Covid19: Children in deprived communities face higher risk as school resumes – As I Grow

The current wave of the Covid19 pandemic has been one of the major setbacks in the education system of the world, of which Ghana has not been left out.
It could be recalled that since March, 2020 children of school going age, both basic and secondary level have not had full taste of academic activities as it used to be.

This has derailed the academic activities in Ghana and even the whole world. The president of Ghana upon various consultations came out on new year’s eve that on 9th to 15th of January, 2021 schools in Ghana, tertiary, second cycle, basic and kindergarten are to go back and continue their academic works fully.

Our outfit upon the president’s directive conducted series of interviews on the outcome of these directives.

As I Grow (NGO), one of Ghana’s rural community Organization which supported some deprived communities during the pandemic was contacted to find out how this directive may have an impact on the deprived schools.

The Chief Executive Officer of As I Grow Ngo, Mr. Debrah Bekoe Isaac expressed his joy on the news since his outfit had been lamenting on how most of the children in the deprived communities were under performing and majority of them not going to school before the pandemic.

Mr. Debrah Bekoe Isaac lauded the government for such a bold initiative and the same time expressed additional worry on how these deprived children and schools would be able to go by the Covid19 safety protocols.

He expressed much worry on this since his outfit undertook a major project to distribute some PPES during the intense Covid19 pandemic to some deprived communities.

He said about 90% of the people in the communities they visited; both adults and children did not have much information about the pandemic and the safety protocols. This less knowledge on the pandemic in deprived communities in Ghana poses a lot of threat to the lives of the children as school is about to resume.

He said most of the communities do not have water, and would have to even travel miles away before they would have access to a stream or river. He rhetorically asked, ‘how can they protect themselves?’.
He said he sees much danger on the part of the deprived schools as most of them lack a lot of things.

I know the government has put measures in place but I think much attention is needed in the hinterland especially where the communities are not having portable drinking water,roads and education on the Covid19 protocols.

Mr. Debrah Bekoe Isaac, took the opportunity to implore Ghanaians not to push all the burden on the Government. He called on individuals, organisations, Philanthropists, NGOs, Health institutions and other platforms to consider the deprived schools and communities as school is about to resume.

Speaking to our media, the vice secretary and the field team coordinator, Mr Samuel Larbi and Mr. Samuel Amoah assured Ghanaians that their organisation is going to support government by rendering a selfless education and support to some schools in the deprived communities.