Helping Africa Foundation and its sister organisation, Friends of Yamoransa Foundation(FYF), have so far built and inaugurated five well-equipped 40-seater ICT laboratories code named “Yamoransa Model Lab” in five different regions to promote free ICT literacy.

Speaking at the official inauguration of the Yamoransa Model Lab 5 at Kyebi in the Abuakwa South Municipality of the Eastern Region, President Akufo-Addo in a speech read for him by the Minister for Works and Housing, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, said the government fully “endorsed and embraced the efforts of Helping Africa Foundation in spreading computer literacy in our schools”.

The Yamoransa Model Lab 5 was built at Kyebi through the influence of President Akufo-Addo and remains the most beautiful and most advanced of all the existing computer labs built by Helping Africa Foundation in Ghana.

It has a MakerSpace specially designed by TECHAiDE, a not-for-profit social enterprise to help prepare Ghanaian students who need the critical 21st century skills in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

ICT education

President Akufo-Addo was confident that the promotion of ICT education by the private sector would support and facilitate the government’s vision of a digitised Ghana.

The President of the Friends of Yamoransa Foundation, Dr Deborah Rose, expressed her appreciation to the President for working closely, as well as supporting and ensuring that the model 5 was built at Kyebi to empower students and teachers in their academic works.

“We are proud to work with the Ministry of Education to implement its junior high school (JHS) curriculum for ICT because many villages lack reliable electricity, we have always incorporated banks of batteries to provide back-up power for the labs when needed.

This year, we have also begun adding solar panels to the package,” Dr Rose said.

She said due to the absence of broadband internet service in most rural areas, TECHAiDE had improvised a made in Ghana invention, the

“Asanka Device” which functioned as a local version of the Internet for the ICT labs.

“Packed on a hard drive is the ICT curriculum for grades 7-9, plus the additional resources of the “Edulab Gold” software package.

An embedded chip provides wi-fi service for a distance of half a football field”.

Essential mission

The Executive Director of Helping Africa Foundation, Mr Japhet Aryiku, said the essential mission of his NGO was working to improve the education, health and social conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Ghana.

He said the Kyebi laboratory was preceded by the Yamoransa Model Lab 4 at Choggu in Tamale and was the only ICT lab that had Robotics and 3D printing facilities.

Mr Aryiku noted that all the five ICT labs and those yet to be built were called the “Yamoransa Model”, because the HAF and the FYF were aiming at supporting and assisting initiatives and projects that were driven by the local community.

He, therefore, charged the political, religious, traditional leaders and civic leaderships of the Kyebi community to support the project in a sustainable way.

The Chief Executive Officer of TECHAiDE, Mr Kafui Prebbie, indicated that the new ICT centre was programmed for the studies of ICT, Mathematics, Science and English Language.

The Paramount Chief of Akyem Kwaben, Daasebre Ayimadu Kantamanto II, who represented the Okyehene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, commended the HAF and FYF, and President Akufo-Addo for choosing Kyebi for such a magnificent ICT project and gave an assurance to the project financiers of the full commitment of the chiefs and people to maintain and sustain the project 5 in order to benefit more students.

Commendation

The Abuakwa South Municipal Director of Education, Ms Grace Owusu Addo, commended President Akufo-Addo, Friends of Yamoransa Foundation and Helping Africa Foundation for bringing such a magnificent ICT project to Kyebi and gave an assurance that the Ghana

Education Service would collaborate with the municipal assembly to ensure that the facility was properly maintained to serve the purpose for which it was established.

The Abuakwa South Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kojo Safo, called for massive investment in the study of ICT to enable the young generation to catch up with the rest of the world.

Special students with disabilities have also been given equal opportunity to study ICT at any of the Yamoransa Model Labs including; that of Kyebi, as arrangements have been made for special teachers to handle such students with utmost respect and care.