BY: Lambert Atsivor | Voltaonlinegh.com |

With schools still remain closed as a result of the Corona virus pandemic, education focused non-governmental organization, Pencils of Promise (PoP), is rolling out a Mobile Application to aid school children access free online reading materials at home.

The app, powered by World Reader, would make available about 100 free digital books via mobile devices for the beneficiary children to read under the guidance of their parents/guardians during these unusual times.

This was announced by Mr. Freeman Gobah, Country Director of PoP during a presentation of 20 hand washing stations to the Volta Regional Directorate of Education in Ho last Thursday.

According to him, the App would run free of charge on two of Ghana’s major mobile networks, MTN and Vodafone and as such encouraged teachers and parents to get it for their wards when it is finally outdoored.

About Pencils of Promise

- Pencils of Promise, is a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases educational opportunities in the developing world, including in Laos, Guatemala and Ghana.

- PoP formally began operation in Ghana in 2012, providing basic schools infrastructure, Teaching and Learning Materials, including e-readers to deprived schools in the Volta, Oti and Eastern regions. It also undertakes Teacher Support programmes and provides WASH facilities in partner schools.

Mr. Gobah also indicated that, his outfit was partnering with the Keta District Education Directorate to run a radio literacy programme on Radio Jubilee for students within the municipality.

All these interventions, he was hopeful would help improve literacy among the children as they while away time at home as a result of the pandemic, which has caused a ban on all public gatherings,  including closure of  schools in past seven weeks and counting.

On her part, the Regional Director of Education, Madam Enyonam Amafugah described Pencils of Promise was a dependable partner and commended them for complementing government’s efforts in the delivery of quality education in the region and the country as a whole.

She said in the wake of the restrictions, the Education Service has rolled out a television learning platform, Ghana Learning TV to provide daily lessons to students across all levels of pre-tertiary education.

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She thus encouraged parents to help their wards access the virtual lessons, while advising those without television sets to engage teachers in the communities to provide lessons to the children but in strict adherence to the safety protocols against the spread of the corona virus pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Programmes Manager of PoP, Mr. Raphael Bandim said the organization was engaging teachers in its partner schools through weekly messages on safety measures and tips on how to deal with stress and anxiety during this period, in addition to reinforcing its interventions in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com