By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi
Accra, Oct. 13, GNA – OVC Connexions, National Non-Profit Organization, has distributed sets of exercise and note books to orphans and vulnerable children to promote learning and reading within Oyibi and its environs.
The about 900 exercise books and 100 notebooks were given to 70 needy and orphans under the organization’s community programme dubbed: “Read, Feed and Lead” that supports children from poor families and communities.
The kind gesture, which had concurrently taken place in the Ekon communities in Cape Coast, stemmed from a data that showed a high number of orphans and vulnerable children who had been at risk of losing learning.
In all, 1,800 exercise books and 200 notebooks were given to 120 children aged 6-14 in grades 1-7 in public Basic Schools.
The Books Distribution Project is was sponsored by Family Based Care Alliance (FaBCA) with a small Grant of GHS 6,000.00 and a donation of USD 250 from Barbara Chieves and her friends in the United States,
The children are given free meals with snacks as lunch everyday Saturday and Life Skills sessions once a month.
Mr. Eric Kwabena Amano-Mptanim, National Coordinator, OVC Connexions Ghana, said the idea of “Read, Feed and Lead” had been to organise extra classes for the children, build them to excel in school and promote life skills to do well in society.
“Some of these kids loiter around with the explanation that they don’t have books. We gave each 12 exercise books and 4 note books. We are not taking over the responsibility of the parents but we’re just helping. We support them with reading materials, teaching learning materials (TLMs) to augment what their parents and caregivers provide for them,” he said
Kenneth Owusu Ansah, a class six pupil of Nukenu Cluster of Schools, Oyibi, who was the best pupil in their last term exams and whose dream was to become a banker, said he was elated to have received the books, adding that all pupils had a responsibility to learn.
Esther Korkor Numuhehia, a form one pupil of Seduase KKMA Junior High School told the Ghana News Agency that she had been doing a lot of exercises at home and the books would support her work.
“I thank them for the books. I will not use all my time to play. If I play a little then I learn a little and do some house chores. I want to maintain my first position. I want to become a medical doctor so I am learning to become the best,” she said
GNA