PROJECT ABANDONED AT DABOASE SENIOR HIGH AND TECHNICAL SCHOOL (DSTS)

This 12-unit classroom block is at a standstill since it started five years ago. Students and teachers at the school are calling for the completion of the project to ease the overcrowding situation at the school.

By: Frank K. Danso,

ISD-Daboase

DISTRICT MAP

Mpohor Wassa East District is located at the south-eastern end of the Western Region. It is bounded on the northeast and southeast by the Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira (THLD) and Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem Municipal all in the Central Region.
The District is again bounded on the west by the Wassa Amenfi West District Assembly, and in the south, by the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan. On the east, it shares boundaries with Ahanta West District Assembly (AWDA).
The District was carved out from Wassa Fiase Mpohor District in 1988 and occupies an area of 1880 square kilometres (464,553) of which 344 square km 85,000 hectares are used as cultivable land. The District capital is Daboase, which is 6.7 km from the Cape Coast Takoradi main road.

Credit : Ghanaweb

MAP OF WESTERN REGION

Immunization Exercise

165 Communities will be covered in the fourth and final round of this year’s immunization exercise in the Mpohor Wassa East District of the Western Region. The three-day exercise is expected to immunize more than 32,000 children against polio and other diseases.

The District Disease Control Officer of the Ghana Health Service, Mr. Joseph Kwabena Arthur disclosed this in an interview with the Information Services Department at Daboase.

The Disease control officer said that the last round of the immunization exercise is a mixed bag, explaining that the exercise will include a deworming exercise for children between the ages of two and five years, provision of vitamin A to both expectant and nursing mothers.

He also said the G.H.S. is liaising with the veterinary service department to conduct dogs and cats census along side the immunization exercise, saying that the collaboration is aimed at controlling rabies in the country. According to Mr. Arthur the communities have been adequately informed about the immunization exercise through mediums such as community radios, churches and social mobilization.

Meanwhile the District has been divided into five zones with 260 volunteers forming 130 teams of which each team is assigned a community to operate in, the officer disclosed.

Notwithstanding the voluntary nature of the work, the officer said volunteers are given some allowance in order to motivate them for their efforts.

On the challenges confronting the exercise, Mr. Arthur mentioned lack of vehicles as a bane in their operation since most decentralized departments are reluctant in releasing their vehicles for the exercise. He also identified cultural beliefs of the people as a stumbling block to the work, explaining that most rural folks have a negative perception about the exercise.

“Some people are difficult to reach and other areas are also difficult to reach,” he stressed.

Mr. Joseph Kwabena Arthur, however, expressed his appreciation to the DCE. Hon. Anthony Bassaw and the Assembly for ensuring that vehicles are released for the exercise on time, expressing the hope that this will go a long way in achieving a hundred percent record with the exercise.

Again he appealed to donor agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to assist the office in fueling the vehicles.

Mr. Arthur told the Information Services Department that the team is poised at achieving a hundred percent record in the last round of the exercise since most of their needs have been met.

So far 94,933 children have been immunized in the first three exercises. The last round of the immunization exercise begins today the 12th of November and expected to end 14th November, 2009.


SUBMITTED BY:

Frank k. Danso, ISD.

Dabose.

Assemly to honour former DCE and dedicated staff

The Mpohor Wassa East District Assembly will honour and award the immediate past District Chief Executive, Mr. Edward Tawiah Ampronfi and other hard working and dedicated senior and junior staff of the Assembly this year.

The award is to recognize their contribution to the development of the District and also serve as a means of motivating other staff to emulate their foot steps.

The District Chief Executive, Hon. Anthony Bassaw disclosed this at the 2nd ordinary meeting of the 3rd session of the Assembly at Daboase in the Western Region.

The DCE said it is only when people are recognized for their work that others will be motivated to work hard in order to be recognized.

He acknowledged the invaluable role played by the former DCE for the past eight years as one that needs commendation and reward hence the need for the honour.

Daboase SHTS appeals for Gov't support

The Headmaster of Daboase Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Rev. Daniel Yaw Amaning has made a passionate appeal to government and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GET Fund) to support the school in addressing the myriad infrastructural problems of the school. The school lacks infrastructure and the few ones available leaks whenever it rains.

Rev. Amaning made the appeal in an interview with the Information Services Department (ISD) at Daboase in the Mpohor Wassa East District of the Western Region. He said the 18-year old school has never seen any additional infrastructure and renovation since its establishment, stressing that a 12 unit classroom block being put up for the school is at a standstill since the project started five years ago.

He also said although the school is to benefit from the model school programme nothing has been said about it in the school.

According to the Headmaster, the school will not be able to admit students in the next academic year due to the four year Senior High programme, describing it as worrying and threatening to the effective running of the school. He added that the situation is so bad that an eight – unit market stalls has now been converted into boy’s hostel for the school.

Meanwhile about 80 per cent of the teachers are living outside Daboase making supervision of students very difficult due to the lack of quarters for teachers. He complained about the uncooperative behaviour of the people and frequent harassment from the owners of the school land.

Rev. Amaning is therefore calling for an immediate intervention by government, the GetFund administrator and other stakeholders and benevolent organizations in order to forestall the situation.

This reporter’s checks at the school confirms the situation, almost every structure at the school has been patched at the roof to stop leakages when it rains, including the administration block and the headmaster’s bungalow.

Some students at the school told this reporter that they had their mattresses socked in water during the raining season. The boy’s hostel is in bad shape and overcrowded with a room housing students more than it could contain. Some of the boys told this reporter that they find it difficult to sleep in the afternoon and in the evening because of the heat emanating from the room.

Infrastructure at the school is nothing to be proud of. The canteen is an old fenced structure sited closed to a place of convenience attached to the girls hostel.

The Assembly hall has been turned into a multi-purpose facility, serving as a classroom, girl’s hostel, offices for Home Economic and Agric Department as well as a bookshop.

In the 21st century where Information Communication and Technology (ICT), has become part and parcel of all human endeavour, Daboase SHTS can boast of only 12 computers which is also not in good shape with no internet connection.

So far the school can boast of 20 teachers and three national service personnel most of whom are staying outside the district due to lack of accommodation. Out of the prudent management style of Rev. Daniel Yaw Amaning who became the headmaster two years ago, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is funding a hostel facility for the school. The project which is at the foundation level is expected to solve the overcrowding situation at the boy’s hostel.

Records available shows that academic performance is not one of the best due to infrastructural challenges. For instance the library can not accommodate more than 30 students with a student population of about 700, forcing most of the students to do their readings under trees and other unsafe places.