Ntotroso: Mr Kofi Badu Yeboah, the Headmaster of the Kwakyekorm District Assembly Basic School in the Asutifi North District of the Ahafo Region, has appealed for teachers' quarters to sustain the interest of teachers to remain and serve the communities. He highlighted that high rent charges, influenced by the operations of the Newmont Ahafo South Mine in the area, have discouraged many teachers from staying.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Yeboah revealed in an interview at Ntotroso, a mining community in the area, that the school currently accommodates 550 students, comprising 260 boys and 290 girls, with only 13 teachers. He shared this information following an event where the Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NaDeF), supported by the World Gold Council, distributed sanitary pads to schoolgirls in honor of World Hygiene Day.
Each schoolgirl aged 10 to 15 received three packs of sanitary pads and a hygiene bag. Mr Yeboah expressed that the shortage of teaching staff is putting pressure on the existing teachers and stated that the establishment of teachers' quarters would improve their living conditions and encourage them to stay longer. He acknowledged the efforts of the School Management Committee and the Parent Teacher Association in addressing some of the school's needs and urged NaDeF and other partners to consider building quarters for the teachers.
Earlier, Mrs Elizabeth Opoku-Darko, the Executive Secretary of NaDeF, detailed that the foundation was established in 2008 to spearhead sustainable development in the 10 Ahafo mine communities of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL). These communities include Kenyasi Number One, Kenyasi Number Two, Ntotroso, Gyedu, Wamahinso, Yamfo, Susuanso, Afrisipakrom, Terchire, and Adrobaa in the Tano North Municipality.
Mrs Opoku-Darko mentioned that sanitary pads were being distributed simultaneously across approximately 47 basic schools involved in the Newmont Ahafo North mine and Newmont Ahafo South Project.
