By Juliet Aguiar DUGBARTEY
Ten out-of-school children from five circuits in the Ahanta West Municipality have been reintegrated into school through the ‘Yinson Back to School Programme’.
These children, aged between six and twelve years and mostly from fishing and farming communities, have been out of school for over a year.
Edward Mensah, Corporate Social Responsibility Coordinator at Yinson Ghana, explained at Agona Nkwanta, in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region that the children, will receive uniforms, books, two pairs of shoes each, school bags, money for feeding, and payment for school levies.
He assured them that their levies and school feeding would be covered in subsequent terms, with adjustments made as necessary.
Mr. Mensah shared that during a recent visit to the coastal beaches, he encountered children who should have been in school but were not due to financial constraints. This experience, inspired the creation of the project to help these children return to school and join their peers.
The programme he said, aligns with Yinson’s goal of providing quality education in its operational areas. Currently, he added that the initiative, is a pilot study with ten children, but there are plans to increase the number annually.
“Parents and guardians are encouraged to ensure their children attend school, with a Monitoring Team in place to check on the students” Mr. Mensah said.
Aloysius Joe Buadi, Deputy Director of Supervision and Monitoring of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the Ahanta West Municipality, praised Yinson Ghana for its support in promoting education. He highlighted the challenges faced by children from hard-to-reach areas and thanked Yinson for the intervention.
He advised the children to be punctual and urged parents not to send them to work during school hours. Francis Ackah, Head Teacher at Ampatano M/A Basic School, also expressed gratitude to Yinson Ghana and reminded parents to prioritize their children’s education over other expenses.
Madam Lydia Amo, a mother of one of the beneficiaries, shared her appreciation for the programme.
She explained that her children had been out of school since her husband’s death two years ago, as her income from petty trading was insufficient to cover school fees.
The programme, she said has given her daughter the opportunity to return to school.
