Mr Cletus Anaaya, the Bolgatanga Area Programme Manager of Afrikids Ghana, presenting educational materials to a cbe beneficiary during the graduation ceremony at Sombolrego.

2,174 Out-of-school children complete education programme

Vincent Amenuveve Jul - 18 - 2015 , 06:12 2 minutes read

Two thousand, one hundred and seventy four out-of-school children from the Bongo,Talensi and Nabdam districts in the Upper East Region have completed a nine-month Complementary Basic Education (CBE) Programme.

Each beneficiary received a certificate of completion, eight exercise books, pencils and other materials to support them to enrol in formal schools in September this year.
The programme was facilitated by Afrikids Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, with support from the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the three beneficiary district assemblies.

Graduation ceremony

At a graduation ceremony at Sambolrego in the Bongo District, the Country Director of Afrikids Ghana, Mr Nicholas Kumah, in a speech read on his behalf, announced that his outfit had been given the green light to expand the programme to include three more districts. They are Karaga in the Northern Region and Pusiga and Bawku in the Upper East Region.

“Through the hard work and cooperation of all stakeholders of the programme, the three districts and Afrikids Ghana have been selected to continue the programme," he stated.

He equally entreated parents to continue to support the children as they are enrolled in schools, saying, "It will be disappointing if we neglect our responsibilities and make them drop out of school again."

Impact

Mr Kumah further explained that most of the learners who benefitted from the programme under the first-year cycle were progressing well in their respective schools, having been supported with uniforms from the Ghana Education Service.

He expressed optimism that beneficiaries of the second-year cycle of the CBE would be able to climb the educational ladder.

The Bongo District Director of Education, Mr Duncan Nsoh, expressed gratitude to Afrikids for the intervention and reminded parents and guardians to ensure that they took the education of their children and wards seriously.

Two beneficiaries of the CBE, both from the Bongo District, noted that the intervention had encouraged them to embrace education.