By: Rita Nedjoh|Voltaonlinegh.com|
It was early Christmas for some 800 school children in the Afadzato South district as they were treated to a party by a non-governmental organization, NNEKA Youth Development Foundation.
The party was part of the charity’s festival of Nine Lessons and Carols service, which saw the participation of eleven public and two private basic schools in the Ve area.
The service held at the Nneka Development centre at Ve-Agbome on Wednesday had pupils and teachers from the participating schools reading the nine lessons amidst cultural performances and carols competition.
At the end of the performances, the Ve- Deme D/A Junior High School were crowned winners of the competition, with Ve-Golokuati D/A JHS and Golokuati E.P basic schools emerging first and second runner-ups respectively.
This was followed by feasting and merry making as the NGO provided food, drinks and clothes to all students present ahead of the Christmas festivity.
Founder of the foundation, Madam Cecilia Fiaka said the rationale for the programme was to give platform to the students to showcase their various talents and also give them the opportunity to experience extra-curricular activities.
She explained that, the children in the rural areas do not usually have the opportunity to participate in such of extra-curricular programmes which will help them to believe in themselves.
According to “The various things that happen in the cities that add-up to the curriculum of the education, these children do not have it, which is why we try to give a platform to these children to believe in themselves.”
She noted that the programme targeted at 400 school children, ended up with over 800 students in attendance which indicated that they were missing out a lot from the extra-curricular activities and they are happy to participate in the “NNEKA Christmas carols service”.
Madam Fiaka indicated that, through these activities, the foundation was fulfilling its objective of helping solve the challenges of school drop-outs, curb teenage pregnancy and drug abuse among the youth in the rural areas and to promote education.
NNEKA Youth Development Foundation was founded in 2012 with 500 children from 10 communities. The foundation is now operating in over 200 communities in 11 districts in the Volta and Greater Accra regions.
According to her, the foundation has opened an ICT library in the Ve-Agbome for the five Ve communities and also stocked eleven school libraries with books.
Also, the foundation which relies on the benevolence of donors and volunteers for its programmes and activities, madam Fiaka noted has trained over 51 teachers to run the after school reading programme for children in addition to a “vocational and entrepreneurial path way programme” being run for teenage mothers.
The Public Relation Officer of the Afadzato South directorate of Ghana Education Service, Mr. Raymond Kubuafor who was present at the program advised the students to be of good behavior as they proceed on vacation, Adding that, they should stay away from sexual activities and drug abuse as they celebrate the Christmas festivity.
Other officials at the programmes were Circuit Supervisor for Ve-South, Madam Patience Ahorgli, and Mr. Noah Adorbor, Coordinator of private schools, among others.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com
