NGO CKEF Build Library, Computer Lab For Anum Anglican Primary and Junior High

Connecting Kids Education Foundation

In its quest to increase literacy in the rural areas of Ghana, 'Connecting Kids Education Foundation (CKEF)', a non-governmental organization has settled on the Anum Anglican A& B primary and Junior High Schools in Anum traditional area in the Eastern Region as beneficiary of their 2014 major project.

CKEF, which is being supported by PW Ghana Limited, Tangs Australia and Antrak Australia, has since its instigation in Ghana over the last two years supported deprived rural areas by providing ultra-modern educational facilities, such as ICT center and library.

This year's recipient, would be provided with a 25-seater computer library and a 30-seater library, amounting to GH¢90.000.

Speaking to The Chronicle yesterday at the sword cutting ceremony to commence the project, the Director of CKEF, Mrs. Ellen Blamires said her outfit could not have supported a better place than Anum Anglican A & B schools.

According to her, even though their core mandate was to improve literacy in deprived rural areas, they also looked out for communities who are willing to support their wards' education in their own small way.

She told The Chronicle that Anum traditional area had pledged to take up 10% of the total cost (GH¢90.000) of the project.

According to her, another reason her outfit settled on the aforementioned area was due to the effort of one Nana Adoba I, Gyaasehene of the Benkum Division of the Anum Traditional Area, who after hearing of her organization, made countless effort to convince them (CKEF) to bringing developmental projects to his (Anum) area.

Mrs. Blamires added that as Ghana moved into the middle income bracket, it had become more crucial to provide the younger generation with the right education, "though government will always play a role in such process, organizations like CKEF can be a catalyst for communities seeking to help themselves."

She thanked their sponsors and called on other corporate bodies both national and international to support them in increasing quality literacy level at all rural communities in Ghana.

At a durbar of chiefs, elders and other stakeholders of the Anum Traditional Area, the District Chief Executive for Asuogyaman, Mr. Thomas Ampem Nyarko said the performance of the Anglican A&B at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the last five years had been very poor, especially in the area of ICT.

But he was quick to add that students of Anglican A&B could not be blamed for their poor performance in ICT, because they had never set their eyes on a computer, but were still mandated to write the same examination with their counterparts in the urban areas, who are familiar with the computer.

"ICT and library are serious complement to education and the beauty aspect is that the NGO is taking the lead and they are harvesting resources from everywhere, from the PTA, the assembly and everybody to support the project, which will be completed in no time for the students to make good use of it".

He noted that Ghana Education Service (GES) would be made to absorb the library and ICT Centre and make sure it is fully integrated into the area's educational system and ensure supply of books and other materials. "Ghana's development is defined as a functional one, in that a school building is not development in itself until it's being used for the purposes of teaching and learning.

"A library will not be a development unless it is being used and we will ensure teachers open it and encourage parents to allow their children to patronize it", he said.

The Adontenhene, Nana Kwasi Anyame V and Benkumhene of Anum Traditional Area, Nana Okyempem Adu VII applauded the initiative by CKEF and stressed that there was the need for them as the traditional rulers to support what they termed as " wonderful initiative".

According to the traditional leaders, the only way a leader would forever remain in the heart of his subjects is when leaves a good legacy. To that end, they urged the students to make good use of the facility for their own good.