A school that offers free education to the under privileged and socially disadvantaged, AWOPEDEC Social School, has launched its programme of activities to mark the school’s 10th year of existence.
Located at Teshie, a suburb of Accra, the African Women for Peace and Development Centre (AWOPEDEC) was established on 28th July 2001 by Mrs. Edwina Okuadjo-Okai with a vision to mobilize women to understand self-help activities, promote girl child education and the welfare of children, empowerment of women and the promotion of their rights, mass education and participation in gender issues.
It was later transformed in the year 2002 into a fee-free school to cater for the educational needs of children from poor homes, orphans and the homeless living in the township and beyond. They only pay subsidized fees for their feeding while others do not pay any fees at all. The school provides free text books provided by the Ghana Education Service (GES).
Cutting the sod to mark the beginning of series of activities, in the company of Kwesi Pratt, Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, the proprietress of the School, Mrs Edwina Okuadjo-Okai, expressed joy at the successes the school has chalked so far.
She said, some of the children were picked from funeral grounds, in vehicles working as drivers’ mates, in the streets and other orphanages and given education to become responsible adults in future.
She disclosed that many of the past pupils of the school are currently in various secondary schools in the country, blazing the trail in their various courses. She indicated the school has also made significant impact in the lives of the community, something the parents testify to.
She appealed to philanthropic organizations and individuals to come to the aid of the managers to keep on catering for the educational needs of the underprivileged, especially in the area of teacher remuneration.
Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr. Managing Editor of the Insight, who was the guest of honour, expressed delight at the efforts the school is making to give education to persons that would have become a burden on society.
He added his voice to the call on government, organizations and individuals to support this laudable cause.
Mr Pratt Jnr. supported Mrs Okuadjo-Okai to cut the sod to mark the beginning of activities to celebrate the school’s 10th year anniversary.