Institutions in the cocoa value chain have stepped in to improve quality education in four cocoa-growing communities in the Ashanti Region with the provision of school infrastructure to aid effective teaching and learning.
The beneficiary communities include Ntinanko in the Bekwai Municipality, Pewodie and Agogooso in the Adansi North District, and Agyeikrom in the Akrofuom District.
The provision of these facilities was spearheaded by Nestlé in partnership with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) and ETG/Beyond Beans.
The intervention was funded by Nestlé through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan and implemented by the ICI to enhance students’ access to quality school infrastructure and also provide water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities.
Schools in the beneficiary communities lack sufficient infrastructure, as overcrowding and dilapidated buildings continue to pose a challenge to teaching and learning, with students exposed to the vagaries of the weather.
In the Ntinanko community, a three (3)-unit classroom block has been built from scratch for students of the Ntinanko R/C ‘A’ Basic School.
The facility has also been furnished with 120 mono desks, four offices for teachers, a storeroom, a staff common room, a WC toilet facility, and a mechanized borehole with an overhead tank.
The Pewodie D/A Basic School in the Adansi North District has also benefited from the refurbishment of a three (3)-unit KG/Nursery Classroom Block.
The school has also been provided with an office, 100 tables and chairs each for KG, three cupboards, four tables and eight chairs for teachers, a four-seater WC toilet, and a mechanized borehole with an overhead tank.
The Agogooso D/A Basic School had its two-unit classroom block refurbished with the provision of a total of four offices to be used as changing rooms, a five-seater WC toilet, and a mechanized borehole with an overhead tank.
Fifty (50) tables and chairs, each with two cupboards, three tables, and six chairs, have also been handed over to the Agyeikrom D/A Basic School, after the three (3)-unit classroom block was refurbished and furnished with 80 mono desks and three sets of teachers’ tables and chairs.
Speaking during a short ceremony to commission the new block at Ntinanko R/C Basic School, Business Executive Officer for Dairy, Beverages, and Confectionery at Nestlé Central and West Africa, Salome Azevedo, pledged unflinching support for communities directly linked to the company’s operations.
She said, “We are committed to enhancing the well-being of communities directly linked to our operations. We deeply appreciate the tireless efforts of the farmers who supply us with the finest cocoa for our production. With this in mind, we urge the pupils to make the most of the upgraded school environment, complete with improved water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, and fully dedicate themselves to their studies. This investment is specifically for your benefit, empowering you to realize your dreams and embrace a promising future.”
Country Director for ICI in Ghana, Mike Arthur, indicated that the intervention is part of a long-term goal in addressing child labour issues in cocoa-growing communities.
He said, “This initiative is a great example of how we can reduce child labour and poverty in cocoa-growing communities. Research shows that communities with good-quality education have a lower prevalence of child labour.”
He added that, “Children are more likely to be attracted to school to learn rather than staying at home. Providing WASH facilities is also incredibly important and can help ensure children, especially girls, stay in school.”
Headmaster of Ntinanko R/C “A” Basic School, Stephen Kofi Akomaning, expressed appreciation to ICI, Nestlé, ETG/Beyond Beans, and Cocoa Merchants Ltd for their numerous development projects in the community and promised to oversee the maintenance and upkeep of the facilities.
Research has emphasised the critical role of quality education in promoting child protection. In particular, the presence of primary schools in cocoa-growing communities has been shown to significantly increase school enrolment while decreasing child labour rates.
Stakeholders also emphasised that proximity to schools and the availability of basic facilities such as toilets are key factors in improving school enrolment.
The intervention, according to stakeholders, underlines the importance of investing in educational infrastructure and access to improve the learning environment for quality schooling as a remediation strategy for combating child labour in cocoa-growing communities.
