Aggrey Memorial pay attention!

I write as a deeply concerned parent to draw attention to the deplorable and unhygienic conditions prevailing in the girls’ dormitories—particularly the Katherine Aikens Dormitory—at Aggrey Memorial School in Cape Coast.

The state of sanitation in the dormitory is alarming.

The main toilet facility is often locked, and when occasionally opened, it is appalling—infested with maggots, littered with used sanitary pads and toilet rolls, and stained with urine and human waste. 

There is an alternative toilet facility located behind the dormitory, but this has been abandoned and left in an even worse state. It has become a breeding ground for pests, especially rodents, and is filthy, with faeces in plastic bags, used sanitary materials and stagnant urine.

These unhygienic conditions pose health risks to students, including infections such as typhoid fever, urinary tract infections and various skin and bacterial diseases.

Many of the girls are frequently unwell, which is deeply concerning.

Due to the inaccessibility and poor state of toilets, students are often compelled to defecate in buckets within their dormitories, which are overcrowded, with students packed tightly together, further exacerbating the spread of infections.

The situation in the classrooms is equally troubling. Students are forced to share inadequate furniture, with as many as five students using two desks and three chairs, while some are left with no option but to sit on the floor during lessons.

Access to water is another major challenge.

The water tanks are frequently locked, leaving students with no choice but to fetch water from a distant well via a hazardous route through a forest.

This has reportedly led to incidents of falls and injuries, including bruises resulting from stampedes.

One cannot help but ask: Is this the standard of care and education we expect for our children?

The current conditions are unacceptable and demand immediate intervention.

I respectfully call on the school authorities—particularly the headmistress and housemistresses—as well as the relevant educational and health authorities, to take swift and decisive action to address these issues before they lead to irreversible consequences.

The welfare, dignity and safety of these young girls must be treated as a priority.

Concerned parent.
Mob. 050-2538479