The Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL) has handed over a mechanised water facility, 10-seat water closet and lavatories to GREL Basic School at Abura in the Ahanta West Municipality of Western Region.
The over-GH¢594,000 facility is meant to improve sanitation and hygiene, and was a response to an appeal made by the school’s Parents Teacher Association (PTA).
At a brief ceremony, Perry Acheampong, Corporate Affairs Manager-GREL, explained that the company is committed to improving Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the communities where it operates.
“We are committed to improving education, health, sanitation and hygiene, including biodiversity; some few weeks ago, we distributed free school uniforms and schoolbags to some schools within our host communities,” he said.He noted that the company’s management is aware of the school’s excellent performance, which has increased enrolment and put pressure on the facility.
“For this reason, we have decided to build a new GREL Basic School at Agona-Nkwanta to take pressure off the school. Construction of the new school should have started this year, but access to land has been a major obstacle,” he added.
For this reason, he appealed that chiefs in the area should help release land for the new GREL Basic School to be kick-started.
He expressed hope that the facility will help improve cleanliness at the school.
Nana Kwesi Agyemang IX, Omanhene of Lower Dixcove who is also President of the Association of Chiefs on whose Land GREL Operates (ACLANGO), commended GREL for the continued support.
“This is one of the best, and it adds to the school’s status. There is no way you will get such a facility in any other school, not even a Senior High School,” he told the students
He urged the pupils to take good care of the facility, “given you are blessed to have such facility in your school; it is the responsibility of teachers to ensure the facility is always tidy.
Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ahanta West Municipality, John Agyare, indicated that the rubber company has played a key role in the area’s development.
He said: “As we commission this facility, let us be reminded that we could not achieve this without a united front”.
