Danyame-Kwaem schoolchildren move from poultry farm to classroom block
The Jackson College of Education has inaugurated a seven-unit classroom block at Danyame-Kwaem, a settler community near Obenimase in the Asante-Akim Central Municipality, bringing renewed hope for hundreds of children who were studying in an abandoned poultry farm.
The abandoned poultry farm served as a makeshift classroom for the over 200 children who could not trek about 14 kilometres on a daily basis to the closest school at Obenimase.
Advertisement
The new classroom block was built by the Principal of Jackson College of Education, Mrs Theodosia Jackson, with the support of the DEEN Foundation.
Already, Mrs Jackson has offered scholarships to some of the students to pursue further studies, after she adopted the school in 2018 when the plight of the school came to her attention.
Since adopting the school, she has provided the children with uniforms, footwear, food as well as teaching and learning materials.
It was a sight to behold when the new classroom block was inaugurated last Thursday as parents and stakeholders heaped praises on Prof. and Mrs Jackson for bringing hope to the children.
The ceremony was attended by the Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Ossei Assibey-Antwi; Chairperson of the Asante Akyem Presbytery, Dr Anokye Nkansah; the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Kwame Animadu Antwi, and the Chief of Obenimase, Nana Ofosu Gyeabour II.
The speakers took turns to pay glowing tributes to the Jackson family for their immense contributions to education over the years.
Mr Assibey-Antwi said the Jackson family was an epitome of selflessness as their contribution to social development had impacted many in the area.
That, he said, was the way to build societies, and urged other privileged families and individuals to complement the efforts of the government to help people out of poverty.
“This family has been transforming lives by embarking on one project or the other since I got to know them,” he said.
Nana Fosu Gyeabour said the gesture was a mark of pure compassion, considering the fact that they were not indigenes of the area, and called on natives to emulate their example.
Mrs Jackson said every child, irrespective of where they came from deserved better education, and must not be left behind.
“Let us support the underprivileged in society as a people in order not to breed criminals who may hunt us in the future,” she added.