By Justina Hilda Paaga, GNA
Jirapa (U/W), Oct. 22, GNA – Mrs Amina Kaguah, President of the St. Francis Old Girls Association (FOGA), has appealed to old students, corporate institutions, philanthropists and well-wishers to support infrastructure development at the St. Francis of Assisi Girls’ Senior High School in Jirapa in the Upper West Region.
She said the school, the first girls’ secondary school established in Northern Ghana in 1959, was facing severe infrastructural challenges, with almost all dormitories accommodating nearly three times their intended capacity.
Mrs Kaguah made the appeal during the school’s Homecoming and Speech and Prize-Giving Day celebration at Jirapa.
The event, on the theme: “Sixty-Seven Years of Nurturing Leaders and Inspiring Excellence: Time to Retrace Our Steps,” was chaired by Naa Dinaa Donglabong Danaa III, Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area.
It was attended by the representative of the Bishop of the Wa Diocese, Madam Joyce Bawah-Mogtari, Special Aide to the President, who was the Special Guest of Honour, as well as management, staff, parents, old girls and students of the school.
Mrs Kaguah said some students were compelled to sleep on the floor, on worn-out mattresses and in overcrowded spaces between old bed frames, a situation that adversely affected their dignity and preparedness for learning.
Quoting former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who stated at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2005 that, “There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women,” she said the statement aptly reflected the role the school had played in advancing girls’ education over the years.
She noted that FOGA had consistently provided financial support, professional expertise, networks and other resources to improve conditions in the school, adding that the Homecoming celebration formed part of a broader fundraising effort to mobilise support for the institution.
However, she said the magnitude of the school’s infrastructure needs exceeded what the association could address on its own.
“When you provide a proper dormitory for a girl, you are giving her dignity. When you give her a safe bed on which to sleep, you are helping her wake up ready to learn,” she said.
Mrs Kaguah urged old girls to contribute in diverse ways, including financial support, building materials, mentorship, technical expertise and leveraging their networks to attract assistance to the school.
She also encouraged students to remain disciplined, focused and ambitious, urging them not to allow anyone to limit their aspirations.
“Confidence is not arrogance. Ambition is not something for which a woman should apologize. Excellence is not reserved for somebody else,” she said.
Mrs Kaguah commended teachers and staff for their commitment and sacrifices despite challenging conditions and urged them to continue inspiring the students to reach their full potential.
She congratulated students who received awards and encouraged those who did not win prizes to persevere, stressing that prizes recognised achievement at a particular moment and did not determine one’s ultimate success in life.
The Homecoming celebration was also used to elect new executives of the association and present assorted items to the St. Joseph Orphanage in Jirapa.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah