Madam Mary Vida Kwofie, Prestea/Huni-Valley Municipal Director of Education has said Information Communication Technology (ICT) has changed the face of education on the globe, especially in this era.

She said without ICT, the world would have come to a complete standstill with the adverse effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Madam Kwofie said this during the commissioning of the Yamoransa Model Lab 8 at Bogoso in the Prestea/Huni-Valley Municipality of the Western Region.

It was funded by the Helping Africa Foundation (HAF) and Friends of Yamoransa Foundation (FYF) and managed by IMPLEMENTERS, an Accra based non-profit development management.

The Yamoransa Model Lab 8 facility is well equipped with a 50-seater computer lab to provide free ICT literacy sessions as well as a conference room for teacher training and workshops.

It has a MakerSpace specially designed and installed by TECHAiDE, a Ghanaian technology company to help prepare Ghanaian students who need the critical 21st-century skills in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). TECHAiDE who configured all the technology systems will also provide 2-year maintenance support funded by HAF & FYF

She said the Municipal Education Directorate has seen the project as a huge propeller in their quest to ensure that the acquisition of ICT knowledge and skills by school children and teachers are achieved.

Madam Kwofie expressed the hope that with the facility in full operation, the educational directorate is assured that school children would now be exposed to uncountable opportunities that will make them contribute to the socio-economic development of the municipality and the country at large.

Mr. Kafui Prebbie, the Chief Executive Officer of TECHAiDE, the technology partners of the project said the MakerSpace which is part of the facility includes; a 3D printer, Augmented/Virtual Reality System, Arduino, Legos, and other Robotics equipment.

He said the computers have over 30 pieces of educational software installed on them to address the curriculum requirements of Primary through Junior High School levels.

"An ASANKA device at the facility provides educational content over wi-fi for the center over a distance of half a football field around the facility and because of the lack of reliable electricity in many villages, the facility fully runs on solar energy to provide continuous power as part of the package".

Mr. Prebbie charged the facility management committee to effectively maintain the lab and allow the children to use it without any restrictions without charging any child a pesewa.

Dr. Deborah Rose, President of HAF said in today's modern world, ICT education had become the most important tool for productivity, efficiency, competitiveness, increased wealth, and prosperity.

She said that the HAF and FYF's way of ensuring that Ghanaian students were exposed to standard ICT education was through the provision of computers and other ICT facilities to promote the practice of ICT and STEM theories using the Yamoransa Model Lab facilities.

Mr. Japhet Aryiku, Executive Director of HAF said the HAF and FYF were committed to promoting ICT education which was now controlling the world.

He said the mission of his NGO was working to improve the education, health, and social conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Ghana, and recounted how the Minister of Communication, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful influenced the siting of the Yamoransa Model Lab 7 in the Oti Region. She commended her for the hard work she was doing.

Nana Kwasi Sampre, Chief of Bogoso Kokoase Traditional Area and Chairman of the ceremony, and Dr. Isaac Dasmani, Municipal Chief Executive Prestea/Huni-Valley expressed their joy and satisfaction to HAF and FYF for bringing the project to the Municipality and thanked them for the gesture.