By Emelia Nkrumah
Accra, Feb. 29, GNA – The 1999-Year Group of the Old Achimotan Association (OAA) has urged all alumni to fund the Achimota School Endowment Trust (ASET) fund.
The ASET fund seeks to support the school’s long-term goal and create an indelible mark on future generations of students.
It also serves as a financial resource for the school, funding academic achievement, infrastructure development, and a variety of educational programmes.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Akwete Bortei-Doku, the President of the 1999-Year Group of the association said the fund aimed to create a legacy of empowerment and transformation to ensure a brighter future for generations of students at the school.
He said the major goal of championing the fund was to generate awareness to attract individuals and groups who support and believe in the school’s purpose.
“It is to raise a generation of educated people, who will have an impact in this country and in the world,” he added.
The press conference was part of the activities to mark the 97th Founder’s Day celebration of the Achimota Senior High School.
Mr Bortei-Doku said that while the government was engaged in providing educational facilities, its resources were not always sufficient to fulfil the demands of the school; so, the OAA 99 Year supports the ASET Fund to bridge the gap.
He said the fund would be used to develop projects like dormitories, classroom blocks and science Laboratory as needed.
“As the number of students increases every year in the school, there is the need for more boarding facilities to accommodate them, hence, the need for the 1999-Year Group to champion the ASET Fund to improve the developmental project of the school.
“The money can be used to do all sorts of things; it can be used to build theatre rooms, basketball stadiums, build more boarding houses,” he said.
Mr Bortei-Doku said OAA 99’s legacy project sought to generate $10 million by the time Achimota School celebrated its centennial in 2027, and urged other alumni, well-wishers, and the public to actively contribute to the fund’s growth.
Mr Joel Nettey, President of OAA, stated that the Fund’s objective was to reposition and restructure the school using the cash raised to contribute to its future by providing more facilities and improving teaching and delivery.
He stated that, just like an endowment fund, contributions would be invested, and the interest earned would be used to develop the school to global standards.
The said the fund would represent a remarkable milestone in the Group’s dedication to supporting education and fostering opportunities for generations to come.
The Achimota School is planning for its 97th Founder’s Day celebration, which will take place from March 1 to March 3, 2024. The 97th Founder’s Day will be organised by the school’s 1974, 1984, and 1999-Year Groups.
This year’s commemoration, three years before the School’s Centenary, is themed “Nurturing the Present, Restoring the Legacy.” The main events will include a bonfire and torchlight procession, a cadet parade, the Founders Day Grand Durbar, and a Thanksgiving service.
GNA