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The Government of Japan has awarded a grant of over GH¢1.3 million ($129,631.00) to support the development of rural education infrastructure under its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP).
The funding will finance the construction of a six-unit classroom block, offices, a mechanised borehole, toilet facilities and furniture for students of Tari No. 2 Primary School in the North Gonja District in the Savannah Region, to improve teaching and learning.
The agreement was signed by the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Hiroshi Yoshimoto, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EduGha Organisation, Mahadi Alhassan. EduGha Organisation will implement the project under the GGHSP framework.
Tari No. 2 is a rural community in North Gonja District with about 2,000 residents. Its only three-unit classroom block serves kindergarten to Basic Five, with no facilities for Basic Six or junior high school (JHS), resulting in multi-grade teaching. The dilapidated structure limits access, reduces learning quality, and endangers pupils and teachers.
The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Hiroshi Yoshimoto, said the intervention reflected Japan’s belief that education was not merely a sector of development, but the very foundation upon which sustainable progress, social stability and economic opportunity were built.
He stressed that access to quality education required more than dedicated teachers and motivated students, adding that it also required a safe, dignified, and adequately equipped learning environment.
“We are aware of the challenges posed by limited infrastructure and overcrowded classrooms, and it is our sincere hope that this new school block will contribute to improving these constraints and create a more conducive atmosphere for learning and teaching,” Mr Yoshimoto said.
The ambassador urged stakeholders to ensure transparent management and timely completion of the works to maximise the impact for pupils and teachers.
He further disclosed that the initiative, since its inception, had provided funding support to over 400 grassroots projects in sectors such as health, education, agriculture, water, sanitation and many others across the country.
“The Japanese government has, over the years, demonstrated a strong will in solving human security challenges. It is in this vein that the GGHSP was created to provide funding support to grassroots human-centred projects,” the ambassador said.
The Deputy CEO of EduGha Organisation, Bilal Taimako Shamsudeen, expressed appreciation to the government and people of Japan for supporting the construction of a school block for Tari No. 2 Community under its GGHSP initiative.
He described the signing as the beginning of hope for children learning under difficult conditions and stressed that education was central to sustainable development.
He emphasised that the project would improve enrolment, attendance, performance and health outcomes and iterated EduGha’s commitment to transparency, accountability and quality implementation in partnership with local authorities and community stakeholders.
“EduGha Organisation assures the embassy and all stakeholders of our full commitment to transparency, accountability, and quality implementation throughout the project’s life cycle.
We will work closely with the contractor, the district authorities, traditional leaders, and the community to ensure the project meets the highest standards and serves generations to come,” he said.
