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For the second year running, over 400 employees of Deloitte Ghana dedicated their working day on May 14, to teach, mentor and ultimately inspire schoolchildren at three clusters of schools in the Greater Accra Region.
This formed part of Deloitte’s ‘Volunteer Day’ which was birthed on May 30, 2023, to redefine corporate volunteerism in Africa. A release issued in Accra explained that Deloitte's Volunteer Day is an annual event dedicated to highlighting the firm's ongoing dedication to creating positive social change through community involvement.
In Ghana, the schools that the staff of Deloitte Ghana volunteered their time were the Abavana Cluster of Schools, New Town Experimental Schools in the Ayawaso Central Municipality, Kpehe RC Catholic School and the Adabraka Cluster of Schools.
Speaking at a brief ceremony to usher in the ‘Volunteer Day,’ the Country Managing Partner of Deloitte Ghana, Daniel Owusu, said “Corporate volunteerism is one of the cardinal principles of our purpose of directly impacting thousands of children and the wider society.
“Therefore, Deloitte's Executive Committee adopted a Volunteer Policy, a paradigm shift and a renewed commitment to having a palpable impact on communities in which we operate.”
He added that Deloitte lived its purpose beyond business profit and “It's our commitment to serving as a responsible corporate citizen in Africa”. “We aim to inspire and contribute to a better world by making meaningful contributions beyond our core services and by leaving an impression on the communities and the broader business ecosystem.
As we work to make an impact that goes beyond the scope of our commercial activities, I encourage everyone to participate actively and embrace the spirit of volunteerism”, he said and added that Volunteer Day was a demonstration of Deloitte’s commitment to making an impact.
The Chief Sustainability Officer of Deloitte West Africa, Abena Biney, for her part said, “Volunteer Day serves as a powerful demonstration of Deloitte's commitment to making meaningful impact in the communities it serves.
“It is a reminder that no matter where you live or the skills you possess, you can take action to make an impact in the lives of tomorrow's leaders. Literacy is indeed an empowering and liberating force,” She explained.
The Municipal Director of Education for Ayawaso Central, Augustus Owusu Agyemfrah, commended Deloitte Ghana for the initiative, saying as a Municipal Education Directorate, it was keen on promoting literacy to address the literacy target of 4.6 in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 and the Education 2030 Framework for Action.
The target, he mentioned, was to ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieved literacy and numeracy by 2030. He pointed out that his outfit had instituted interventions such as the early morning bird where learners in all schools were taken through reading activities to enhance their skills, adding, “We have also introduced programmes such as Municipal Reading Festival and Municipal Spelling B competition among learners to arouse their interest in reading and also test them on keywords in their reading materials.
He added that promoting literacy was crucial for individuals, communities and societies as a whole, stating, “Literacy opens doors to new opportunities, enhances cognitive skills and fosters personal growth.
