The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) presented 30,600 exercise books for the kindergartens, drawing books, 20,400 pencils, 10,200 pencil cases, 20,400 erasers, 20,400 sharpeners, 10,200 crayons, and 20,400 pens and screening kits.

 Guinness Ghana Limited presented 150 note one exercise books, and 1,200 soft drinks, Volta Ghana donated 1,000 note one exercise books, and 600 bottled water, Zylofon Cash gave 10,200 Physical Educations kits, Izwe Loans donated 540 note one exercise books, 27 pens, 12 mathematical sets and 13 cartoons of soft drinks.

 Plan International Ghana presented 2,000 note one exercise bools, 6,000 pencils, 1,000 erasers, 1,000 sharpeners, 1,000 packets of crayons and 1,000 magic board for children, while Kasapreko gave 10,000 pencils, 10,000 erasers, 10,000 sharpeners, 10,000 pens, 1,500 awake bottled water, 600 soft drinks and 10,000 rulers.

 Mr Fiachra McAsey, the Deputy Representative, UNICEF Ghana said the donation was to motivate the pupils to appreciate the importance of education, saying “education is one of the key pillars to transform a country”.

He said the gesture was to encourage public private partnership in supporting education, especially with focus on kindergarten and the primary level, since they constitute the foundation to any country’s education.

Mr McAsey said UNICEF would continue to uphold its mandate of supporting children across the globe, adding that, the presentation would stimulate the pupils to learn hard and boost teaching and learning in the country.

Mr Ahensah Asum-Kwarteng, the Acting Country Director, Plan International said the donation forms part of the organisation’s social interventions to support children’s education across the country.

He said Plan International as part of its commitment to children, supported this year’s National Girls’ Camp in Accra to build the capacity of young girls from selected schools in the Northern, Eastern and the Upper West regions, using Plan International’s champions of change curriculum.

“Plan International believes that, all children, adolescents and young people, without discrimination, are entitled to comprehensive sexuality education to gain knowledge, explore values and develop the skills they need to make conscious, healthy and respectful choices about relationships and sexuality”.

Mr Asum-Kwarteng said his outfit recognised that education was a powerful tool for preventing social vices, and that, girls who benefited from quality education were less likely to indulge in bad attitudes.

Mrs Barbara Aher Ayisi, the Deputy Minister in charge of Technical and Vocational Education, Ministry of Education commended the companies for their selfless love in donating ahead of the “My First Day at School”.

She said it was imperative for all, especially parents, to invest in their wards education at the early stages because the child develops habits at that level.  The Minister said government would continue to put in place measures to improve education as well as focus on technical and vocation education, adding that “the future of the country lies in the hands of the children”.

She appealed to other corporate organisations to support government to provide holistic education to the citizenry in an efficient and effective manner.