Kpando Special School cuts sod for Wall Project.

A sod-cutting ceremony to kick-start a fence wall project for the Kpando Community Inclusive Special School at Kpando-Abanu in the Kpando Municiopality of the Volta Region, has taken place with a special appeal to all stakeholders including the general public to support the project to its early completion.

The move follows the presentation of forty (40) bags of cement by the Kpando Municipal Assembly (KMA) as seed capital towards the realization of this objective. 

Stakeholders, individuals and invited guests present at the event also made various instant donations and pledges of cement and cash towards the initiative which is being jointly championed and supported by Heritage FM and the Frank Foley Educational Support Fund (FFESF), all based at Hohoe.

The Kpando Community Inclusive Special School was established in the early 90s and has since been believed to be the least resourced of all the segregated special schools in the country in terms of infrastructure.

The most pressing need of the school amongst its tall infrastructural list has been a fence wall. As a result of this problem, two (2) of the learners of the school got missing some years ago with another one also getting drowned in the Volta Lake later on.

It is for this and other reasons that the sod-cutting ceremony was carried out in order to address part of the numerous infrastructural challenges bedeviling the school for all these years. The event was witnessed by staff and students of the school, traditional authorities of Kpando-Abanu, educational officers as well as a high-powered delegation of the Kpando Municipal Assembly led by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Geoffrey K. Badasu.

Speaking at the event, the MCE lauded the staff of the school and the Kpando Abanu community for their sacrifices towards the upbringing of the learners at the school. According to him, the Good Lord is the only one that can reward them for their love for these unfortunate children.

Hon. Badasu reiterated government’s commitment to supporting the school and gave the assurance that the Assembly would continue to assist in any way possible to better the lives of the learners.

The MCE reminded all those who had pledged to support the project or the school in one way or the other to redeem such pledges, adding that, ‘it is a serious business to want to support such a venture’. ‘It is better not to pledge to support these young ones than to do so and dishonour such a pledge’, Hon. Badasu emphasized.

The Manager of Heritage FM, Hohoe and Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the FFESF, Mr. Frank Foley noted that the role of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the overall development of the country cannot be over-emphasized.

According to him, the decision to collaborate with all stakeholders including the KMA was borne out of the sad plight of the learners at the school.

Mr. Foley regretted that PWDs continue to encounter discrimination and exclusion on daily basis. He mentioned persistent exclusion from development programmes and funds, employment, health services, economic empowerment programmes as well as transport services as some of the challenges PWDs are always subjected to.

The CEO called on Ghanaians to show more love and positive attitudes towards PWDs, adding that though they are unfortunate citizens of the country, their situation also has good sides for the country.

Mr. Foley mentioned the renovation of the Hohoe Municipal Library in 2016, the construction of the Female and Juvenile Holding Centre (Cell) at Hohoe, roofing of the Hohoe R. C. Boys’ School as well as the donation of food items, provisions and toiletries to the three special schools in Hohoe between 2019 and 2022, as some of the successes chalked since the inception of the activities of the Foundation some ten (10) years ago.

The Municipal Director of Education (MDE), Madam Hilda Amegatcher noted that every child has the right to the same opportunities as others, regardless of the difficulties they face. In her view, children with special needs, like autism, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, behaviour and emotional disorders, just to mention a few, can participate in instruction and school life to a great extent when given the chance to do so.

Madam Amegather lauded the Assembly and the Foundation for the initiative for the school, saying it enables the children to acquire knowledge in line with their unique needs and abilities with the help of Special Educators and well-equipped classrooms.

Such supports and processes the MDE said has a great value for the society as a whole, because children with special needs get the opportunity to be accepted into the community which helps them to become more independent and happier, surrounded by people who understand their needs and support them at every step of the way.

The Headmaster of the Kpando Community Inclusive School, Mr. Michael Alayi lamented about the infrastructural deficit of the school which according to him, is the least resourced of all the Segregated Special Schools in the country in terms of infrastructure.

He mentioned lack of boys and girls’ dormitories, an administration block, headmaster and teachers’ bungalows, classrooms, vocational training centers as well as a kitchen and dining hall complex, as the major challenges facing the school. Mr. Alayi used the occasion to appeal to individuals, NGOs and other benevolent organizations across the country to come to their aid and support the school with any of their pressing needs.

The learners were treated to music and dance as well as food and drinks in order to show some love to them.

The Kpando Community Inclusive Special School was established in the early 90s and later absorbed into the public school system in the early part of the year 2000.

The School currently comprises of 23 staff (9 teaching and 14 non-teaching) and 73 learners. Out of the 73, only about 45 learners on average report to school each term.

The whole school is housed in a six (6) unit classroom block. Two (2) rooms are for classes, two (2) as dormitories for male and female learners, one (1) for house mothers, one (1) shared by the Headmaster, Accountant and the General Administrative Staff with the last one shared by the Storekeeper and the Kitchen Staff.

Story by Benjamin Attipoe, TV Africa