The 1980 West Africa Senior High School Old Students Association (WASSOSA) has presented 350 chairs worth over GH₵32,000 to support the educational/academic pursuits of their former school.
300 of the donated chairs are expected to be used by the students for gatherings in the assembly hall, whereas 50 chairs will be used by teachers and staff of the school.
The gesture – according to representative of the 1980-year group, Dr. Felix Ammah-Tagoe – is to give back to their alma mater.
He explained that most ‘big’ schools in the country have attained great heights due to support from their old students’ associations.
In light of this, when their attention was drawn to some needs of the school it was incumbent on them to do the needful, hence the donation.
“The 1980 Year Group decided to make this donation when Headmistress Dr. Shine Ofori brought the dire need for chairs to the attention of a ’80 Year Group member, Dr. Samuel Adotey Anum – Ghana’s Ambassador to Libya.
“When the Group heard that the school needed some 2,000 chairs for the student body but had zero, we needed to mobilise and invest in the school to improve both teaching and learning conditions there, and the intellectual development of current and future students.
“Since our alma mater invested much in us, the Year Group felt we could donate some of the chairs and encourage other Year Groups to also donate,” he said.
Listowel Abladey, another member of the group, speaking to students during the presentation advised them to take their academic work seriously as it will propel their future professions.
“Our advice to you is ‘please listen to your teachers and believe in them and stick to your notes and books and you will go far’,” he said.
Headmistress of WASS, Dr. Shine Ofori, on her part expressed appreciation to the WASSOSA 1980 group and all others who have supported the school recently.
She further elaborated some other needs of the school in an interview with media after the presentation exercise.
“WASS, over the past one year, has enjoyed tremendous support from past students of this great school. Last year, the school received 433 model desks to ease the critical furniture needs classrooms. The 1992-year group also donated several subject-related text books to the school. The 1989-year group is constructing the beautiful school gate, and the entire old students’ body is constructing the durbar grounds. We are very grateful for your love of WASS. The 1980-year group supported the Ambassador when he donated a bore-hole in the school,” she noted.
“We need more classrooms, accommodation for staff on campus – about 95 percent of them are in town. We need dormitories for boys. If they are on campus, it helps promote academic work a lot; and we need more furniture for the classrooms and as motivation for staff,” she emphasised.
