The 1986 year group of Achimota School has refurbished the institution’s historic Aggrey Chapel as part of activities marking 40 years since its members left the school, in a project aimed at preserving the landmark building and improving worship conditions for students.
The renovation, officially handed over on Tuesday, November 3, forms the group’s legacy project for its Ruby Anniversary and reflects its commitment to giving back to its alma mater under the tagline, #StrongerTogether.
The project was designed with cost efficiency in mind, with the renovated chapel intended to be low-maintenance and self-sustaining. It is also expected to generate modest revenue to support its upkeep without placing an additional financial burden on the school’s resources. Construction cost approximately GH¢1.2 million.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Achimota School Headmaster, Ebenezer Graham Acquaah, commended the alumni for what he described as a significant demonstration of gratitude, restoration and commitment to the institution’s heritage.
He said the intervention had restored the chapel’s former glory while preserving its historical character.
Named after the school’s co-founder, Dr Kwegyir Aggrey, the chapel has served as the spiritual heart of Achimota for 99 years, providing generations of students with a place for prayer, worship and spiritual development.
Mr Acquaah noted that the facility had played an important role in students’ religious formation, including baptisms, confirmations and spiritual preparation, as well as offering a place of reflection before the start of each school week.
However, years of exposure to the weather had left the building deteriorated, with broken pews, an inadequate sound system and faded paintwork making worship increasingly uncomfortable.
The renovation involved electrical rewiring, the installation of modern sound systems and fans, new altar cloths, improvements to some of the pews and repainting of the chapel’s interior and exterior.
The Headmaster expressed appreciation to the year group’s executives and members in Ghana and abroad, acknowledging contributions of all sizes.
He said the project reflected the school’s motto, Ut Omnes Unum Sint (That All May Be One), and demonstrated that Achimotans remained committed to their roots.
He assured the alumni that school management would maintain the facility, while the Chaplaincy Council would ensure it continued to serve its intended religious purpose.
President of the 1986 year group, Sena Siaw-Boateng, disclosed that members had to finance the bulk of the project after anticipated external funding failed to materialise.
She explained that the original funding arrangement envisaged external donors providing about 80 per cent of the cost, with members contributing the remaining 20 per cent. However, the group had to return to its members for additional support when the expected external contributions did not come through.
Mrs Siaw-Boateng described the renovation as a transformative undertaking intended to improve worship conditions and strengthen students’ spiritual lives.
She recounted that members initially held differing views on the focus of their legacy project, with some proposing the construction of a staff common room while others favoured an intervention that would benefit a wider section of the school community.
She credited discussions among members, particularly the views of Kweku Gyasi, with helping to shape the decision to renovate the chapel.
The project also involved extending the works beyond the initial plans following advice from the school board and project committee.
In addition to the chapel renovation, the year group installed a disability access ramp at the chapel and another at the school’s old assembly hall to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Mrs Siaw-Boateng stressed that maintaining a historic structure such as the Aggrey Chapel required considerable attention and resources, and appealed to school management to take renewed ownership of its upkeep.
She proposed the appointment of a dedicated maintenance officer to oversee the facility, given its frequent use and the inevitable wear and tear.
She further disclosed that the group had established a maintenance fund in March, with the money secured in an asset fund specifically for the chapel’s upkeep. Members intend to make further contributions and encourage other donors to support the fund.
Board Chair of Achimota School, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, also praised the year group for its commitment and willingness to compromise throughout the project.
He said the successful completion of the renovation demonstrated the importance of dialogue and cooperation between alumni, school management and the governing board, particularly when disagreements arise over the nature and scope of projects.
Although the final outcome differed from what the board would have preferred, he said the parties had been able to resolve their differences through discussion.
Professor Aryeetey congratulated the alumni for accommodating the board’s concerns without abandoning their commitment to the project.
He expressed hope that the renovation would serve as the beginning of broader efforts to improve worship facilities at the school, while indicating that plans for a bigger chapel could still be pursued in the future.
The 1986 year group is a community of approximately 350 former students whose shared experiences at Achimota have sustained bonds of friendship and solidarity for four decades.
As part of its Ruby Anniversary celebrations, the group also honoured clergy whose guidance shaped students’ formative years at the school.
Those recognised included Rev. Canon L. Ankrah, a former headmaster, Reverend Pobi and Archbishop Charles Gabriel Archbishop Palmer-Buckle, the project’s patron bishop and Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast of the Catholic Church of Ghana.
Mrs Siaw-Boateng urged the clergy to continue supporting the spiritual formation of students, emphasising the importance of moral and religious guidance.
The group also paid tribute to 27 departed classmates, whose memories, it said, remained an important part of its shared history.
The refurbishment of the Aggrey Chapel, the group said, represents its desire to preserve Achimota’s heritage while contributing to the school’s future.
For the alumni, the project is not only a physical restoration of a historic building but also a lasting expression of the friendship, unity and shared responsibility captured in their anniversary message: #StrongerTogether.
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