Pupils and teachers in Kperisi, a community in the Wa Municipality can now comfortably engage in teaching and learning activities.
This is because the Social Investment Fund (SIF) led by its Deputy CEO, Alex Kyaakpier Mohl has handed over an educational facility worth over 600 thousand Ghana Cedis (GH₵ 600,000) to the Ghana Education Service for onward handing over to the Kperisi Community in the Wa Municipality.
The Kperisi M/A Primary School has a total population 422 with an average class size of 38 pupils.
According to school authorities, the school had to run two streams because of over population in classrooms.
The school only had a few dual desks, broken doors and windows coupled with leaking roofs.
Classes were therefore interrupted anytime it rained. The only toilet facility for the school was also located in the bush with its roof ripped off.
The school can now boast of a well-furnished 6 classroom block fitted with electric fans, an 8 seater KVIP toilet facility, a computer library, offices for teachers and head of the school.
The Deputy CEO, Alex Kyaakpier Mohl disclosed that Kperisi was chosen on the request of the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
It would be recalled that during the 2016 campaign, the then running mate of the NPP went to the aid of the Kperisi M/A Primary School with dual desks when it was brought to his attention that the pupils had to sit on the floor to study.
The Government of Ghana (GOG) in line with its poverty reduction strategy, collaborated with the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Program to establish the Social Investment Fund in 1998 as a rapid, reliable and flexible mechanism for channeling resources to deliver targeted assistance to both rural and urban poor communities in Ghana.
The SIF has since completed it fifth project dubbed Integrated Rural Development Project (IRDP) with funding support from the Arab Bank for International Development in Africa (BADEA) and the OPEC Fund for International Development at a total cost of 22.92 million dollars.
The Deputy CEO Alex Kyaakpier Mohl said the fund implements a counterpart funding program to finish its projects across the country.
SIF pays 80 percent while the host Assembly pays the remaining 20 percent of the total cost of the project to ensure that what Mr Mohl termed as “community ownership and maintenance”.
He was however, quick to explain that in the case of the Kperisi project, the 20 percent was funded through a legacy debt owed the SIF by government.
Mr. Mohl expressed hope that the facility would help teachers “engage students in a conducive academic environment”.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Chief of Kperisi, Naa Kunlugu Seidu expressed excitement about the new school project. He however used the opportunity to ask the SIF and the Wa Municipal Assembly to among other things provide a dam for the community to boost agricultural production. He also requested the extension of electricity to satellite settlements in the community.
The MCE for Wa, Alhaji Issahaku Tahiru Moomen stressed the importance of good maintenance culture to ensure that the facility lasts long.
He also mentioned that a site for a dam under the One-Village-One-Dam, (1V1D), policy has already been handed over to a contractor.
Alhaji Tahiru Moomen explained that the contractor would report to the site soon to begin work.
The MCE was also quick to add that plans are far advanced to extend electricity to all parts of the community.
The Deputy Municipal Director of Education, Adams Mahama Issahaku expressed gratitude to the SIF for the gesture.
He appealed for more of such infrastructure to boost education in the municipality.
Story by Mark Smith
