An educationist and philanthropist, Mrs Enyonam A. Apetorgbor, has donated 630 mono-desks worth GHS201,000 to selected schools in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region.

The donation made under the banner of Keta Education Fund (KEF), forms part of efforts to support underprivileged schools within the area to aid teaching and learning.  

Speaking at the ceremony at Abor in the Volta Region to present the desks and officially launch KEF, Mrs Enyonam Apetorgbor who is a native of Dzelukope said KEF is a private initiative with a specific objective of addressing critical infrastructural needs and school supplies in the municipality.

She said the falling standard of education due to poor school infrastructure in the affected schools where school children sat on bare floors to receive lessons informed her decision to donate the mono desks to the underprivileged schools.

Mrs Apetorgbor touched on the unavailability of electricity in some communities such as Lawoshime, Agorvinu, Hagodzi and Mamime, which discourages teachers to accept postings to these areas because they find the communities unattractive to work.

She reiterated that KEF is committed to ensuring that school children are comfortable in their classrooms in order to make the task of teaching easier for teachers.

Mrs Apetorgbor lamented the poor state of learning facilities in the schools and pledged to intervene in due course through close collaboration with her partners: Guandong Hongkong Macao Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the One Heart Fund of China, Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited, Santa Shipping, Visal Reinsurance, Hu Bei Geology & Engineering Company Ltd of China and HRH Togbe Afede XIV.

She also called on the government to facilitate the construction of a feeder road linking Hatorgodo, Lawoshime, Mamime, Hagodzi and Agorvinu.

“The Government should as a matter of urgency facilitate the extension of electricity to the communities beyond the river.

I would like to appeal to our Regional Director of Health, Dr Senanu Dzokoto to deploy nurses to Lawoshime to man the CHIP Compound that has been idle since its commissioning,” she stated.

Mrs Apetorgbor appealed to corporate organisations to support her to fix the footbridges in these deprived communities to enable the children to walk safely to school instead of crossing the river every morning and evening.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Keta, Mr Emmanuel Gemegah, on whose behalf the desks were received, thanked the philanthropist for the kind gesture.

He said the desks, which will reduce the existing deficit, would go a long way to improving enrollment at the schools in the municipality.

He bemoaned the decline of education in the municipality and urged pupils of the beneficiary schools to study hard in order to uplift the future development of Keta.

Mr Gemegah called on teachers and students to take proper care of the desks to achieve their full lifespan.

Other dignitaries that graced the occasion included the Municipal Director of Education, Mr Gerhard Avudzivi; Volta Regional Director of Health, Dr Senanu Dzokoto; National Democratic Congress Chairman for Keta Constituency, Mr Wisdom Seade and Assembly members in the Keta Municipality.