The Friends of Prosper, a youth group in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region, has renovated the Nyariga Doone Girls Primary School after several appeals by the school authorities for assistance went unanswered.
The intervention follows a windstorm that ripped off the roof of the classroom block, leaving pupils exposed to the elements and disrupting teaching and learning.
Headmistress of the school, Rita Araba Sam, said the school had written several letters seeking assistance from authorities and other stakeholders, including leaders in the municipality, but received no response until the Friends of Prosper intervened.
“We wrote letters to several people, including those who matter in the Bolgatanga constituency. We didn’t get any response until Friends of Prosper came to our rescue. We thank them and appreciate their support and pray that what they are praying for will come to pass.”
Although the initial appeal to the group was to assist with re-roofing the school, members of Friends of Prosper, after assessing the facility, discovered that the classroom block had deteriorated significantly and posed a potential threat to learners.
The group subsequently adopted the school and expanded the intervention to include patching deep cracks in the walls, replacing broken windows and doors, constructing concrete flooring and painting the entire classroom block.
The renovation has now provided the school with a safer and more conducive environment for teaching and learning as pupils return to school.
Mrs. Sam said the condition of the school had significantly disrupted lessons, particularly during periods of rainfall.
“Any time it rained, the whole class would be flooded, so we had to move the pupils to different classrooms, and those classrooms too were congested.”
She expressed optimism that the improved appearance and condition of the school would contribute to increased enrolment and improved academic performance.
“The structure is looking nice, and I am sure it will attract new learners because children want to be associated with nice things.”
The Nyariga Doone Girls Primary School was established in 1999 by Reverend John Akaribo, then Assemblyman for the Nyariga community, and was subsequently absorbed into the public education system.
Reverend Akaribo expressed appreciation to Friends of Prosper and its leader, Prosper Ayinbila Awuni, for taking up the renovation of the school. He said the school had not undergone any major renovation since its establishment more than two decades ago.
“Since the construction of the school in 1999, it has never seen any renovation.”
Reverend Akaribo described the intervention as a significant contribution to the community and praised Prosper for using his resources to support the development of the area.
“I am highly delighted and appreciative of what my son, Prosper Ayinbila Awuni, has done to the community. He has adopted this school and renovated it, and we thank him so much.”
He said the community, including its traditional leaders, was grateful for the intervention and expressed the hope that Prosper’s aspirations would materialise.
The Friends of Prosper is made up of young people in Bolgatanga who support Prosper Ayinbila Awuni, a native of Tindonmolgo in the municipality and an economist.
The group has been advocating for him to contest the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Bolgatanga Constituency when the party opens nominations.
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