W/R: Asa Savings and Loans donate to Sekondi School for the Deaf at Inchaban

The ASA Savings and Loans Limited has donated Ghc7,000.00 worth of hand sewing machines to the Sekondi School for Deaf at Inchaban in the Western Region to revamp the vocational skills centre of the school with a total student population of 316.

The school with most of its foot-paddle and hand sewing machines broken, had only three machines in operation to serve the 21 students at the vocational department as at the time the company intervened with 15 brand new hand sewing machines.

Presentation

At the short presentation last Saturday, the Divisional Manager for the Western Division, Mr Mohammed Ashraf Ali said as part of the company's Corporate Social Responsibility there was the need to fulfil the request by the school.

According to him, the request for the sewing machines was made by the school to mitigate the challenge of 21 students relying on the only three available machines whenever the need arise for practice.

As a company, Mr Ashraf Ali said it has always been their priority to meet the needs of their stakeholders through CSR to foster developmental change in education, health and other community related issues.

Mr Ashraf Ali further disclosed that the company in recent times supported 20 students at the Junior and Senior high levels from its operational areas at Anaji and Sekondi with a scholarship package worth Ghc 10,000.00 to bridge the financial gap.

"Education is the bedrock of every nation. These are brilliant but needy students who need a little push to be able to climb the academic ladder and acquire the needed skills for the future,” he said.

SDGs

The Area Manager for the Sekondi Business Centre at the Anaji area, Mr Samuel Buanda-Odoom also gave his view- saying schools with physically challenged pupils need greater support from the private sector.

Education and skills acquisition he said are part of the Sustainable Development Goals of the country yet little or no attention is given to the needs of the physically challenged institutions in the country.

He urged the private sector to make conscious effort to meet the needs rather than the wants of their stakeholders through their CSR arm.

Support the physically challenged

The Assistant Headmaster of the school, Mr Abraham Polley commended the company for the kind gesture- saying the equipment had come as a relief to the school.

The vocational department of the school he said had remained challenging to them over the years due to inadequate equipment for training the students.

As the team visited the department during the donation, the place was covered with only bare tables and three operational sewing machines for 21 students.

Spotted at one corner of the room were broken down machines that required professional servicing to resume work.

Aside Mr Polley explaining that most of the machines were outmoded and needed replacement." We have to repair them almost every week due to the pressure mounted on the few ones available," he stated.

He added, "We need frequent support from organisations to run the school. The children here are part of the society and needs help."