Samara Group of Companies has presented a total of 20,000 branded exercise books to pupils in the Brong Ahafo and Central Regions to support their education.

The presentation was made by Miss Afia Asamoah, who was part of the recent Ghana’s Most Beautiful (GMB) contest organised by TV3, for the Central Region and Miss Sophia Bondzie (BB) from the Brong Ahafo, during a durbar of the chiefs and people.

In the Brong Ahafo Region, a number of pupils were selected from private and public schools in Sunyani and other towns.

The schools included Bechem School for the Deaf; Mmeredane Junior High School (JHS); Fiapre Methodist JHS and Goaso JHS, with each pupil receiving 10 branded exercise books.

In the Central Region, about 100 schools in nine districts also received a total of 10,000 books, including Assin South, Assin North, Twifo Hemang, Mfanstiman and Komenda, Edina, Eguafo, Abirem Municipality.

Ghana Education Service Director of the Assin North Municipal Education Directorate, Mr Phil Alex Amua Baidoo described the books as a “surprise” package for the pupils.

He said there are many pupils in the district whose parents could not afford “even one” exercise book, therefore the move by Samara Group was “highly appreciated”.

He however called on the group to make more of such donations to cater for a number of brilliant but needy students.

“We will always pray for you, so that you would get the strength to always come here and assist us,” Mr Amua said.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Eric Opoku, who was the Chairman of the regional event, lauded Samara Group for the support of education in the region and Ghana at large.

According to him, the gesture showed the patriotic nature of the company, and would go down in the records of the region.

“Presenting such a significant quantity of books to pupils for us in this region is a great idea and a shining example of patriotism...and it will go down in our records as one of the best initiatives to support education so far,” he said.

He said government would continue to support private entities, which carry out such projects, stressing that “those who extend a helping hand to others deserve acknowledgement and support”.

He urged the pupils to make good use of the book and study hard because one day, they would also be required to give back to the society.

Speaking at the events, the Marketing Manager of Samara Group, Mr Sedrick Nartey Ologo, said the presentation was part of the company’s social responsibilities to support and promote education in the regions.

“Samara Group of Companies upholds, as part of its corporate social responsibilities to initiate and support ideas, which are paramount to the development and promotion of education, culture, health, and human security, with great interest in the youth and the less privileged in the society,” he said.

He said the move would relieve parents of the burden of buying books and create a better learning opportunity for the pupils especially those who do not use exercise books in school because their parents could not afford.

Mr Ologo expressed optimism that the donation would a long way to meet its objective of enhancing education in Ghana.

He said the gesture would be extended to the remaining eight regions next year through their various representatives in the 2014 TV3 GMB.

Samara Group of Companies are the producers of Sasso Insecticide Spray and Coil.

Each of the 10 regions has the picture of its GMB representative embossed on the books.