By Anthony Adongo Apubeo, GNA
Bolgatanga, Sept. 24, GNA – Women in Broadcasting (WIB), a group of women broadcasters in the Upper East Region, has supported vulnerable pupils in 12 schools across six districts with learning materials and other school essentials to help ease the burden on their families.
The second edition of the group’s Back-to-School Project provided pupils with exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers and sharpeners, as well as school bags, sandals and socks, to give them a more dignified start to the 2026/2027 academic year.
The beneficiary schools are in the Kassena-Nankana and Bolgatanga Municipalities, Bongo, Nabdam, Bawku West and Talensi districts.
The initiative was aimed at supporting pupils whose families were unable to provide all the basic items needed for their return to school.
Presenting the items to the pupils at their various schools, Ms Humul Khrusum Tahiru, President of WIB, said the group had observed that some parents in the beneficiary communities were struggling to meet the educational needs of their children.
She said the intervention had expanded significantly from last year’s exercise, with each of the 12 schools receiving at least 400 exercise books, in addition to other stationery, school bags, shoes and socks.
She said last year, the group distributed 3,000 exercise books and pens to pupils in five districts, adding that “last year, we realised that some of the children did not have proper footwear and school bags, so this year we decided to include those items as part of the support,” she said.
Ms Tahiru said the initiative was particularly fulfilling because it enabled the group to put smiles on the faces of children while addressing some of the immediate challenges confronting them in school.
“What excites me the most is the fact that we are able to put smiles on the faces of our young ones, and there are even some schools also calling us for support,” she said.
Ms Tahiru said the needs identified in the beneficiary communities indicated that there was still much to be done to ensure that vulnerable children had the basic materials required for effective learning.
She expressed the hope that the Back-to-School Project would become a sustainable annual programme capable of reaching more schools and eventually covering the entire Upper East Region.
Ms Tahiru expressed gratitude to the HappyMan Foundation, which donated GH¢18,000 towards the purchase of stationery, and Friends of Prosper, which donated GH¢20,000 for the purchase of school bags, shoes and socks and appealed to individuals, businesses and organisations to support the initiative to enable WIB to extend its reach to more schools and pupils.
Ms Veronica Atiirimbey, the Headmistress of Sumburungu Primary School, expressed appreciation to WIB for supporting the pupils, indicating some pupils previously struggled to obtain suitable footwear and other basic learning materials, adding that the intervention would help ease pressure on their families.
“This gesture is a very laudable one and we are happy. You can see the smiles on the faces of the children. This will ease some of the pressure on families and give the beneficiaries greater confidence and motivation to participate in school activities,” she said.
At the Asonge Primary School in the Nabdam District, Master James Kolog, a pupil, said the exercise books would enable him to study his subjects more effectively.
“I have been combining two subject notes in one book, but now that I have gotten five books, I will now be able to have a subject in each book and be able to learn well,” he said.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Reporter’s email address: [email protected]
