By Iddi Yire
Accra, Sept. 24, GNA- McHammah Engineering Company Limited, a Ghanaian-owned electromechanical engineering company has built and handed over an electric potter’s wheel to the Accra Girls Senior High School (SHS), to help improve academic work.
The machine is used in the shaping of ceramic wares, and this comes as a relief for staff, and students of the Visual Arts Department, as the manual potter’s wheel remained one of the factors that deterred students from pursuing ceramics courses.
Mr Ebenezer Hammah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of McHammah Engineering presented the machine to Mrs Gifty Andoh, Headmistress of Accra Girls SHS in Accra.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Hammah disclosed that the gesture formed part of company’s corporate social responsibility and its passion for innovation.
He told the GNA that he visited the school’s ceramic studio and observed that they had a manual potter’s wheel, and this informed the company’s decision to produce a more efficient machine that would enhance academic performance.
Mr Hammah underscored the need to promote education, especially girl-child education, adding that “girls must be given the exposure to build interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.”
He said most of the ceramic studios in second cycle institutions had the manual potter’s wheels which were not efficient and appealed to other entities to imitate the kind gesture and ensure that all stakeholders contributed to government’s effort in making the school environment more academic-friendly.
On her part, Mrs Andoh expressed gratitude to McHammah Engineering for its intervention and continuous support for the school.
She told the GNA that the manual potter’s wheel required strength to wheel for a long time and it wobbles, this she said, makes it difficult for students to use.
The Headmistress anticipated that the donation would enhance the performance of the Visual Arts Department; saying “personally I have that culture of maintenance, so, the Company is assured that we will embrace a maintenance plan to help the machine serve its purpose.”
Mr Andrew Ashie, Head of Visual Arts Department at Accra Girls SHS also told the GNA that the use of the manual potter’s wheel had its own challenges; declaring that it discourages students from pursuing ceramics courses.
He reiterated that the new machine would go a long way to enhance teaching and learning in the school.
GNA