Kosmos Energy Ghana, a leading international deep-water exploration and production company in Ghana’s Upstream Oil and Gas Sector, has constructed a new dormitory block to house visually impaired students at the Ashanti School for the Deaf at Jamasi, in the Ashanti Region.
The fully furnished 60-bed dormitory provides essential assistance to the school, equipped with auxiliary facilities to ease the movement of visually impaired students who previously shared dormitory space with their hearing-impaired peers.
At the handing-over ceremony, Mr. Joe Mensah, Senior Vice-President and Head of the Ghana Business Unit at Kosmos Energy Ghana, emphasized the significance of recognizing the unique potential within every individual.
He stated, “we at Kosmos Energy Ghana believe that these initiatives are more than just projects; they are investments in the education of children with special needs so that they can realize their full potential as members of our society.”
Mr. Mensah highlighted that the assistance programmes, aim to complement the efforts of the government and parent teacher associations in providing much-needed relief to vulnerable children.
He reiterated that this initiative aligns with Kosmos Energy Ghana’s commitment to supporting four national schools for children with special needs as part of its humanitarian relief programme initiated last year.
Addressing the specific project at Ashanti School for the Deaf, Mr. Mensah expressed the company’s responsiveness to the Headmistress’s appeal, following the handover of a renovated 300-bed capacity boys’ dormitory block in February this year.
He emphasized the necessity of separate accommodations for visually impaired and hearing-impaired students for their safety and well-being.
Mr. Mensah also highlighted previous contributions by Kosmos Energy Ghana, including a renovated clinic with wards, a hearing assessment center, a consulting room, and washroom facilities for the Salvelugu School for the Deaf in December 2022.
Additionally, he said in July 2023, the company handed over a renovated six-unit classroom block and Physiotherapy equipment to the Twin City Special School.
In November this year, Kosmos Energy Ghana provided 300 white canes, newly constructed walkways, and a urinal facility to Akropong school for the blind in the Eastern Region.
The Headmistress of the Ashanti School for the Deaf, Mrs. Vida Aidoo, expressed gratitude for the timely interventions by Kosmos Energy Ghana, emphasizing their tangible and significant impact on the children.
She highlighted the school’s journey, from having a Deaf/Blind Department to transforming it into a dedicated blind unit in 2019, solely focused on visually impaired individuals in the middle belt of the country where there is no blind school.
Mrs. Aidoo provided insights into the current educational setup, explaining that AshDeaf/Blind includes rehabilitation class and Kindergarten (KG) up to Lower Primary Basic three. Students then join Basic four class at St Michaels Roman Catholic Primary and JHS School in Jamasi for their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The rehabilitation class caters for students who become blind later in life, enabling them to continue their education at other levels by learning braille.The provision of fully furnished blocks by Kosmos Energy Ghana reaffirms its commitment to helping children unearth their potential and contribute to society’s development.
Mrs. Aidoo acknowledged the school’s challenges, ranging from food shortages to the rehabilitation of old infrastructure, but expressed joy in reporting successful rehabilitation stories.
Amanasehene, Nana Bediako-Poku I, commended the corporate support from the company and for its significant role in improving the lives of vulnerable groups in society.
He expressed gratification that after providing support for various Special Schools across the country, Kosmos Energy Ghana returned to cater for the visually impaired at AshDeaf-Blind.
He commended the company and urged the school management to take good care of the facilities, encouraging other companies to emulate the example set by Kosmos.
