Employees of GCB Bank PLC from the People and Culture Department have refurbished the nursery block at Oblogo M/A Basic School in the Weija Municipality, creating safer, brighter and better-equipped classrooms for young pupils and their teachers.
The intervention forms part of 95 community projects being undertaken nationwide through GCB's 2026 Staff Community Impact Programme, which is aimed at impacting one million Ghanaians.
The project followed a site assessment and discussions with the school's Headteacher, which identified several challenges affecting the nursery block. These included damaged classroom floors, faded walls, broken louvre blades, inadequate window protection and limited storage.
The GCB team subsequently repaired the classroom floors, repainted the walls and replaced damaged louvre blades. Window nets, lighting fixtures and ceiling fans were installed, while classroom cupboards and desks were provided to improve the functionality and comfort of the learning spaces.
The improvements are expected to provide pupils and teachers with a safer and more conducive environment for teaching and learning. The refurbished facilities will also serve successive groups of pupils, with the school management responsible for routine maintenance.
Speaking about the initiative, the Chief Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience Officer of GCB Bank, Mrs Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo, said the project reflects the bank's approach to corporate social responsibility, where social impact is linked to practical needs within communities. She said the bank's approach to CSR is about creating social impact that responds to real needs, and education is an important part of that. She noted that a well-equipped classroom can influence a child's comfort, confidence and ability to learn, adding that the bank values the fact that its employees are able to see these needs, contribute their skills and resources, and play a direct role in improving the communities around them.
For the People and Culture team, the assessment of the school made the need for a more comprehensive intervention clear. The Head of People and Culture at GCB Bank, Nana Kwabena Yeboah, who is also a member of the project team, said the team chose to focus on the nursery block because of the importance of providing young children with an appropriate environment at the beginning of their educational journey. He said that when they visited the school, they saw classrooms that needed attention in several areas, from the floors and windows to lighting, ventilation and storage. He explained that the team chose to focus on the nursery block because these are young children at the beginning of their educational journey, and they wanted to give them a space that is safe, comfortable and better suited to learning.
The school management, together with parents, commended GCB Bank for encouraging its employees to undertake projects that respond to practical community needs. They said the refurbished and beautified environment would create a more welcoming atmosphere for pupils and teachers and contribute positively to teaching and learning across the school.
The intervention is expected to provide lasting benefits by improving the condition and functionality of the classrooms while giving pupils a more comfortable setting in which to learn.
The Oblogo M/A Basic School intervention is the thirteenth of the 95 Staff Community Impact Programme projects being implemented by GCB Bank employees across Ghana.
The Staff Community Impact Programme is GCB Bank's nationwide employee-led community impact initiative, bringing together more than 4,500 employees across 95 groups to undertake 95 community projects across Ghana. The projects address needs across healthcare, education, water and sanitation, social protection, environmental sustainability, youth development, community safety and infrastructure, with the collective interventions aimed at positively impacting up to one million lives.
Through the programme, GCB employees contribute their time, skills, resources and collective effort to support communities and strengthen a culture of volunteerism across the bank.