Current Projects

New Vocational School for Girls at Buipe

Buipe is a large district South of Tamale. There has been no provision for post Junior Secondary School education.
The community contacted s in 2005 hoping that we might help as they were so concerned particularly by the numbers of girls who had little hope due to their lack of education. Most were resigned to menial work in the towns.
In September we began building their vocational school. Because of the enormous need, this is larger than our first two vocational schools (in Daboya and Walewale) The school should be furnished and open by January. There have already been over two hundred applications!
Alongside the school we are building a hostel for girls. This will enable girls from the more remote areas to be safely educated. The hostel has a toilet and is furnished with bunk beds.

Hostel for Girls at Daboya

Our Vocational School at Daboya is full and is providing a life-line to the communities. Now we are building a hostel here too, for girls who live along tracks that are often impassable due to the heavy rains.
All our girls pay small fees, about £2 a term. Sometimes they find this hard, but the women’s groups feel that the fee helps them to really value their schoolin

Better access to water

We are providing storage tanks for our teacher quarters—better than a two mile walk for water!

Electricity

Where possible, we are providing electrical services for the teacher blocks

HIV/AIDS education

In September, we will begin to train another group of teachers to carry out effective education with difficult to reach groups. This follows a very successful pilot in 2004.

More facilities at Daboya Vocational School

The enormous hunger for education here means that we are constantly increasing the number of courses. Thanks to a three year grant, we are certain that we can provide well trained and motivated teachers for the home economics courses.

Changes at Walewale Vocational School

We have a most efficient management committee for this school who are moving it ahead with energy. The Regional Director of Education at Tamale is particularly helpful and will ensure that more books are available.

Linking Schools

Dartford Girl’s Grammar has associated itself with Wulugu Sec. We took letters to Wulugu and filmed the recipients. Lynne visited Dartford early July to explain more about the region and to help the teachers to understand how they can make maximum use of opportunities across the curriculum.
 Sunderland Primary School links with Northern Ghana continue to grow, thanks to the Sunderland FA literacy team’s interest.

Women’s income generation

We have three villages where women have small income-generating loans of  £30-£60. This enables the women to send all their children, including girls, regularly to school and helps to tackle poverty. A hungry child is unlikely to learn well.

Nine Primary Schools—all with desks!

All of our schools are thriving. And packed! The additional carrot of accommodation for teachers at five of them has helped further to ensure teacher retention, particularly of women teachers.