20,000 CHILDREN TO GET FREE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS (PAGE 42, AUGUST 4, 2010)

MORE than 20,000 schoolchildren in public basic schools in deprived communities in six municipalities and districts in the Brong Ahafo Region are to benefit from educational materials and other items from the Samaritan’s Purse, a United States of America (USA) based non-governmental organisation (NGO), this year.
The beneficiary municipalities and districts are Kintampo North, Sunyani East, Sunyani West, Kintampo South, Tano North and Asunafo South.
Last year, over 6,000 schoolchildren in five other districts in the region benefited from a similar gesture.
Rev. Acheampong Yiadom-Boakye of Operation Happy Child, the local representatives’ of the NGO, disclosed this at a similar presentation ceremony to schoolchildren of four basic schools at Techire in the Tano North District.
The beneficiary schools were the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA), District Assembly, Roman Catholic and Islamic basic schools at Techire.
According to Rev. Yiadom-Boakye, the donation of the parcels comprising reading materials such as Christian literature, crayons, colour pencils, sharpeners, toys, among others was being carried out by Operation Happy Child in collaboration with Gospel Ministers Network, a network of pastors in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He stated that the target of the project was to reach out to every Ghanaian child in 20 years time.
Rev. Yiadom-Boakye said the presentation of the parcels to the schoolchildren in deprived communities was to encourage them to study hard and also educate them on the gospel of Jesus Christ to enable them to grow to become responsible citizens of the country.
He expressed the hope that the presents would go a long way to enhance teaching and learning in the beneficiary schools.
The Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, who presented some of the gift boxes to some of the schoolchildren, stated that bringing up a child was a collective responsibility shared by the nation, the community, the school, teachers and pupils.
He, therefore, called on parents not to use the government’s free supply of exercise books and uniforms, as well as other interventions to shirk their responsibilities towards the education of their children.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo admonished parents to invest in the education of their children since it was the greatest legacy they could bequeath their children.