By Antoinette Abbah
Education is a fundamental right for every child of school going age, yet for those living in island communities like Pediatorkope and Tuanikope in the Ada East District, this right is fraught with challenges. They face daunting obstacles that significantly hinder their educational pursuits.
To attend school, these children must walk for four hours daily, navigating difficult terrain. In some cases, the journey requires crossing the Volta river by boat, which poses additional risks and complications, especially during bad weather. Beyond the physical barriers, the lack of essential resources such as textbooks and electricity further compounds the struggles they face, leaving them at a significant disadvantage compared to their peers in urban and more accessible rural areas.
Recognising these challenges, the Gaming Commission of Ghana has presented learning materials to pupils of Island school, Pediatorkorpe and Tuanikope D/A Basic Schools as part of activities to mark Gaming Awareness Month. The items which were given to 500 pupils included books, pens, pencils, and erasers.
Speaking at the presentation, Head of Corporate Affairs at the Commission, Beatrice Baiden, said the contribution, though just a step, represents hope for the children of Pediatorkope and neighbouring islands. She appealed to other institutions to support the students. “Despite this support, there is still a need for more intervention. Addressing the lack of infrastructure, such as reliable transportation, textbooks, and electricity, remains a pressing issue. The collective effort of the government, private sector, and other stakeholders will be essential in ensuring that every child in these communities receives the quality education they deserve,” she said.
The Circuit Supervisor of the area, Frank Torgbenu, thanked the Gaming Commission for the donation. He said aside from the Gaming Commission providing funds to build a boat for the school, the teachers have also contributed to buying another boat.
“The teachers in the school have contributed money to buy a boat. what they need now is the outboard motor to power the boat and accommodation for teachers. We are therefore appealing to other benevolent organisations to come to their aid,” he added.
School prefect of the Pediatorkope D/A Basic School, Ebenezer Tswasam, said a major challenge is electricity and the unavailability of textbooks. He thanked the Gaming Commission for the donation but, like Oliver Twist, asked for more to enable them to compete with their colleagues in the cities.
The team also inspected the progress of work on a boat they are constructing for the school.