North-East: The race to put the child in the rural area upfront

In a world that keeps changing by the minute, surrounded by inequality and deprivation, education has appeared to be the only safest window through which the most deprived but determined minds can fly, and explore beyond their immediate horizon.

Here in Ghana, the northern sector appears to be the most challenged in terms of educational infrastructure.

Schools up north are characterized by lack of adequate desks, classrooms, TLMs, teachers, and others, despite enough evidence of the readiness of the children to learn.

That is why the Umbrella for the African Child (UTAC) and Akua Kids Foundation passionately took it upon themselves to travel to the East Mamprusi District of the North-East Region to provide some solutions.

The Umbrella for the African Child (UTAC) produced a documentary in 2021 exposing the deplorable state of the schools in Ghana's North-East Region.

As a result, 10 standard desks (3 seats) were donated to two primary classes (Primary 2 and 6), and 15 benches were given to two kindergarten classrooms in the villages of Soasobigi and Kukugbini.

The group also gave Namenboku MA Junior High School a book shelf filled with 43 children's picture books.

Since then, the group has collaborated with additional partners (Akua Kids Foundation, Smiles Africa, and Magho Foundation) to increase literacy in the North East of Ghana, offer teaching support, assist children with their learning, and establish reading clubs in schools with the goal of transforming East Mamprusi into a land of readers.

Umbrella for the African Child, Akua Kids Foundation, and Smiles Africa conducted the First Reading Competition in theEast Mamprusi District, on June 5, 2023.

The district arranged this competition to demonstrate its ongoing support for raising the literacy and reading levels of its youth.

Seven schools from five villages; Namenboku, Keptritinga, Namasim, Dindani, and Sakogu participated in the competition.

Dindani Junior High School, Namasim Junior High School, Sakogu Roman Catholic Junior High School, Namenboku Junior High School, English Arabic Junior High School, and Confidence Preparatory School were among the participating schools.

Wanimpa Hamida, Baba Mohammed, Imor Yussif, Laale Hanshaw, Caleb James Owiredu, Musah Abdul Hanan, Seidu Haadi, Abdulai Samnatu, Gumah Anthony, Mohammed Aminatu, Yandam Barnabas, and Langbon Hamida represented their respective schools.

Among the several dignitaries who graced the event was a representative from the Ghana Education Service's District Office, Gambaga, Mr. Adongo Charles.

In his speech, he underscored the importance of instilling the discipline of reading in children or students at an early age as the key to unlocking their potential.

How acknowledged that while reading proficiency among students in rural areas is already low, the efforts of UTAC and the Akua Kids Foundation to improve the situation.

He urged educators to sustain the reading initiative in their respective schools at least every term, if not every month.

In order to help their children's learning process, he recommended that parents monitor their children's reading at home and provide them with the required reading resources.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Adongo Charles thanked the organizations and asked for the initiative to be expanded to include other rural areas in the municipality.

The participants expressed excitement about the reading initiative.

Caleb James Oweridu from Sakogu Roman Catholic Junior High School won the competition with 18.73%, followed by Wanimpa Hamida from Namenboku M/A Junior High School in second with 18.7%, Laale Hanshaw from Confidence Preparatory School in third with 17.5%, and Baba Mohammed from Namenboku M/A Junior High School in fourth with 16.3%.

This was the first reading competition in the East Mamprusi District.

Speaking in an interview, the winner of the competition, Master Caleb James Owiredu, said he has “always loved reading, and anytime I read, I feel brave and bold. Reading helps me to be confident, and I encourage my fellow students to take up that habit of reading as it will help them to be bold.”

Chief Wanimpa Mohammed, a Sub-chief of the Sakogu traditional territory, expressed his gratitude to the organizations for the initiative as he believes it will encourage more pupils to develop love for reading.

One of the event's organizers, Mr. Mensah, said "I think certain aspects of rural education must improve in order to raise school participation and performance.

Even if industrialization and economic progress are benefits of urbanization, Ghana should strike a balance between urban and rural schooling if we are serious about achieving quality education.

He also expressed gratitude to the Sakogu chief, the participating communities, and the instructors for their involvement in making the programme a success.