The Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Ghana (FOMWAG) has launched a 12-month project to empower school children in literacy and numeracy.
The aim is to enhance the educational capabilities of school children in and outside the school environment in the Asawase, Ayigya, Bosomtwe, Adugyama and Ejura communities.
The objective of the “Volunteering for Change: Community Empowerment through Child Literacy Project” (V-CELP), is to bolster community-driven endeavours by enlisting volunteers from the communities.
These volunteers would be stationed at five disadvantaged schools, and their focus would be elevating the literacy and numeracy skills of approximately 200 pupils from class two to six by May 2025.
Hajia Kabirat Ahmed Salihs, Ashanti Regional President of FOMWAG, speaking at the launch, emphasized the prevalent challenges faced by children, particularly girls in Primary three to six within the targeted schools.
She highlighted the struggles these pupils encounter in effectively communicating in English and grasping age-appropriate mathematical concepts.
Addressing these fundamental issues, she said, it was paramount for the success of the literacy project, as it strived to proactively tackle the core obstacles and implement sustainable solutions within these communities.
She said data collected from the schools revealed that an estimated 70 per cent of the children encounter difficulties in basic reading and writing skills.
Furthermore, a significant portion of the female students exhibited a lack of engagement during lessons, not actively participating by either refraining from answering questions or seeking clarification.
These behaviours, according to her, often stemmed from a deficiency in self-confidence.
To combat these intricate literacy deficiencies, the initiative aimed to collaborate with the Ghana Education Service (GES) to deploy skilled volunteers who could impart essential knowledge and skills to foster the educational growth and future success of those children.
The programme would incorporate innovative teaching methodologies, personalized learning strategies, and targeted interventions to enhance reading, writing, English proficiency, and numeracy skills.
Dr Samson Anawine, Asokore-Mampong Municipal Director of Education, expressed his gratitude to the project initiators and expressed optimism that it would significantly benefit the day-to-day learning experiences of the children.
He also encouraged the selected schools to demonstrate resilience in maximizing the potential outcomes of the project, which was generously funded by the Star-Ghana Foundation.
