Ridge Church School gives to three organisations

Pupils of the Ridge Church School in Accra on Friday donated assorted items worth several thousands of Ghana Cedis to three organisations as part of the school’s annual Harvest and Outreach programme.

The beneficiary organisations are the Children’s Department of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge); the Senior Correctional Institute, and the Accra Rehabilitation Centre.

The items, donated by the pupils with the support of their parents, included groceries, toiletries, beverages, mineral water, fruits, bread, foodstuff, canned foods, bottles of cooking oil, and a refrigerator.

The Harvest and Outreach programme of the Ridge Church School is an annual event instituted right from the school’s onset to inculcate in its learners, the act of giving to the needy and the vulnerable. 

The harvest traditionally begins a few weeks earlier with offerings of money, which every learner brings to the school, with the climax being the gathering of gifts donated towards the event on the altar of the Ridge Church, where the event is hosted.

This year’s event, which was on the theme: “Generosity reaps blessings,” inspired by Proverbs 22:9, brought together learners, teachers, parents and the beneficiary organisations as they danced to gospel music from the school’s choir and brass band.

Children too can give

In a brief sermon, prior to the distribution of the items to the beneficiary institutions, the school’s Chaplain, Reverend Laud Gyampoh, cited an instance in the Bible where a little boy offered his bread and fish to Jesus Christ to share to a multitude of people who had come to listen to His teachings.

His sermon was based on John 6:1-14.

He preached that the little boy in the story was not selfish with his food but he generously offered his food to Jesus to share with all the people who had come to listen to Him.

For him, the act of kindness that the little boy showed led to the feeding of several thousands of people, including himself.

Rev. Gyampoh explained that showing generosity to others was in line with God’s very nature and that what the learners at the Ridge Church School had done would attract blessings from the Lord.

He said the act of kindness the little boy showed will continue to be mentioned anytime the Gospel of Jesus is preached. 

He said the little boy became a partner in feeding the hungry, urging the beneficiary institutions to distribute the items as expected.

Rev. Gyampoh further charged the learners not to grow weary in doing good, particularly to the needy, praying for them that “May you always have surplus in the house.”

Good Morals 

The headmistress of the school, Mrs Nana Ama Acheampomaa Badasu, said the annual Harvest and Outreach Programme allows learners of the school to give to the needy and vulnerable in society.

She explained that inculcating in learners the act of giving, which is one of the basic precepts of Christianity, give the learners a very special opportunity to express their gratitude to God, in a more practical way.

The school’s Board Chair, Mrs. Vivian Campbell, commended the learners for their act of kindness towards the needy, saying that God will reward them abundantly. 

For her, anyone who receives part of the gifts the learners have donated will bless God on their behalf.

She prayed for God’s blessings upon the lives of the learners and their parents to continue to have so that they will be able to give to the needy.