A Norwegian Company, Kavli Trust, and a nongovernmental organization based in Dalun, Rural Education Empowerment Program(REEP-Ghana), have joined forces to end the transportation difficulty facing needy pupils in the Kumbungu district of the northern region.
The two are providing basket bicycles for pupils who commute several miles to school in the district. Since 2012, over sixty-two bicycles have been distributed to pupils walking long distances to attend school.
The beneficiaries drawn from Nawuni, Dalun, Dalun-kukou, Kanfiehiyili took possession of the bicycles at Dalun on Friday. The bikes are to facilitate their movement to and from school, in addition to reducing their daily stress
The beneficiaries were selected after carefully monitoring of the transportation difficulties of school girls in particular, who have to do a lot of household chores after commuting long distances to school.
Director of REEP-Ghana, Mr Abukari Abdul Fatawu who presented the bikes to the pupils at urged parents to ensure that the bikes are maintained regularly. The presentation was a prelude to an annual large education and health equipment presentation to some selected institutions in the municipal and district assemblies in the northern region.
Mr Abdul Fatawu who is also the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) 2016 parliamentary candidate for Kumbungu constituency told Zaa News that it was part of a component of REEP-Ghana program know as Hope Riders where bicycles are given to needy pupils.
He explained that the bikes will instill hope in the pupils who as a result of transportation problems contemplate dropping out of school.
Two of the pupils from Kumbungu D/A junior high school, Sumaya Andani and Samata Adam expressed their gratitude to REEP-Ghana for showing concern about their future.
According to the pupils, their begging for rides from Kanfiehiyili to Kumbungu, a distance of about five kilometers, will be a thing of the past. Narrating their ordeal, Miss Sumaya said, “We do a lot of household chores and walk several miles to school exhausted,which makes learning very difficult for us.”
The Chief of Dalun, Mahama Hamidu who supervised the presentation of the bikes praised Mr Abdul Fatawu for using his connections to the benefit the less privileged in his jurisdiction.
The chief entreated other young people with ideas that can help the youngsters in the area to come forward.
