The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with Plan Ghana, a child-centred intervention non-governmental organization, has donated items worth GH¢9,832.00 to four schools in Gomoa West District. The donation, including 30 bicycles, sets of jerseys, footballs, school bags, and exercise books among others was made under the Transition and Persistence (TAP) programme initiated by the two organizations to support the government of Ghana to deliver quality education to Ghanaians. The main objective of TAP programme is to reduce the enrolment gap between Primary and Junior High Schools (JHS). TAP is being implemented in 156 schools in 13 districts of four regions in the country, namely Central, Eastern, Brong-Ahafo and Greater Accra. TAP programme seeks to increase spaces for JHS enrollment through building new facilities or rehabilitating existing ones, and also to improve teacher quality. Four schools, namely Nkran/Wassa JHS, Nkoransa JHS, Brofo JHS and Mankoadze JHS are the beneficiaries of TAP programme in Gomoa West. Presenting the items at the Gomoa West District Education Office at Apam, Mr Joseph Assan, Bawjiase Programme Area Manager of Plan Ghana, said the programme had trained teachers, headteachers, circuit supervisors and school management committees (SMCs) to be effective in ensuring that quality education was delivered. He was grateful to the district directorate of education and the district assembly for the immense support given to the programme. Mr Assan advised the students to take their studies seriously to make them responsible men and women in future. In a speech read on behalf of Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, Gomoa West District Chief Executive by Mr Mohammed S. Musah, Deputy District Coordinating Director, and the DCE commended USAID, Plan Ghana and other organisations which had been supporting the government to improve the living conditions of Ghanaians. He implored the student beneficiaries of the packages to take good care of the items. Mr Aidoo-Mensah announced plans for the assembly in collaboration with the District Directorate of Education to reward dedicated teachers in the district. He said an amount of GH¢200,000 had been set aside for the award. Mrs Augusta Akyaa Sarpong, Gomoa West District Director of Education, commended USAID and Plan Ghana for instituting the TAP programme to support the government. She said due to financial constraints, the government alone could not provide all the needs of the schools therefore genuine help was welcomed. Nana Edu Efirim X, Chief of Apam, appealed to parents to invest in the education of their children for a better future. At the ceremony, two teachers, Mr Mark Kwesi Dadzie, Mathematics Teacher of Brofo D/A JHS and Miss Regina Som, Home Economics Teacher of Nkran/Wassa JHS, were presented with laptop computers for being adjudged best teachers in TAP schools. Source: GNA/Ghana