In 2007 residents of Lente-Wute, a community in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta region opened a basic school in the community to ensure easy access to basic formal education for their children.
Though there were schools in the neighbouring communities at the time proximity was a big challenge especially for beginners.
This according to the Assembly member for the area, Paul Geli was what necessitated the move to establish a school in the community.
“There was no school here so our children had to walk long distances to other communities to access education. This was difficult for the younger ones who would have to wait until they got to 5 or 6-years before they could walk the distances to school. This is what forced us to establish a school in the community.”
The school, however, collapsed few years later since the community could not provide infrastructure, teaching materials and teachers to facilitate effective teaching and learning.
In 2019, a philanthropist and citizen of the community, Felix Akonta Akakpo took a another bold initiative to open another basic school in the community.
The school opened in 2019 with 17 children who were housed under the structures of the Church of Pentecost until a permanent site was acquired in 2021 for the construction of a modern classroom facility.
The building of the facility which has now been officially handed over to the community was initiated and funded by the philanthropist, Felix Akonta Akakpo.
Addressing a gathering of parents, chiefs and stakeholders during the commissioning and handing over of the facility on Wednesday, Mr. Akonta revealed that the struggles he faced during his childhood in an attempt to have access to education motivated him to build the school.
He said, “I am a native of Lente-Wute community who struggled moving for long distances to school in the 90s. This singular challenge had a great toll on me and other children at that time. The distance to cover to attend school in other communities created in me a great desire to come back and help the community educate the children.”
“In pursuit of this dream, in the year 2019, I conceived the idea to start this school. The vision was to provide a community-based free and compulsory education for all children in the Lente-Wute community,” he added.
True to this vision, the school which now has 500 pupils is free and made compulsory for all children of the community.
Teachers’ salaries and educational materials are all catered for by Mr. Akonta Akakpo.
The new facility will provide classroom accommodation to the pupils.
The facility comes with an office, stores, a library and a computer lab.
Mr. Akonta also used the opportunity to appeal to the government to absorb the school and put it under the Ghana Education Service (GES).
In recognition of his heroic contributions to the development of the area, the Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area Torgbuiga Adzongaga Amenya Fiti V who graced the occasion conferred on him the title of a youth leader (Sorhefia).
This tittle was formerly held by the late Komla Afeke Dumor, who was a renowed BBC broadcaster.
Torgbuiga Fiti indicated that the young man, Felix Akonta Akakpo who had earlier built a CHPS Compound for the community is a deserving son of the land for the recognition.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Faisel Abdul-Iddrisu
