After years of learning under unsafe and inadequate conditions, pupils of Ayagitam Primary School in the Kassena-Nankana West District now have a reason to smile. Engage Now Africa, with sponsorship from ASEA’s Advancing Life Foundation, has commissioned a fully furnished six-unit classroom block to serve pupils from Primary 1 to 6.
The new facility, located in the community of Chiana, comes equipped with a library, a staff common room, and a mechanized borehole and is connected to the national electricity grid, ushering in a new era of safe and conducive learning for the children.
Executive Director of Engage Now Africa, Jennifer Hogge Ellsworth, has called on families and leaders of the community to take full ownership of the school. Ms. Ellsworth emphasized the importance of education and collective responsibility in helping children become self-reliant and productive citizens.
Ms. Ellsworth appealed to community leaders to encourage both boys and girls not only to attend school but also to actively engage in community service, including cleaning and maintaining the school environment. “This will build responsibility and unity, and ultimately bless not just the school but families and the entire community,” she added.
She stressed the need to remove barriers that hinder children from staying in school. According to her, access to school uniforms, learning materials, and adequate nutrition is key to keeping children enrolled and focused on their education.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Country Director of Engage Now Africa, Cecilia Amankwa, explained that the school was built to address the pressing need for quality infrastructure to support teaching and learning in the area.
“We were here two years ago, we brought them water and they brought us here to see the condition in which their children were learning. The school was falling apart, and if they were still in that building, we could have some casualties. But with the help of ASEA Foundation and Engage Now Africa, we were able to come back to put up this primary 1 to 6 with a library for the children to have a conducive environment to learn,” she stated.
The Ayagitam Primary School was originally established in 1986, but due to years of neglect and limited government support, pupils had for decades studied in open pavilions and makeshift classrooms—some even sitting on the bare ground. In a bid to provide some shelter, the community built mud walls around the existing pavilion, but the structure later became weak and posed a danger to both pupils and teachers.
As a result, enrollment plummeted from nearly 400 pupils to just 132, with a significant knock-on effect on the school’s Junior High School enrollment as well.
Chairperson of the Advancing Life Foundation, Kimmarie Larsen, who funded the construction, said her organization believes in providing equal opportunities for all children regardless of background.
“We believe that when children are given education, there is a greater opportunity for success, and they will become the future leaders of the community. At ASEA, we believe in empowering the potential of people, and that is inclusive of the people here in Ghana. We know that it is so important for us to give you the opportunity to be able to have your children learn so that they can have a brighter future,” she said, urging the community to ensure proper maintenance of the facility.
Bugani Charles, Chairman of the School Management Committee (SMC), expressed gratitude to the donors and was hopeful that the new building would rekindle interest in education in the area.
“This school is more than just a building—it is a beacon of hope. We are confident that enrollment will rise and academic performance will improve significantly,” he said.
Madam Alice Ellen Abeere-Inga, the Upper East Regional Director of Education, thanked the two partners for the construction of the school block. According to Madam Abeere-Inga, the gesture will augment the government’s quest to ensure school children are provided with a conducive learning atmosphere to excel.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Chiana
