Just over twenty people attended our AGM; there was a great atmosphere and much conversation. Three people joined us via zoom, including Salifu Baako and Kofi Ohene in Ghana. The committee was reelected, nem con. One big change is that Jennifer MacDougall who has produced our Newsletter for many years, is stepping down from that role. Kate Regan volunteered to take over, and for that we are profoundly grateful. The general feeling was that we are now operating within our means, doing most of our work through Kofi and Baako, and we plan to continue in this way. Below is the Chair’s address, and the accounts for 2022-2023 can be found under the heading About.
Chair’s Opening Remarks AGM June 2023
GHANA SCHOOL AID
Opening remarks for the 2023 Annual General Meeting held at St Mary’s Crypt, Islington, London on 15th June, 2023.
Thank you everyone for attending today, whether you are in person or online, in Ghana or the UK.
One of the ‘lessons’ from the pandemic has been how better we can use technology. Certainly, we in Ghana School Aid through the use of Zoom can now include Kofi and Baako in our meetings. I give a special welcome to them. I am sure we all agree this is a real advantage, as it is for our Committee members and supporters who otherwise cannot or do not wish to travel to London.
I commend our splendid 2023 Newsletter to you all. Please share and spread the news of Ghana School Aid widely. Not only does it show our supporters what we do and how we spend their donations, but it represents a link to our formation and those who established Ghana School Aid 37 years ago. Indeed, this AGM was originally called the ‘Reunion Lunch’.
I wish to note our appreciation and sincere thanks for Jennifer. She and her daughter, Anna, have worked together on the Newsletter for nearly 20 years. Jennifer, as you know, will be stepping down, so if this interests you as a role then please let Jo or myself know. Thank you again to Jennifer and, please, pass on our thanks to Anna.
I wish to acknowledge Jo as Secretary and Nigel as Treasurer. But there are, as we know, many others. Indeed, we will hear more from, amongst others, Rita and her work with Abigail in the north. This is a team effort, and we are more than the sum of our parts.
Today, in particular, we thank Penny for her role in coordinating our AGM. I also pay tribute to our patron, Lord Paul Boateng, for his unwavering support. He cannot be with us today, but has asked I pass his warm greetings to you all.
I have been chairman since 2021. Power or responsibility is held in trust. To that end, I have three aims: to, at a suitable time, encourage a successor; to be as much use as I can to Jo and Nigel; and, finally, as a Committee to seek and welcome new members.
Ghana School Aid has a pedigree and contribution that is unmatched. No other charity or NGO has existed as long as we have, not offered our continued, effective support. Our history is entwined with that of Ghana. We represent in miniature the strong ties of friendship and common destiny that bind Ghana and the UK together. I saw this first hand from Kofi in his explanation of Ghana School Aid and his history to the teachers at Cape Coast Primary School.
The need for what we do – classrooms, toilet blocks and desks – remain as a strong as ever. This is a special endeavour. Baako used the term ‘sacrificial giving’, which, captures well our task.
Let us today enjoy each other’s company, celebrate what we do and prepare for another busy year.
William Spooner
Chair, Ghana School Aid
Reports from Schools and New Grants May 2023
The Committee met recently and welcomed reports from the following schools:
Sampa Methodist Primary School; Kumawu Technical Institute; Kanvilli JHS; Hartley Technical School Kasoa; Lungbung Gurugu JHS; Gung AME Zion Primary School; Lung Gurugu Methodist Primary School.
We have awarded new grants to:
Kumawu Technical Institute – £2000 for bunk beds; Zuarungu Moshie JHS – £2850 for classroom and office renovation and regravelling; Tibung DA Primary School £1500 for buildings renovation; Zugu Dagbone Technical Institute £1000; Sorugu JHS – £1500 for sanitation; Lungbung Gundaa Primary School – £3000 for classroom building.
We wish them all well.
GSA Chair visits Ghana
William Spooner, our young and dynamic Chair, visited Ghana in April 2023. He was warmly welcomed and managed to visit, in three days, 22 schools supported by GSA.
Here are some pictures from his trip:
Baako with pupils outside the Ken Strong Washroom, Tamale Senior High School (TAMASCO).
Reports from some of the Schools and Projects funded in 2022
On the 2nd Feb the GSA committee met and heard reports from some of the Schools and Projects funded in 2022. Here below is a summary of the nine Schools which reported back to us.
Three of them did not send pictures, they are:
- Gbanjon AME Zion Primary School, Tamale, Northern Region. Provision of 40 dual desks.
- Hartley Trust School, Kasoa, suffered badly from flooding, a lot of work has been done including securing the footings and re-doing gutters.
- Zugu Dagboni Technical Institute, Tamale (Northern Region) 50 dual desks and office furniture. We have received a letter of thanks.
The following six Schools sent pictures:
1 Manyiha no 1 Basic School (Ahafo Region). We sent a grant for toilets completed in 2022 and a second grant for tables and chairs, the work is in progress.
2. Ahwerase Presbyterian Primary School (Eastern Region). We sent a grant for more furniture for their computer room needed because of the increase in pupil numbers.
3. Walewale Technical Institute (Northeast Region) The 6-unit KVIP Toilet Block has been completed.
4. Nambiri Primary School (Northern Region) Teachers quarters have been renovated thanks to an application by Abigail, a contact on our Youtube Channel.
Before:
After:
5. Zuarungu Moshi (U.E.R.) A new urinal has been built and the foundations and supporting walls of the school have been reinforced.
6. AfriKids (Bolgatanga U.E.R.) We helped fund an IT Project in four Primary Schools in “extreme rural” situations, providing 50 Tablets in each school. Our contribution is for the security of the equipment and was helped by an anonymous donation from a GSA member.
The retirement of Salifu Baako
In celebration of the retirement of Salifu Baako, headteacher of Kanvilli Tawfyikia JHS
Salifu Baako remains a much appreciated representative of Ghana School Aid in Ghana.
Recent GSA grants
GSA provided funds for new shelving in t he Hia Community Library
Kanvilli Presbyterian JHS – recent refurbishment
Gbanjon AME Zion School
Here are some documents and pictures showing how Salifu Baako, one of our representatives in Ghana enabled this school, through GSA, to obtain some essential school furniture.
Baaku meeting the school officials
A class with no desks
The new desks in use – 4 children to one desk
The Headteacher’s letter of thanks
Some members of the PTA with some teachers
Some feedback from Gung AME Zion Primary School and Zugu Dabogni Technical Institute
We have received the following very pleasing documents from Salifu Baaku, one of our representatives in Ghana.
GUNG AME ZION PRIMARY SCHOOL
The three pictures show the state of the doors before work was carried out, then afterwards, and finally some pupils in a classroom with no desks.
ZUGU DABOGNI TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
Here we have the Headteacher’s letter to Baaku, then the desks arriving, the handing over, the happy students and finally the happy staff!
AGM 2022
We held our AGM by zoom only on 16 June. About 20 people attended. I can report that we will continue with the present application for grants procedure, asking our representatives in Ghana to be intermediaries. So, no “windows” for the present, because we do not have the resources to meet demand. Your executive committee was re-elected, nem con, and we enjoyed a great slide presentation from our Hon Sec, Jo Hallett. The latest accounts can be viewed on our accounts page.
Ghana School Aid 