The project is the first ever to be implemented by Future Kids Ghana. It is meant to provide evidential support to the organization’s preparation to register with the Netherlands government as a charity organization. Jei Krodua, a Ghanaian town found in the Central Region and located about 56 km south-west of Accra, the capital city of the country, has been chosen as the first place to start. The primary underlying reason for this decision was that the founder and her parents hail from the town and she considered it an honour and a privilege to lend a hand to the development of the community.
Prior to the start of project, an assessment of needs of pupils and students that was conducted. The head teachers of the both Primary and Junior High divisions noted that some students/pupils absented themselves from school, especially on Fridays, only to join and assist their mothers at the market for the obvious reason of making money to cater for family needs, including education. According to the school authorities, the government’s administrative support, well known as Capitation Grant, which caters for tuition fees, often delays. Also, the school’s library had not been in a good shape. In addition, three classes of Junior High School students need a proper class room block. The current structure is shed that traps a lot of heat underneath during the day when the sun is up.
Goal
The main change that project seeks to bring about is to improve academic performance among students and pupils, through the provision of a proper place and materials for teaching and learning. It is to be implemented over a two–year period, starting in February 2013.
Objectives (Outcomes)
It is expected that by the end of the second year after the implementation of project, the following objectives would have been achieved:
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Increased school attendance as a result of the;
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Improved reading and writing skills;
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Increased learning, demonstrated in:
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Improved participation in class discussions;
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Improved scores in assignments and
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End-of-school term examinations.
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Activities
The first phase of the project began with Future Kids Ghana presenting educational materials to high-performing students in order to incentivize their interest in school attendance and learning. Some of the materials included the following:
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Stationery such as note books, pens, pencils and mathematical sets;
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Footwear and
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Sanitary wares such as toilet rolls, soap, hand-washing bowls and buckets
[ Insert pictures of presentation ceremony]
A distribution committee, chaired by the head teacher of the Primary School, was responsible for the identification of eligible pupils/students and the distribution of the items to them. The items were meant to motivate these high performers while inspiring the others at the same time. Other members of the committee included the following:
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Two teachers from the Primary School;
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Two teachers from Junior High School;
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Two representatives of the Elders of Jei Krodua Town and
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Two representatives of the Parent-Teacher Association.
The selection of eligible children was based on their performance. The following categories were considered:
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Best Student/Pupil – Reading/English;
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Best Student/Pupil – Mathematics;
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Best Student/Pupil – Science;
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Best Student/Pupil – Local Language;
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Best Student/Pupil – Vocational Skills;
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Best Student/Pupil – Technical;
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Best Student/Pupil – Singing;
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Best Student/Pupil – Social Studies and
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Best Behaved Student/Pupil.
Per an agreement reached among FKG, the elders of Jei Krodua and the two head teachers of the schools, students/pupils who were indigenes of Jei Krodua constituted 50 percent of the total number of recipients. This was a request made by the Elders of the town.
The second phase activities will include the under-listed tasks:
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Raise funds for and supervise the construction of a 3-unit class room block;
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Rehabilitate the library and provide novels;
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Implement a project learning system, which includes:
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Conducting a baseline survey to document the present situation in school and among pupils/students. Issues to be examined include attendance, scores in assignments, scores in exams, reading skills and writing skills;
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Conducting end-of-project evaluation of the project in order to determine its effectiveness (I.e. whether the right things were done)
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Collecting periodic monitoring data on all activities in order to inform decision making by the project management and the donors. This would help efficiency (i.e. whether things were done in the right way).