Pencils of Promise, an education and WASH-focused humanitarian organisation, has constructed and handed over a three-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities to the Mafi-Kumikpo-Deekpo R/C Basic School in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region.

The intervention comes as a major relief to the school, which is among the most infrastructure-deprived institutions in the district.

The project is expected to provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning, enhance academic activities, and improve overall performance, thereby contributing to human resource development in the area.

The Country Director of Pencils of Promise, Freeman Gobah, said the initiative aligns with the organisation’s commitment to strengthening education in its operational areas by providing essential facilities and logistics.

He disclosed that the school would be connected to the national water grid when the community begins to receive water from the Adidome Five District Water Project. In the meantime, he advised school authorities to make effective use of the water storage facility provided to harvest and conserve rainwater.

Mr Gobah emphasised that the organisation is neither politically nor religiously affiliated, stressing that its sole interest lies in supporting the development of the younger generation. He urged the community to regard the organisation in that light.

The Member of Parliament for Central Tongu, Gabby Alexander Hottordze, commended Pencils of Promise for its contribution to improving access to education, particularly within his constituency, where several classroom facilities have been constructed by the NGO. He pledged his full support for similar development initiatives aimed at advancing socio-economic growth in the area.

The District Chief Executive for Central Tongu, Addison Dodzi Mornyui, assured residents that the district leadership remains committed to ensuring development reaches all sectors and communities.

“Though every problem cannot be solved at once, the leaders in the district are doing their best to address challenges gradually and systematically,” he said.

He also pledged to donate 2,000 pieces of furniture to schools across the district, including Mafi-Kumikpo-Deekpo R/C Basic School, to support and enhance education delivery.

The DCE further urged the community to adopt a strong maintenance culture to preserve the new facility. Traditional authorities of Mafi-Kumikpo-Deekpo appealed to the government to provide a mini-bus to transport learners who travel long distances to school. They also called for the establishment of a cassava processing factory to address post-harvest losses, the construction of access roads to boost economic and social activities, and the siting of a second-cycle school in the area to reduce dropout rates at the basic level.