By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Voggu (N/R), June 14, GNA – The Tamale Archdiocesan Development Office (TADO) of the Catholic Church has constructed mechanised boreholes and four-seater toilet facilities for five basic schools in the Northern and Savannah Regions to help improve sanitation and hygiene practices amongst pupils.
The mechanised boreholes have a polytank for water storage while the toilet facilities also have separate changing rooms for adolescent girls in the schools.
The facilities were sited at each of the beneficiary schools namely Voggu Roman Catholic (R/C) Primary in the Kumbungu District, Saint Gabriel R/C Primary and Kanvilli R/C Primary in the Sagnarigu Municipality, Saint Anthony Junior High in the East Gonja Municipality and Wiae R/C Primary in the Kpandai District.
The Wiae R/C Primary received a mechanised borehole and a four-seater toilet facility, Saint Anthony R/C Primary received a mechanised borehole, whilst Voggu R/C Primary received a four-seater toilet facility.
The rest were a four-seater toilet facility for Saint Gabriel R/C Primary, and a mechanised borehole for Kanvilli R/C Primary.
The facilities were constructed by TADO as part of its Building Resilience for Improved Development and Growth of Pupils Education (BRIDGE) project, which is funded by Diester singer Kindermissionwerk, a German Catholic funding agency.
Separate ceremonies, led by Very Reverend Hilary Pogbeyir, Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Tamale, were held at the beneficiary schools to hand over the facilities to them.
Reverend Father Sebastian Zaato, Coordinator of TADO, who spoke during the inauguration and handing over of the facilities, said they were to support the School Health and Education Programme (SHEP) of the Ghana Education Service to help improve on the health and academic performance of pupils.
The BRIDGE project seeks to build the resilience of children against public health pandemics, improve academic performance and health status of basic school pupils and deprived communities.
It also seeks to ensure that over 12,000 children in 30 basic schools and deprived communities have access to safe drinking water.
Reverend Father Zaato said the facilities would ensure that adolescent girls always remained in school and would not have to worry about where to change during their menstrual periods.
Mr. Nyuurbome Lazarus, Regional Manager, Catholic Education Unit, Archdiocese of Tamale, urged especially School Management Committees of the various beneficiary schools to take good care of the facilities to contribute to the children’s well-being.
Nana Kwadwo Ayurieye (I), Chief of Wiae in the Kpandai Traditional Area, commended TADO for providing the facilities and said they would help increase enrollment and promote the health and well-being of the pupils as well as improved academic standards.
He appealed to TADO and its partners to consider providing a teachers’ bungalow for the school to address absenteeism amongst teachers in the area.
Hajia Sadiatu Jawula, East Gonja Municipal SHEP Coordinator expressed joy that adolescent girls in the schools now had access to potable water and a conducive place to change during their menstrual periods.
Officials from the Tamale Archdiocese later paid courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of the Kpembe Traditional Area, Kpembewura Babanye Ndefosu II, in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region.
The visit was to initiate the process to formalise documentation for a parcel of land to start a private Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centre for the area.
Reverend Father Zaato said the TVET Centre would focus on agriculture mechanisation, building technology and carpentry to create employment opportunities, especially for the youth in the area.
Kpembewura Babanye Ndefosu II expressed commitment to ensuring that the right process was followed to ensure the Centre was established to enable the youth in his traditional area acquire employable skills.
GNA