Regional News of Tuesday, 17 July 2007

Source: GNA

NGO to build Girls' University at Nkwanta

Nkwanta, July 17, GNA- The Ghana Education Project (GEP), an Nkwanta-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is to build an exclusive state-of-the-art girls' school from the basic to the university level at Nkwanta in the Volta region. Ms Gill Norris, Chief Executive of GEP who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview said the project would be executed in phases with funding from donor agencies, NGOs and individual contributions.

The Chief Executive said the project the first of its kind in the country, was aimed at bridging the disparity between girl-boy enrolments.

She said GEP was currently undertaking the construction of a multi-purpose sports, art and cultural training centre worth over GH(120,000 in the Nkwanta district.

Ms Norris, a Briton, said the centre would include two football playing fields, basketball, volleyball and netball courts, weaving centre, tie-dye, pottery, sewing, and carpentry departments. She said the project, which was about 75 percent complete would admit school children free of charge but the community members would pay tokens to use the facilities.

The Briton commended the Nkwanta District Assembly for the role it played in the acquisition of the land and appealed that the demarcated project area should be fenced.

Ms Norris said between 1997 to date GEP had constructed a wildlife conservation centre, school library, hospital reception and a teachers' resource centre at Nkwanta.

She said GEP had donated several computers for the training of students, as well as 2000 calculators and chemicals to schools in the area.

It has also held science competitions among students and capacity building workshops for teachers, school refurbishment and the inculcation of communal spirit among students.

Mr Joseph Booker Denteh, Nkwanta District Chief Executive pledged the Assembly's support and commended GEP for their fruitful collaboration, which he described as a public-private partnership in development. 17 July 07