Balungu-Ganlagrum, a rural community in the Bongo District of Ghana’s Upper East Region, has received a modest but life-changing boost to basic education through a targeted philanthropic intervention aimed at restoring dignity to learning spaces for young pupils. The Balungu-Ganlagrum D/A Primary School, established in 2016 through communal effort, has long struggled with inadequate infrastructure and a severe shortage of furniture. With no external funding at its inception, parents and community members moulded mud blocks to construct temporary classrooms. Over time, these structures collapsed, leaving pupils without permanent classrooms and forcing many to learn under trees or sit on bare ground during lessons. The situation adversely affected teaching and learning, contributing to absenteeism and, in some cases, pupil dropouts. Some children were compelled to walk long distances to neighbouring communities in search of better learning conditions, exposing them to safety risks. In response to these challenges, Veggies Plus Rice Foundation, in partnership with Upper Hand Initiatives and the National Youth Authority (NYA), donated ten dual desks to the school. The intervention followed an assessment of deprived schools in the Bongo District, which identified Balungu-Ganlagrum D/A Primary School as a priority beneficiary due to its acute furniture deficit. The donation forms part of the Foundation’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, designed to support underserved communities through practical, needs-based solutions. For the school, which has an enrollment of 81 pupils and six teachers, the desks provide immediate relief and a more conducive learning environment for young learners. A visit by GBC URA Radio revealed the extent of the school’s infrastructural challenges. Kindergarten and lower primary pupils currently study under trees due to the lack of classrooms, while upper primary classes are combined in limited spaces, resulting in multigrade teaching driven more by necessity than by educational planning. Presenting the desks, representatives of the partner organisations emphasised the importance of improving basic learning conditions, particularly at the foundational level of education. Speaking on behalf of Veggies Plus Rice Foundation, Madam Elizabeth Alenye reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities through targeted interventions that directly address pressing needs. The Headteacher of the school, Madam Philomina Atinga Azumah, expressed profound gratitude to Veggies Plus Rice Foundation, Upper Hand Initiatives, and the National Youth Authority for the timely support. She noted that while the school’s inclusion in the Ghana School Feeding Programme has helped sustain enrolment, quality education also requires adequate furniture and permanent classroom infrastructure. She appealed to government agencies, development partners, and philanthropic organisations to come to the aid of the school with additional desks, teaching and learning materials, and classroom facilities. Community leaders also used the occasion to highlight broader development needs. PTA Chairman Ben Ataweera Atinga called on the National Youth Authority to introduce skills training programmes for youth in the area, while PTA Organiser Abalungu Akan-melog underscored the need for reading materials to strengthen literacy and sustain pupils’ interest in education. The Upper East Regional Director of the National Youth Authority, Francis Takyi-Koranteng, commended Veggies Plus Rice Foundation for its commitment to grassroots development and for collaborating with the Authority to support a truly deserving school. Although limited in number, the donated desks have restored a sense of dignity and hope to the Balungu-Ganlagrum D/A Primary School. The intervention highlights how targeted philanthropy, driven by partnership and local needs, can make a tangible difference in communities on the margins. For the children of Balungu-Ganlagrum, the desks represent more than furniture—they symbolise empathy, opportunity, and the belief that every child deserves a fair start in life through access to quality education. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Prosper Adankai/Contributor
