The furniture, which comprises 200 tables, 1,200 chairs and 967 dual desks, is to help improve on the furniture deficit in the area.

The Nanumba South District received 516 desks and tables for kindergarten (KG), 310 dual desks for primary, and 92 desks for junior high schools, while 684 desks and tables, 460 dual desks and 105 dual desks went to kindergartens, primary schools, and junior high schools in the Nanumba North Municipality.

The furniture was handed over to the education directorates of the two assemblies for onward distribution to the various schools, as part of efforts to help improve on teaching and learning in the area. 

Handing over the furniture at separate occasions last Friday, the Northern Regional Programme Manager of ActionAid Ghana, Esther Boateng, said the gesture followed a needs assessment conducted by the NGO in the area, which revealed the furniture deficit in most schools.

“We went round the various KG, basic and junior high schools to conduct an assessment and I must say the situation was not good because the pupils outnumbered the furniture at the various schools. Some of the children were sitting on bare floors while others were writing on very dusty floors, which is very worrying,” she said.

She indicated that the NGO raised about £80,000 (about GH¢ 1,191,695.12) for the project, which included the construction of a KG block.

While charging the authorities to put the furniture to good use, Ms Boateng appealed to the assemblies to take urgent steps to provide furniture for the schools in their jurisdictions.

Commendation

The District Chief Executive for Nanumba South, Zakaria Issifu, thanked ActionAid Ghana for the support and said the assembly was working around the clock to address the furniture challenge.

“We are a deprived district with a lot of challenges in every sector including health, water, education, sanitation, security, among others but we are doing our best to ensure that we provide the needed development to the people,” he said.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Nanumba North, Abdulai Yaquob, said the assembly had a furniture deficit of about 16,000 and that it was making efforts to procure more furniture for the schools to address the situation.