Accra, May 14, GNA – Deloitte Ghana, as part of its volunteer day, embarked on an educational outreach to selected basic schools in Accra to inspire the students to take their lessons seriously.
The staff of Deloitte Ghana interacted with the students and engaged them in reading skills to inspire them to aim high in their career paths.
The gesture is part of Deloitte Africa’s journey to redefine corporate volunteerism in Africa, in which its executive committee adopted a volunteer policy that permits their staff to dedicate up to 40 hours annually to deserving causes.
The schools are Kotobabi Cluster of Schools, Adabraka Cluster of Schools, and Accra Newtown Cluster of Schools.
Mr Daniel Kwadwo Owusu, Country Managing Partner of Deloitte Ghana, speaking with students of the Kotobabi Cluster of Schools in Accra, underscored the importance of education to national development.
The initiative, he said, was part of the firm’s corporate social responsibility to achieve Sustainable Development Goal four, ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All.
“Education starts with literacy, we are here to empower the students to read and learn to develop themselves,” he said.
Education, Mr Owusu stated, was key to eradicating poverty in communities, hence the need to foster a culture of reading among the learners to improve learning outcomes.
He said the firm had collaborated with Spring-Up Global Network, an NGO under Deloitte’s WorldClass Programme to construct eight libraries across the country to improve reading habits among the students.
Mr Owusu emphasised the importance of technical and vocational education to enhance the skills set of students to be productive in the work environment.
He called for collaboration with the country’s educational system and industry to make the curriculum fit for purpose and meet industry needs.
Madam Abena Biney, Chief Sustainability Officer for Deloitte West Africa, said 7,000 employers of the firm’s in Africa were embarking on the educational journey to assist students to tackle difficult subjects.
She said the firm, over the years, had contributed effectively through the donation of learning materials to promote literacy in the communities.
Mr Augustus Owusu Agyemfra, Municipal Director of Education, Ayawaso Central, commended the firm’s laudable initiative, adding that the Ghana Education Service policy on early literacy intervention, among others, had helped improve education in the country.
He appealed to the firm to assist the school in modernising its uncompleted library structure to serve the needs of the students.
GNA