Ampain (W/R), Mar. 2, GNA – The UNHCR-Ghana has supplied the Ampain refugees camp and community school in the Western Region with school furniture and e-readers worth GH¢ 441,634 to boost teaching and learning.
These were made up of 40 hexagonal tables,170 dual desks,120 mono desks for the Junior High School in the host community, 240 chairs, 10 teacher’s tables and chairs as well as 100 e-reader kindles to help improve upon the reading culture of the children at the Ampain Community D/A Primary.
Mr Samuel Dzikunu, an official of the UNHCR, said the donation was meant to assist create a conducive environment for teaching and learning and ease overcrowding of children in the clusters while the e-readers would promote the culture of reading among the pupils.
He said the UNHCR works closely with the Ghana Refugee Board and other partners to offer protection and assistance to all refugees and asylum seekers in the country.
“UNHCR Ghana’s interventions do not only target refugees alone but the host communities particularly in areas of health, education, security and livelihoods.
He said similar donations would be made to other communities hosting refugee camps in the country.
He said in 2018, the UNHCR donated 10 brand new computers and six UPS to host community Junior High Schools in Ampain, Egyeikrom and Krisan to promote the teaching and learning of ICT.
It also partnered the Christian Council of Ghana to provide some furniture to the host community Junior High School in Ampain and Egyeikrom.
Mr Dzikunu said since 2017 to date, the UNHCR had donated 350 e-readers (kindles) to Egyeikrom, Krisan, Fetentaa and Ampain camps schools to support innovative approaches to learning not just for refugee children but also for children in the host communities.
Mr Dzikunu said “we are making efforts to achieve the SDG 4 (inclusive and equitable quality education) as we join the push in this decade of action to meet the SDG goals”.
In 2018, the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) was adopted to help redefine how countries respond to refugee situations and ensure that they are included in national development plans and services.
One key objective of the compact is to ease pressure on host countries and communities which promote inclusion and social cohesion between refugees and their hosts.
Statistics shows that Ghana plays host to 13,453 refugees and asylum seekers, with the top countries being Côte d’Ivoire (6,782-largest population), Togo, Liberia and Sudan.
There are four refugee camps hosting refugees in Ghana; Ampain Refugee Camp and Krisan in the Western Region, Egyeikrom Camp in the Central Region and Fetentaa Camp in the Bono Region.
GNA