Over 400 staff of Deloitte Ghana spent an entire working day with some basic schools in Accra to support and empower students with their skills and resources in promoting literacy and education.
The firm rallied all its staff to put their day-to-day business aside and use their skills to support and empower the students of Osu Cluster of Schools and Kwashieman Cluster of Schools respectively.
The initiative forms part of Deloitte Africa’s laudable journey of redefining corporate volunteerism in Africa, in which its executive committee adopted a volunteer policy that permits their people to dedicate up to 40 hours annually to deserving causes.
The Deloitte staff engaged students in reading skills to foster a reading culture in the classrooms, and established literacy clubs to ensure proper use of the libraries that were refurbished and restocked by Deloitte and Spring Up Global Network under Deloitte’s WorldClass Programme.
Additionally, the staff actively contributed by donating books to augment the existing libraries established under the WorldClass initiative, with the intention of further enhancing the availability of books and resources and supporting ongoing efforts to promote literacy and education in the communities.
Country Managing Partner of Deloitte Ghana, Daniel Kwadwo Owusu, emphasised that this significant move toward volunteerism represents a paradigm-shift and renewed commitment to having a palpable impact on communities in which Deloitte operates – adding that at the core of this endeavour lies the firm’s unwavering commitment to improving the lives of 14 million Africans by 2030.
“Volunteer Day is a reminder that no matter where you live or the skills you possess, you can take action to make an impact in the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. Literacy is an empowering and liberating force. In addition to being a fundamental aspect of the right to education, literacy enhances lives by broadening skills; thereby reducing poverty and increasing participation in the job market. This is why the staff of Deloitte Ghana dedicated an entire day to transfer literacy skills to over 10,000 students,” he said.
Deloitte Ghana’s leadership played a pivotal role in enriching the programme by providing mentorship, sharing their own unique professional journeys, and imparting valuable knowledge about different career possibilities. These discussions covered a wide range of topics; including choice of Senior High Schools and preferred courses of study, comportment and effective time-management.
Through these exchanges, doors were opened for the students to explore alternative career paths. The main goal of Volunteer Day was to impact over 10,000 students from these schools with crucial Literacy skills and resources that will shape their future.
Chief Sustainability Officer for Deloitte West Africa, Abena Biney, on her part stated that the collective effort and dedication shown by the staff during ‘Volunteer Day’ in Ghana was truly inspiring.
“By imparting literacy skills, mentoring students and establishing a literacy club, we are empowering these students and paving the way for a brighter future. This initiative exemplifies our commitment to sustainable development and community engagement,” she said.
Deloitte called on corporate Ghana to volunteer their talent, experience and, most importantly, time to make an impact that matters in the communities where they operate.
