Wa School for the Deaf cries for support
Authorities of the Wa School for the Deaf in the Upper West Region are finding it difficult to run the school as a result of a delay in the release of feeding grant and other state interventions to support the operations of the institution.
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The Headmaster of the school, Mr Babina Samuel Babinuoh, said unless a ‘miracle’ happened, the school would not be able to feed the 264-student population in the coming weeks and might be forced to close down.
“We have run out of everything,” he said when he addressed the country’s regional ministers who had come to donate bags of rice, cooking oil, foodstuff and a cow worth GH¢3,000 to the school.
He said but for the intervention by the Conference of Regional Ministers, a closure of the school looked unavoidable in view of the acute needs of the school.
Problems with feeding
“We have problems with feeding,” he stressed further. “There was a conference in Kumasi months ago where it was agreed that if by August 31 the feeding grant had not been released, we could close the school.”
He said the school was prevailed upon to hold on for a while, but with every avenue for survival now exhausted, it had become very difficult to keep the school running.
The school, which reopened nearly a month ago, is currently being run on soft term credit facilities through which the students, are fed as authorities await funds for feeding and other administrative expenses.
But Rev. Charles Gbekle, President of the Conference of Heads of Special Schools, said he was hopeful that grants due the school and other special schools would be released in time.
Special challenges
He said much as special schools had special challenges, they required special management to contain the special needs that confronted them in terms of administration and financing.
The Conference of Regional Ministers – which held its third meeting in Wa, the Upper West Regional capital – said members chose to visit and donate to the school for the deaf instead of visiting a historical site in the region.
Alhaji Amin Amidu Sulemani, the Upper West Regional Minister and Chairman for the Third Conference, said the visit was to show their commitment to the welfare of the students.