Chereponi (N/R), Sept. 25, GNA - The Campaign for Female Education (Camfed), an NGO, has built a three-unit classroom block worth GH¢60,000 with a science and computer laboratory for the Chereponi Junior High School. The facility, which Camfed furnished with funding from Credit Suisse, was inaugurated on Thursday. The Executive Director of Camfed, Mrs. Dolores Dickson, said in a speech read for her that the NGO was sponsoring 4,000 needy girls to enrol in junior and senior high schools under its bursary programme. She said 102 female pupil teachers with 84 of them on Camfed's payroll had been supported to upgrade themselves to professional teachers to augment poor staffing in schools. Mrs. Dickson said the provision of these resources would increase enrolment and retention rates in schools especially the girls and vulnerable children.

The Deputy Northern Regional Minister Mr. Moses Mabengba, reiterated government's commitment to provide quality and affordable education as an indispensable tool for nation building. He expressed his gratitude to Camfed for its contributions to education in the region and called on other NGOs to emulate such examples. Alhaji Mohammed Issah Seidu, the District Chief Executive for Chereponi, said the district had been selected on a pilot basis to benefit from Information Communication and Technology Centre and construction would start soon. He appealed to politicians in the area to be circumspect in their utterances to ensure peace before, during after the impending bye-elections so as to deepen the country's democracy. Mr Seidu urged political parties to focus their campaign messages on issues that would be in the prime interest of the people.