Hohoe, July 17, GNA - Management of Barclays Bank Ghana is to finance the expansion of facilities at Sokode Senior High Technical School and Ho-Bankoe Roman Catholic Girls' Primary School at a cost of 10,000 Ghana cedis.

Mr Gayheart E. Mensah, Communication Manager of the Bank announced this at the presentation of educational materials to authorities of Gbi Central Roman Catholic Boys and Gbi-Atabu Primary Schools in Hohoe Municipality on Wednesday. Authorities of Ho-Bankoe Roman Catholic Primary School would also benefit from the package.

Mr Mensah explained that the presentation made in collaboration with Operation Happy Child (OHC), an Accra-based NGO and under the auspices of Samaritan's Purse an American NGO, was part of the bank's social responsibility programme to facilitate teaching and learning in beneficiary schools.

He said about 1,100 pupils would receive four Barclays branded exercise books each under the package. Mr Isaac Appenteng, International Field Representative of Samaritan's Purse in-charge of West Africa said over 3,200 pupils in public schools in the Northern, Upper East and Brong Ahafo Regions had already benefited from the package that cost 45 dollars per box on the average.

He said the items, which included educational materials, clothing, toffees, toys, monies, phones and tools were funded from the daily stipends of school children in United States of America. Mr Appenteng said the gesture was to encourage the children to develop the habit of giving and sharing with each another. Mrs Faustina Blankson, Country Coordinator of Operation Christmas Child, the parent organization of OHC said it cost 45,000 dollars to clear the 20 containers of boxes of assorted gifts for distribution to school children throughout the country.

She called for collaboration from other NGOs and corporate bodies in the country to expand the package to pupils in deprived areas. Mrs Blankson said free Holy Bibles and Discipleship materials would be distributed before the end of the year. Ms Juliet Beauty Kumah, Hohoe Municipal Director of Education commended management of Barclays Bank and Samaritan's Purse through OHC for their gesture that would encourage the pupils to learn hard. She said such assistance improved teaching and learning and urged other organizations to emulate them.

Master Wisdom Adjei, a primary-six pupil said the gift would inculcate in him the habit of sharing and learning hard.