This report covers activities that took place at the Resource Link Foundations 10th anniversary program and 1st Reading Festival at the Banda Districts on 10th May, 2018 at the Banda Cultural Centre Forecourt.
The gathering was to climax a week long activity to promote reading among children in the Banda District and Wenchi Municipality. The activity was spearheaded by the Resource Link Foundation Netherlands in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service Banda and the District Assembly.
A lot of dignitaries including Nananom, Member of Parliament for the Banda District, District Chief Executive Rep, and workers from the District Assembly graced the occasion to make it a successful one.
Remarks by Hon Ahmed Ibrahim Member of Parliament Banda District
Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim started by saying the day is a very happy one because of the initiative by the resource link foundation. He commended Mr. Christopher Dapaah, the country Director of the Resource Link Foundation for always doing his best to solicit for help to improve the quality of education and sanitation issues of the District. He also commended Him for taking a bold decision by quitting his teaching job to start a non-profit making organization to help improve the quality of education of the children of Banda. He again admonished the youth in the district to emulate what Mr. Dapaah has done and not always depend on the Government for jobs after completion of their studies because by so doing we would help in the development of the country.
He again said a country’s development is a shared responsibility because the government and his cabinet alone cannot develop the country and that even the government institutions are over choked so we should start emulating what Mr. Dapaah had done by starting up businesses on our own and employ other people who are in need of jobs too because that would aid in the development of the country.
He also appealed to the Nananom of the Banda District to support the cause of the resource link foundation because it is a worthy cause. He also said the initiative he has carried out through his resource link foundation e.g. by getting the Methodist, Banda and other schools good pipe borne water and not waiting on the MP, the government and the district assembly to do that because they are mandated to do so but going through the stress to get support from his Netherlands partners shows how committed he is to helping his District.
The MP said because of the worthy cause from the MPs common fund they are going to help with an amount of Ten Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC10, 000, 00) to help the cause they have started. He again pleaded with him to make what he has started a yearly affair because the MP, Ghana Education Service and District Assembly needs people like him and Resource Link Foundation to support and pledged to support him anytime he calls on him.
Remarks by the DISTRICT CHIEF EXECUTIVE
A representative from the District Assembly read the speech on behalf of the District Chief executive who was engaged in an equally important task. In the speech he mentioned knowledge is an important and essential to the growth and well being of children, He also added Education is the foundation and pillar of society and it education supply the knowledge required of anybody on this planet, it is in this regard that the president of Ghana and his NPP government to make senior high school free for all. He therefore pleaded with the all parents to take advantage of the initiative to enroll their children to improve their socio-economic well being
He said the benefits of education are numerous and he cannot mention them and as such it is huge and burdensome on the government especially with regards to curriculum development, training of teachers and paying of salaries of both teaching and non-teaching staff, provision of teaching and learning materials, provisions and classrooms and that has made it difficult for the government alone to handle so the Ghana Education Service (GES) made an appeal to donor organizations to come to their aid and the resource link foundation has been supportive over the past ten years in the areas of water and sanitation, learning materials to improve teaching and learning in some selected schools in the districts and thinks that is commendable. He also used the opportunity to show their utmost appreciation their partners from the Netherlands for the massive financial support to making the project possible over the past years.
He again said the project has made great impact in all the beneficiary schools and again pleaded to the Netherlands partners to also consider extending their support to other areas such as organizing refresher courses for teachers and exchange programs for the school children to offer them the opportunity to visit the Netherlands and interact with other students that would yield positive outcomes for them
He also pledged that the Banda District Assembly would continue to collaborate with Resource Link Foundation and their activities as far as they are committed to working to improve the quality of education and livelihood of people in the district. He on that note welcome all to the program.
Remarks by Mr. Christopher Dapaah, Country Director Resource Link Foundation
expressed their appreciation for Showcase the impact the education in the district of reading. He said resource link has been in existence for the past 17th years and they are celebrating the 10th Anniversary in partnership with their Netherlands counterparts. He said through the passage of time Resource Link Foundation has been supporting the government of Ghana through school improvement projects by Renovating classrooms, Mechanized boreholes, rain water harvest, sanitation, toilet facilities, writing books, library and reading materials and provisions of desks which amounted to about almost a billion cedis to the Banda and Wenchi districts with the aim is to promote education and health to enhance total development to the people of the Banda District and Wenchi Municipality. He was much pleased to announce that the Banda district ranked 16 out of 216 districts on the district league table which is a tool used by CDD Ghana to rank all districts in order of performance in the areas of education, sanitation and water, security, etc. he said it wouldn’t have happened without leadership and applauded all stakeholders who joined forces to make it possible.
He also mentioned that to ensure the programs sustainability it is being celebrated in collaboration with Ghana Education Service and its being observed as the first reading festival in the Banda District to ignite the reading passion and talent in children in the district to read and gain knowledge. It is also a platform for stakeholders to interact with one another to discuss ideas relating to education to promote the education in the district.
He also quoted the reading 2013 GES assessment report which showed that ‘’50.7% of pupils could not read a single word of a storybook only 1.8% could read fluently meaning pupils/students are not able to get the meaning of their examination questions before they write due to the fact that they cannot read or write. He said this happens as a result of schools lacking libraries and ICT facilities. And that it is impossible for children to continue with their education due to their reading inabilities and that everybody has a role to play in making this a reality.
Reading is an important skill that needs to be developed in children for a lifelong learning.
He mentioned that by the support of all they were able to commission two( 2) boreholes at Mawu and Ferdia, they are also giving out hundred desks, 12,000 exercise books, 7200 my first copy books and some local calendars. Bibleonef also donated 3135 books to support the program and the organization is partnering with all the beneficiary schools to support them with books. They have also added sportswear.
He showed appreciation to Wilde Gizen and Bibileonef for the immense support they have being giving to the Resource Link Foundation over the past years, Vodafone Ghana, the District Assembly, GTV, Royal FM, Flamingo publications and all for the support provided for making the program a successful one.
After the speeches pupils from the various beneficiary schools thrilled the audience with poetry recitals, cultural dance, drama etc.
REMARKS BY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, WENCHI
She welcomed all to the tenth milestone of the 10th anniversary celebration of Resource Link Foundation partnering with Ghana Education Service in Banda and Wenchi. She on behalf of the beneficiary school showed her utmost appreciation to Resource Link Foundation Ghana and their Netherlands partners for supporting the education of the Banda district which is considered one of the most deprived district in Ghana with resources like water, toilet facilities, stationery and other logistics to enhance teaching and learning in their schools. She also said my first day at school events has been successful with support from the Resource Link Foundation with donation of books to first time pupils, donation of library books to 13 schools and donation of furniture to enhance teaching and learning in Banda Schools.
She continued to say education is a shared enterprise and it demands the effort and contribution from all stakeholders especially if education is to benefit the whole society. In Ghana the communities have played vital roles in the development and provision of education. Most basic schools are established by the communities and later absorbed into the public school system but the sad thing is the government is unable able to provide all the essential needs of the schools hence the need for all stakeholders to get on board to make it possible.
The ministry of education sees the need to involve stakeholder part in the regeneration of school that’s why they have the PTAs and NMCs. Learners are also stakeholders so lateness, truancy shouldn’t be encouraged.
She showed appreciation to the resource link foundation Ghana for the support given to the schools and the communities. She said due to the Resources Link Foundation five communities together with their schools have received Mechanized boreholes with overhead storage tanks, 13 schools have received a stock of library books and all schools have received books during my first day at school. She again appealed with donors to support all schools to extend their help to the other schools as well. And the mission for the 2018 academic year was to spearhead reading among children in both their local and English languages.
Two (2) boreholes at Mawu and Ferdia
Inter-school float
Nananom
Partners from Netherlands
Other activities
