildren with uniforms.
Mr Odjamgba also appealed to the MAREDES to support the school with toilet facilities, a teachers’ bungalow and some paint, to create a congenial atmosphere for teaching and learning.
Appreciation
The Priest in charge of the St Joseph the Worker Catholic Church at Obom, where the donation took place, Rev. Fr Mathias Gyato, thanked MAREDES for the gesture, and called on the Pokuase branch of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall to adopt the school and church and support them.
He appealed to the government to develop Obom and the surrounding communities, as they seriously lacked development.
