SWESCO past students institute Founders’ Day
Past students of Swedru Senior High School (SWESCO) have instituted a day dubbed ‘Founder’s Day’ to bring together old students to deliberate how to support the development of their alma mater.
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The day, also intended to reflect on the contributions of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who established the school as the first Ghana Education Trust School in 1959, has the objective to provide a platform for the various year groups to visit the school.
This is to enable them to identify challenges confronting the school so as to devise strategies aimed at addressing some of the pressing needs of the school.
The maiden edition of the event, which was held last year, brought together the pioneer batch of 1962 to current old students who dialogued on how to make meaningful contributions to the growth of their former school, as well as to mentor current students.
During last year’s ceremony, the old students officially handed over a newly constructed GH¢70,000 13-seater water closet facility for the girls’ dormitory.
Projects inaugurated
This year, the 2016 edition was well attended by past students from 1974 to 2006 who used the occasion to inaugurate four projects funded by the year groups.
First to be inaugurated was a 20-seater squatting water closet facility for the boys’ dormitory which was solely funded by two sisters in the persons of Madam Esther Hanson who completed in 1975 and Madam Lovia Hanson, who also left the school in 1987 at a cost of GH¢100,000. The project is intended to help the boys who previously had to use an old and dilapidated facility to have a conducive place to attend to the call of nature.
Again, the 1990 Year Group, who were celebrating their 25th anniversary since leaving the school, also inaugurated coal burners for the school’s kitchen as part of their contribution to the growth of the school.
94 Year Group
The 94 Year Group also handed over a new automatic water project which comprised a 1.5hp water pump that pumps water from a borehole into a 10,000 litre water tank and another 2.5hp pump which pumps water from the reservoir to all the girls’ houses which was executed at a cost of GH¢18,000.
According to the year group, they embarked upon such projects to enable the students to have access to potable water in case of water shortage. Drying lines worth GH¢8,000 for the various houses, both boys and girls, were also inaugurated by the year group.
Two other year groups, 91 and 93, also handed over a rehabilitated geography laboratory to the school. It was equipped with a state-of-the-art computer, projector, screen, rock samples, 17 thematic maps, furniture and fittings at a cost of nearly GH¢20,000.
Two ongoing projects which are expected to be completed and handed over are a 26-seater squatting water closet for the girls’ dormitory being financed by the entire old students.
Also, work on a 20-seater squatting water closet for the House One boys’ dormitory, which is being funded by the 1977-82 year group, is currently ongoing.
Association’s president
The President of the Old Students Association, Mr Frank Danso Dankyi, said past students of the school had resolved to come together to identify the needs of their alma mater so as to help provide them.
According to him, the government alone could not address the problems in the school and it was, therefore, incumbent for the past students to give back to the school that played a pivotal role in their current development.
Mr Dankyi said the past students would in the coming years undertake yearly projects to augment the efforts of the government towards the forward march of the school and made a passionate appeal to all old students to come and join the association so that together, they would contribute their quota to position the school on a high pedestal.
He asked the current students to take proper care of the projects, study hard and emerge victorious in their examinations so as to become responsible citizens to support the growth of the school.
Board chairman
The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the school, Mr Bernard Joe Appeah, commended the past students for their timely interventions and called for more support from the old students, the PTA and the government towards improving standards in the school.
The Headmistress of the school, Mrs Alberta Obiriwa Rigg-Stewarts, thanked the past students for their resolve to support the forward march of the school, stressing that the interventions by the past students was in line with a five-year strategic development plan which is expected to be implemented from 2017 to 2021.
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