Assembly Member for Tanina Electoral Area in the Wa West District, Hon Seidu Kassim, has donated some learning materials to pupils of Bawa Kindergarten School in readiness for government to absorb the school.
Bawa is a predominantly farming community found within the Tanina Electoral Area in the Wa West District of the Upper West Region which has long yearned for a school.
The school started this year in January when schools all over the country were opened after they were closed down following the outbreak of Coronavirus, bringing the dream of the community into reality.
The gesture follows after the residents have taken self-initiated efforts to open a school at the community.
Presenting the items to the school on Tuesday 29th June, 2021, Hon. Seidu Kassim praised the efforts by the people of the community in setting up a school at the community to offer children the opportunity attain education right from their door steps.
He said the initiative has come in line with Goal 4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which seeks to ensure equal access to education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The items donated include pencils, crayons, erasers and pencil sharpeners. The school comprising KG1 and KG2 currently has a pupil population of 52.
The PTA Chairman of the newly-established school, Cletus Kaayi, receiving the items on behalf of the school, thanked the Assembly Member for the kind gesture.
He said the community has taken the bold step to establish a school for their wards to attain formal education, “at a time where it has become so clear that education is the key to sustainable development.”
He added that the initiative had become even more necessary to save their little children the trouble and risk of having to walk several kilometres to school in neighbouring communities.
Further justifying the need for establishing the school, Cletus recounted that, “some two years ago, a motor rider hit down one of our children on their way to school.
Lamenting that, the child sustained a fracture on the leg but the most painful thing was that the motorist knocked the child down and took to his hills. The child could have been dead but the intervention of a passerby.”
Cletus expressed optimism that the gesture by the Assembly Member would help the community in their resolve to sustain the school.
Rosezalia Yorturo, a volunteer teacher at the school, also thanked the Assembly Member for coming to their assistance, adding that the pupils would live happily in school.
Meanwhile, the Assembly Member and residents of the community have appealed to government and the Wa West District Education Directorate absorb the school and subsequently resource it with the needed facilities.