ALL IS ON COURSE TO IMPLEMENT THE YOUNG SCHOLARS’ TRIP THIS YEAR-FoRADev

some school pupils having fun on a trip

The Foundation for Rural and Agriculture Development (FoRADev), a local based non-governmental organisation, says several people have started buying into their Young Scholars’ Trip Project, giving them hope for a successful implementation of the project this year.

According to the project Director of FoRADev, Gideon Adolloh Arthur, people have begun contributing their quota towards the implementation of the project.

He said some ten (10) people have wired some amounts of various denominations into the organisation’s account, as their contribution, to help the NGO implement the project.

Mr. Gideon Arthur disclosed this in an interview with ahantanews360 when we visited the offices of the organisation to find out how people are approaching the project.

Briefing us on the project, Mr Arthur said the purpose of the project is to serve as a motivation for pupils in Ahanta West to improve their academic performance, adding that the motivation of the organisation for designing this project is to help change the worrying trend of large numbers of pupils, from the Ahanta West District, failing the BECE. 

Mr Arthur explained further that FoRADev feels sad about the current performance of BECE candidates who represent the Ahanta West District, and is determined to help change that, hence the project; ‘Young Scholars Trip (YST)’.

He said the organisation has been on the planning for this project since two-years ago, explaining that they wanted to make sure they will roll out the project in a form that will help them achieve its intended purposes.

He said the Board of Directors of the organisation have subjected the proposal they submitted to rigorous scrutiny and have come out with the final proposal they describe as ‘one of the best options of improving on the performance of pupils’. 

The Project

Explaining the details of the project to ahantanews360, Mr Samuel Kojo Brace, the Executive Director of FoRADev, said the Young Scholars Trip project is aimed at helping to improve academic performance of pupils in the Ahanta-West district by motivating them through the creation of an opportunity for them to travel out of the district and experience what lies outside their own district, and also to learn from some successful people in the country, including some Ahantas.

“It’s all about giving the children the exposure of what lies outside their own towns and villages. We believe if we make the pupils know what lies ahead for them if they take their studies seriously, it will boost their morale to study hard. When we are in our villages, we tend to perceive this world in the eye of our village, but if we travel out, we change and view the world in a wider perspective. Such is what we want the kids to experience; go to interesting educative places like the Parliament House of Ghana, Efua Sutherland Park; talk to successful people, and of course some Ahantas in Accra where we are going to be for the seven days,” he said.

According to him, the YST will be carried out through the camping of the pupils in a destination out of Ahanta West, preferably Accra, and embark on educational trips to selected places.

Mr Kojo Brace added that the qualification to be part of this project is purely academic, and as such any child who will wish to be on the trip will have to perform well academically. 

“You see what we want to do is to help pupils bring better results from the BECE, and so we have to let them start showing those traits, so to be part of this trip you need to top your class at the of the year under review. That’s the only way,” he said. 

According to him, they believe that this will result in a fair academic competition amongst the pupils, which will go a long way to enhance the passing rate (performance) of the pupils at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

“Well, you know kids take pride in topping their class, so this will only give them a reason to compete for the top of the class. And so I know this project will enhance academic competition,” said Mr Brace.

He added that the Ahanta West Directorate of the Ghana Education Service is a major partner for this project.

“The Ahanta West District Directorate of Education is one major institution we are partnering to roll out this project. Their role is to help FoRADev in choosing the beneficiaries of the project and to, in partnership with FoRADev, monitor the progress of the beneficiaries,” he said. 

Funding

Mr. Gideon Adolloh Arthur, the Project Director for the Foundation for Rural and Agriculture Development (FoRADev), explained that the funding of the project is going to be from the organisation’s own fund. He however added that the organisation cannot do it alone and so they have written to some institutions operating in the Ahanta West District to support the project.

“We are funding this project from our own funds, but the cost of the project is too huge for us to bear alone. We have therefore written to some organisations to come to our aide. We trust the Lord to touch their hearts for them to help us,” he said.

Mr Arthur also appealed for support from any individual or organisation who wishes to help FoRADev to execute the Young Scholars’ Trip (YST) project.

He said: “I know there are some individuals and other organisations out there who wish to help. If there are any, we are appealing to them to reach out to us and help bring smiles to Ahanta West District, in terms of improved performances at the BECE.” 

 

He added; “if anybody wants to help us, he/she should do so through this account; Bank: Agriculture Development Bank (adb), Account Name: Foundation for Rural and Agriculture Development, Act Number: 406100010766701.”

The Organisation

Foundation for Rural and Agricultural Development, otherwise known as FoRADev, is a not-for- profit making organisation that was established by the last quarter of the year 2010. The organization aims at helping bridge the developmental gap between the rural and the urban areas in terms of agriculture, education and socio – economy. The foundation has its headquarters in Agona Ahanta in the Ahanta -West District of the Western Region of Ghana and aims to operate country-wide within seven years of its establishment. The foundation’s work is supervised by a strong-willed Board of Directors.

FoRADev registered with the Ghana Registrar General’s Department in 2012, with registration number CG014082012. 

They have committed volunteers and staff who are willing to see a change in their area of operation.

Their mission is to work in collaboration with all stakeholders of rural development as well as agriculture development, to improve the rural economy, make agriculture a beneficial source of livelihood for the rural farmer, and help improve education, environment, and health in rural areas.

Lewis Brew, ahantanews360, Reporting from Agona Nkwanta.