The Gumani Child Care Development Project (GCCDP), a Tamale based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), has presented educational materials worth GH¢15,000 to some 6,000 needy school children within the Tamale Metropolis.
The materials included 49,230 exercise books, 5,600 packs of erasers, sharpeners, pens and pencils to be shared among four basic schools, which were under the NGO's sponsorship.
The Christian Children's Fund of Canada (CCFC), a mother NGO of the GCCDP, sourced the materials from its international development partners for distribution to the needy children.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony at the weekend, team leader of GCCDP, Reverend Johnson Asare, expressed the NGO's determination to collaborate and work with other organisations to alleviate the suffering of needy school children to improve educational standards.
He said the GCCDP was also working with a local partner, Markaz Al-Bishara to address the needs of deprived communities and their people by alleviating their poverty levels through loan disbursements to women groups.
Alhaji Mohammed Haroun, Deputy Metropolitan Director of Education, who received the items on behalf of the beneficiary schools, stressed the relevance of the materials to the development of education in the Metropolis and urged other NGOs to follow suit.
Alhaji Haroun advised parents, who accessed loans from the CCFC and its partner NGOs to repay them on time so that others could also benefit to improve their standard of living.
He said educational standard in the Tamale Metropolis had fallen and that with the support of NGOs, the situation would improve.
He also advised parents to enrol their children in schools to justify the assistance provided by the NGO.
Madam Sanatu Nantogma, Country Director of the CCFC, in a speech read for her, said the Fund would continue to provide the necessary infrastructure assistance to schools in deprived communities as well as provide educational and attend to the health needs of people.
She advised teachers from the beneficiary schools to ensure equitable distribution of the materials.