As part of its efforts to improve early childhood education in the North East region, KOICA and its partners have commissioned five ultra-modern kindergarten learning facilities worth GH₵4.2 million for five deprived communities.
This is part of a stakeholder initiative to reduce the number of schools located under trees in the region.
In the North East region, Naamenboku, Kurugu, Wulungu, Wungu, and Jawani are deprived communities that lack early childhood learning centers.
A recent media report revealed that the majority of pupils in these communities study under trees as there is no infrastructure to accommodate their learning activities. Despite reaching the age of school enrollment, parents are unable to enroll their children in community schools.
With funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and its implementing partners such as ChildFund Korea, Children Believe, and AG Care Ghana, the Early Childhood Development Centre was constructed to promote quality education at the right age in deprived schools and communities.
The country director of KOICA, Dong Hyun Lee, commended the government for the various child rights policies, and the Korean government will continue to support Ghana’s education initiatives.
“The government has done well for the various child rights policies and I promise that the continuous Korean government support for the country’s educational initiatives.”
The North East regional Minister, Yidana Zakaria, who commissioned the facilities, commended the Korean government for the support and called for the revamping of some ECD centers in the region.
“I want to commend the Korean government for this wonderful support. It has come at the most appropriate stage in our country. I will urge that other ECD centers across the region are revamped so as for us to benefit from them,” he said.
The Country Director of Children Believe, Esenam Kavi De-Souza, urged parents in their respective communities to send their children to school at the right age.
“Education is very important, and I want to urge parents to send their children to school at early stages so that they could reap the benefits.”
The Executive Director for AG Care Ghana, Ernest Asigri, urged the beneficiary communities to own the various initiatives established in the community as their own.
“I want to urge community members to see the project as though they have used their resources to construct it. I urged you people to own it and maintain it when necessary.”
The headteacher of Kurugu MA Primary School said the school is still in need of more teachers and infrastructure to improve teaching and learning.
“We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for the donation for a wonderful project. In fact, it will go a long way to help the school, but as it is, the school needs more teachers and infrastructure to improve teaching and learning.”
The program manager for Child Fund Korea, Hannah Minji Ki, appealed to the communities to consolidate the gains to educate more children in the community.
