Six basic schools in the Jomoro Constituency of the Western Region have benefited from renovation projects embarked on by the Member of Parliament, Dorcas Affo-Toffey.
The schools are Gyegyekro Basic School, Cocoa Town Basic school, Alenrezule Basic, Tikobo number 2 basic school, Anlomatuope Basic School and Mpaesem basic school and Elubo Basic School.
At Mpaesem Basic School, the MP is renovating of a four-unit classroom block. The height of the school building was low so the roof needed to be ripped to raise the building.
She bought 50 bags of cement and plastered the entire school building and then bought 160 roofing sheets to roof the entire schools.
Madam Affo-Toffey also donated an amount of GH¢10,000 towards the completion of the project.
The situation at Elubo Basic School was overcrowding. One classroom contains over 100 pupils.
Madam Affo-Toffey went there to enquire about the congestion and fortunately, they had three uncompleted classrooms, of which two were uncompleted.
She donated sands, roofing sheets and an amount for the completion of the project.
Residents at Mpaesem explained that the building was started by the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) of the school but they stopped because they had no funds.
They explained that the MP has come to “rescue us because we have several villages that have benefited from her kind gestures”.
“We have another school which needs desks and she has promised to bring it. If we had gotten such an MP in the past, Jomoro would not have been like this. We urge us all to let her continue,” they said in Twi.
The residents added, “We had challenges with the school when it rains.”
At Tikobo Number 2 Basic School, the building had not been painted for the last 20 years.
Both JHS and primary, made up of nine 3-classroom blocks, were painted by the MP.
In addition, the MP also erected metal poles for both a volley court and a football pitch in the school.
The Alenzule Basic School was another big challenge. The school was part of the schools under trees, therefore, the community decided to put up their own building from Primary One to Six.
Due to lack of funds, the project was halted. Again, there was no water in the school for the construction but the Jomoro MP extended water to the school and gave them money to complete the project.
New Ankasa M/A Primary School had two classrooms for the nursery department and office for teachers but they had not been plastered.
Madam Affo-Tofey therefore bought sand and roofs to start the work. She also donated 50 bags of cement and a trip of sand for the commencement of the project.
The Headmaster of New Ankasa M/A Primary School, Gibson Adomako Kyere, said “we decided to house the children in this compound because we had no KG block”.
“Two weeks ago, our canteen was razed down so we got alarm. We spoke to the MP and within a week, we had cement, sand, etc to complete the block,” he added.
Gyegyekrom Basic School was a mud building with no plastering, which the residents and the school authorities say “was an eye sore and not conducive for teaching and learning”.
The MP bought four packets of roofing sheets and 40 bags of cement to complete the project so no one would notice it was a mud building.
She also gave money for the completion of the work.
At Krono 2 Basic School, it has been there for long without water. Therefore, children walk for several kilometres to fetch water but the MP bought pipe to extend water from the town to the school.
She also painted the entire three classroom block for the JHS and six classroom block for the primary.
Madam Affo-Toffey said “the Headmasters and assembly members told me of the challenges in the school that the schools so I decided to move in a help them because education is key”.
“The canteen had been demolished and the building would have collapse on the children.”
She added that “being a mother and also knowing the importance of education and because they are our future leaders…I brought them 50 bags of cement and three trips of sand to complete the project”.