The management of Pencils of Promise (POP), a not-for-profit organization, on Friday, September 27, commissioned a separate three-unit classroom block at Zomayi Apostle Revelation Society (ARS) and District Assembly (D/A) Basic School in the North Tongu district of the Volta Region.

The two projects were built by POP in the year 2018, but the buildings have deteriorated over the years due to a lack of maintenance.

Led by the Country Director of the organisation, Mr Freeman Gobah, the two facilities have been renovated to meet the Ghana Education Service's standard and were handed over to the community in a brief ceremony on Friday.

Before the renovation, POP supported the school with teaching and learning materials, which included textbooks, story books, exercise books, notebooks, chalk, pens, pencils and erasers.

POP also supported the community during the peak of the Akosombo and Kpong dams spillage disaster in the North Tongu enclave with potable water.

Speaking at the ceremony, Freeman Gobah urged the community to observe maintenance culture because the organisation will not assist them should the facilities deteriorate again.

He also asked the school authority to share books in the school's storeroom among learners and encourage them to read even though the school has no library.

Freeman urged parents to pay attention to their wards' education as education is key to a better life.

On his part, the headteacher of the school, Rev. Atsu Vicente Kadogbe, thanked POP for the kind gesture. He said the school's population has increased over the years, hence the need for more classroom facilities.

"Currently, the school has a population of over 400 learners from the Kindergarten to the Junior High School level, but the available facilities cannot contain them so we're pleading with you to build another for us, we are begging other NGOs, the government and individuals to add to what Pencils of Promise has done for us," the head teacher said.

He revealed that, since 2021, the outcome of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) of the school has continued to improve and "we hope to hear good news this year [2024] too".
Speaking on decent accommodation, Rev. Atsu Kadogbe appealed for the construction of a teachers' bungalow.

"Even in the absence of decent housing, my teachers are doing their best to stay here every day to teach our little ones. I always thank them for their willingness, however, we are calling on the government to give us teachers bungalows, to motivate us to stay and attract more teachers to Zomayi".

Pencils of Promise is operating in Volta, Oti and Eastern regions of the country. Over the years, POP has built a total of 203 basic school blocks in these three regions.

The head of supervision at the North Tongu Education Directorate, Dominic Adorboe thanked POP and urged the community to take care of the facilities. He said the education directorate will take into consideration the plight of the school.

POP also supports schools and communities with WASH initiatives; they also provide capacity building for teachers and provide teaching and learning materials.