A retired Peace Corps Volunteer, Ms Linda Atwater and Peal Deng, a Community Based Organization (CBO) has sponsored 22 deprived students in the Talensi –Nabdam District, Upper East Region.

In addition, Ms Atwater and the CBO have also built an Information Communication Centre (ICT) with the needed logistics, where students from schools in the Talensi- Nabdam catchment areas currently learn.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, the retired Peace Corp Volunteer said she was touched by the plight of the deprived students, most of whom had lost their parents and could not continue with their education.

She explained that based on this, she launched fund raising activities in Saint Diego in the United States and that from 2005 to 2011, she was able to raise 3,868 dollars for the sponsorship package of the 22 students.

She said 13,000 dollars more was raised to complete the ICT Centre and the provision of computers and other logistics to the Centre. Also sport kits and bicycles were given to the School for the Deaf in the District.

Ms Atwater said some of the donors included, Amnesty International, Optimist Club, Coronado High School, Democratic Club, Ishmeal Tetteh, Prentice Family and the Morris family. She added that there were still a lot of deprived students in the District who needed support to continue their education.

“Based on this, I together with Peal Deng have compiled a list of deprived students and I will go back to look for more funding to support them. The students in the area have the greatest potentials and should be supported to continue their Education”.

The Chairman of Peal Deng, Mr Alphones Denial Kennedy Bangrey was grateful to the Peace Corp Volunteer and donors. He said most of the students who were supported with their school fees, provision of School Uniforms and Books and the payment of their National Health Insurance Scheme were in Tertiary institutions whilst some were also in Senior and Junior High Schools.

He said the aim of CBO was to support government in the area of education and other social interventions and stated that currently Peal Deng had planted a number of trees around a dam it had de-silted . **