The S.S. Shardow Community Centre has been inaugurated in Accra to run community-based education programmes at Accra New Town, an inner city which is also the capital of the Ayawaso North Municipal District of the Greater Accra Region.

Held on December 29, 2024, the inauguration was chaired by CAF Senior Media Officer Ibrahim Sannie Daara, who delivered a keynote address on “Community Empowerment Through Education.” He highlighted the pivotal role of education in driving social and economic transformation in inner cities and Zongo communities of Ghana.

“Let’s emulate the work of the S.S. Shardow Community Centre in all Zongo communities and together we can achieve a collective impact that will raise an informed and enlightened generation of children who would equally give back to the community and change its status quo,” he said.

He also urged the predominantly Muslim community to safeguard the tenets of Islam and give their children both religious and secular education to develop critical thinking, reflection, and discernment skills that will help put their beliefs and values into action.

The centre runs the Ikhlaas Academy, a Quran memorization centre, a children’s library, a homework project to help children with their homework after school, and the Stone City Book Club for young adults to cultivate the habit of reading. It also offers free educational counselling and career guidance services, and movie nights for children on Fridays.

Dignitaries present at the event included the Galadima of the Nupe Community of Accra, Mubarak Shardow, Sarkin Samari Nuru Shardow, head of the Futa family, Onukpa Aminu Futa, and the Director of FactSpace West Africa, Rabiu Alhassan, alongside community leaders and members.

The Director of the S.S. Shardow Community Centre, Ismail Akwei, a journalist and media literacy advocate, highlighted the objectives of the facility located in the heart of Accra New Town called Stone City.

“The community centre was sponsored by the Media Literacy Development Foundation and the Shardow family as a way of giving back to the community. The Foundation will run the quarterly Zongo Media Fellowship for content creators starting in January 2025,” he said.

Ismail Akwei challenged other neighbourhoods in the vicinity to open community centres that will keep children occupied and engaged in effective collaborative educational activities.

The centre was named in honour of Chief Alhaji Sura Sule Shardow, the late Sarkin Nufawa (Nupe Chief) of Accra who doubled as the Galadima of Tagbon Community of Accra and served as the elected Councillor of Ayawaso District from 1979 to 1981.

Operating in his house, the centre embodies his lifelong dedication to education, youth empowerment, and community development.