Akropong (E/R), Feb. 14, GNA- An appeal has been made to the government to increase the feeding grant for the students of Akropong School for the Blind which currently stood at GP 80 per student daily. The government was also asked to release the feeding grant on time to avoid the pressure on the school authorities who were forced to provide food for students when the grant was not available. Mr John Stanley Annor, Headmaster of the school made the appeal at a 'Day of Caring' ceremony organized by United Way Ghana, a philanthropic organization and sponsored by Newmont Ghana Limited at Akropong in the Eastern Region.

Mr Annor said the meagre amount and the delay in releasing the grant did not make for nutritious meals for the students to improve the development of their mental capabilities.

The problem of the Akropong School for the Blind is not only about feeding and grant; textbooks are not written in brail, making learning very difficult for the students, he said.

In addition, there is lack of accommodation for the staff, inadequate classrooms and dormitories for the increasing number of students.

The Headmaster said facilities such as water and other recreational centres were not available to make students engage in social events for their physical upkeep.

He said however that, the school was making strides in academic performance and expressed the hope to showcase some handicrafts by the students to solicit public support for their activities.

Newmont Ghana Limited mobilised a large team of its employees, including top management personnel to the school's campus to show love and affection to the students, painted the entire school building and dormitories, built summer huts for the students' recreational activities, cleared weeds and presented food items to them. Mr Yaw Antwi-Dadzie, External Affairs Manager of the company said the programme was a way of demonstrating leadership in corporate social responsibility.

Mr Antwi-Dadzie said, apart from honouring its responsibility for communities impacted by its activities, Newmont also made it part of its responsibility each year to show love to the deprived in society by donating items and engaging in environmental cleanliness activities. The Akropong School for the Blind, started in 1936 currently has a student population of 350.