Location of Impact
GHANA
Ghana was, until very recently, one of the poorest countries in the world. Over the past few years, the nation has experienced unprecedented growth and development (IFAD report; African Development Bank). Although the lives of Ghanaians have improved greatly, the country still faces many challenges, especially in the education sector.
In Ghana, 18% of primary school age children are not enrolled in school and of those who are in school, 28% will drop out before completing primary school (UNESCO, 2012). Additionally, over 28% of the Ghanaian population is illiterate and out of all the current primary school classrooms, the government estimates that almost a quarter need repairs (World Bank, 2014; USAID, 2009).
PoP works with 106 communities in Ghana to ensure that students overcome these and other barriers to accessing a quality education. To date, PoP has impacted over 177,950 lives in Ghana.
EASTERN REGION
The Eastern region is located in southeastern Ghana, to the west of the Republic of Togo and just west of Lake Volta. In many of our partner communities in the region, PoP couples school builds with literacy programming in order to create sustainable change.
To date, we’ve built 109 schools in the Eastern region and will continue to scale our teacher training and use of educational technologies across PoP schools in the region.
Before a PoP School Build
Previously, primary school students of Akuse Presby Primary School did not have access to formal classrooms. Instead, they were taught in a provisional structure made of mud blocks and a rusted, broken roof. This structure left students exposed to the elements; the roof needed to be taken down as it was too dangerous and too weak to be renovated, and the classrooms flooded when it rained. Additionally, the open-air layout exposed students to dust, dirt and other debris and distractions from the surrounding environment. This made concentrating difficult. Inside, the students were crowded together, creating an overly loud and congested space. With your support, PoP was able to partner with the community to build a new 3-classroom school.
Your Impact with a New PoP School
Today, the students of the new Akuse Presby Primary School have access to safe and permanent classrooms. Every primary grade now has a dedicated classroom, ensuring higher student engagement and development. These classrooms are all outfitted with desks, chairs and blackboards and offer proper windows and doors, preventing distractions from the outside environment. The entire Akuse community remained dedicated to the school build throughout the construction process and was there when the school was inaugurated in January.