Tullow Ghana has reiterated its commitment to completing dormitory and classroom blocks promised under the $10-million package to support government’s drive towards improved educational infrastructure for the Free Senior High School policy.

This followed the handing over of another fully furnished, 570-bed capacity dormitory block for the benefit students at Kikam Technical Institute (KIMTECH) in the Ellembelle District of the Western region.

Other beneficiary schools under the first phase of the project include Nsein SHS near Axim, Sankor SHS, Dixcove both in the Western Region and Nsutaman SHS in the Ashanti Region.

The second phase saw Annor Adjaye SHS in Jomoro and KIMTECH, provided dormitories while Bonzo Kaku SHS was provided a classroom with other projects currently ongoing at Bompe SHS, Shama SHS and Axim Girls under the third phase of the project.

Dormitory & bungalow
The facility fitted with all utilities and a box room, also came with a fully furnished bungalow as residence for the housemaster/housemistress to enhance supervision and discipline. The classroom blocks, apart from being well furnished with the needed furniture plus whiteboards, also spot disability friendly features for use by all.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Deputy Managing Director of the company, Ms Cynthia Lumor said Tullow considers the inauguration of this facility as an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the people of the host community.

The dormitory blocks so far, cumulatively houses well over 3,000 more students and the classroom blocks support more than 600 more enrolments at the Bonzo Kaku Senior High School.

The projects
“This is the third project to be commissioned this year, and the sixth in a series of 15 projects earmarked for execution over the period of five years,” she said.

Ms Lumor said the pursuit, development, and application of education continues to be the bedrock for global growth, development, and progress.

“That is why in 2018, Tullow Ghana committed to investing $10 million over five years in infrastructure development to support the government's policy of providing free access to quality senior high school education.”

Since independence, she said the Western region has played and continues to play an important role in the development of the country – agriculture, fishing, mining, and manufacturing among its main economic activities.

WR contributions
The region’s economic contribution, she said, is visible and felt in almost every sector of the country's development today. “We expect (that) the 16-unit dormitory block will contribute to the region's existing educational infrastructure and benefit more than 600 students each year.

“These students,” she said, “are the hope and future of this country, and Tullow is proud to play a role in developing their creative, innovative, and talented abilities for optimum long-term impact.”

STEM education
As a company, she said “Tullow is committed to local capacity development, we see our Socio-Economic Investment strategy as critical to our success. Our priority areas include capacity building through STEM education and skill development, strengthening local and national economies through shared prosperity.”

The priority areas she said would continue to guide all interventions Tullow makes in the country presently and in the future.

The Principal of the Kikam Technical Institute, Mr Emmanuel Bright Nomah said the company has been its long-standing partner, who in the past had provided an overhead water system for the school and now a dormitory.

The prevailing situation, he said is such that, boarding facilities are few and could only accommodate only few. “For the records, the institute with the population of 2,203, and about 1,600 being boarders who are managing a space meant for only 1,000 students.”

“Therefore, the gesture by Tullow Ghana, with about 570-bed capacity dormitory, could not have come at any better time than now, it will go a long way to ease the pressure and congestion if not to eliminate the accommodation challenge completely.”

Nana Etease II, the Divisional Chief of Kikam commended the company for the support for the communities in the areas of education, health, water and sanitation.

He said aside from the water and the dormitory, the needs of the school are more and urged other companies to emulate the examples of Tullow Ghana to support the development of technical and vocational education in the Nzemamanle area.