Let's fight for the innocent children of Africa
In August 2002, I was posted as a newly trained teacher to the Dangme West District of Greater Accra region of Ghana, West Africa. On reporting to my station, I was shocked beyond disbelief at what I witnessed and experienced. The experience was like I was watching a documentary on some weird African community. But this was a district in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. I had to abandon the chattered taxi and walk for miles through bushes before we got to the community of Djorkpo.
On arrival, I meet a student body too old in terms of age to be in primary school. A child is supposed to start basic one at the age of six. But this was not the case. The males, at the age of six years go to shepherd cattle for nine years before they start school. At the end of the service, he is given a female calf. They therefore start basic one at fifteen years, at this time their counterparts in the cities would be in the Junior Secondary School.
The children came to school virtually naked with only a few carrying school materials like pens and stationary. They could not afford to pay the less than no amount being charge as school fees. The students are brilliant but needy.
Many dropped out of school as a result. Female students are the worse victims of school dropouts. About 80% of girls gets pregnant every year and the remaining are sent to live with their relatives in the cities to work.
As a results of these I was touched and decided to do something to improve the situation. I worked in the deprived community for three years as classroom teacher and also a headteacher of the school. As a matter of fact I was able to share my interest of helping the children for the rest of my life with friends and relatives both home and abroad. Occasionally we do visit them to donate and provide some of the basic needs.