The Chief Executive Officer of Coastal Television, Mrs. Gifty Nyomi, on Monday marked this year’s Easter celebrations with a generous donation to pupils of Ekon Cluster of Schools, a sub-community within the Cape Coast Metropolis in the Central Region.
The donation, which included clothes, shoes, and assorted small chops, brought joy and relief to the school children, many of whom come from fishing families currently facing economic hardship.
Speaking during the presentation, Mrs. Nyomi explained that her gesture was inspired by a recent news report highlighting the devastating impact of sea erosion on the Ekon community. According to her, several buildings have been destroyed, leaving residents in distress.
She further noted that the people of Ekon, predominantly fishermen, are also grappling with the lack of a landing beach, a critical facility for their livelihood. This challenge, she said, forces them to travel long distances to engage in fishing activities, thereby affecting their income and general well-being.
Mrs. Nyomi revealed that after learning about the plight of the community, she reached out to some donors in the United States for support. The Easter donation, she indicated, was part of efforts to bring some relief and hope to the affected families, especially the children.
“Considering the current situation where many parents are not actively working due to these challenges, it would be difficult for them to celebrate occasions like Easter. That is why I decided to come and share this moment with the children,” she stated.
On behalf of the school, the Assistant Headteacher, Mr. Edward Mensah, expressed profound gratitude to Mrs. Nyomi for the kind gesture. He explained that Cluster of Schools comprises Primary A, Primary B, and a Junior High School (JHS), with a total student population of over 500. He noted that the donation would go a long way to support the pupils and uplift their spirits during the festive season.
Mr. Mensah also highlighted some of the pressing challenges facing the school, including inadequate learning materials, the lack of an Information Technology (IT) center, and the need for renovation of existing school blocks. He appealed to benevolent individuals and organizations to come to the aid of the school to improve teaching and learning conditions.
Also speaking at the event, the elected Assembly Member for the area, Hon. Bernard Baidoo, thanked Mrs. Nyomi and her partners for remembering the community in their time of need. He used the opportunity to appeal to the government and relevant stakeholders to prioritize the construction of a landing beach for Ekon. According to him, such a facility would significantly boost fishing activities and improve the economic growth of the area.
The school authorities and community members once again expressed their appreciation for the timely intervention and reiterated their call for urgent support to address the challenges facing both the school and the wider community.
The event ended on a joyful note, with the children visibly excited as they received the items and participated in the Easter festivities.
By Frank Asorba Kofi Essuman
