Regional News of Thursday, 30 October 2003

Source: GNA

Church presents furniture to schools in East Gonja

Sakpalua (N/R), October 29, GNA- The Presbyterian Farmers' Training and Child Development Programme has presented furniture, textbooks, exercise books and food valued at 34.9 million cedis to primary schools at Sakpalua in East Gonja District.

The furniture is made up of 75 dual desks, four teachers' tables and chairs and four cupboards.

The Christian Children's Fund of Canada, an international NGO, funds the Programme that is a charitable NGO.

Mr Eric Chimsi, Project coordinator of the Programme, said the organisation had been working in consultation with the communities in which they operate to design their projects to ensure their smooth implementation.

He said the organisation is operating four nursery schools in Sakpalua and Janton, two communities where feeding centre's are provided to give a decent meal to the children in the afternoon.

Mrs Sanatu Nantogmah, Country Director of CCFC, said the Fund is working in the Tamale Metropolis, Savelugu/Nanton, East Gonja and Nanumba Districts.

She said when the Fund opened the primary schools at Sakpalua and Janton five years ago, there were 200 pupils but the figure had now increased to 1,000 pupils.

Mrs Nantogmah said CCFC had since then been providing furniture for the schools and organising in-service training for the teachers. She appealed to the government and other development partners to assist the people of the area with potable water, to address the perennial acute water problem in the two communities.

The Chief of Sakpalua, Kanbon-Naa Bangahim Atta complained that although his area is in the East Gonja District, the District Assembly has neglected it.