The Barrowman Foundation partnered with ActionAid in 2012 to support an education project with the Kowie community and the local government in Sissala East district in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Action was needed to improve access to quality education for 174 children who had to travel to attend school in the neighbouring community of Kong, where the average class size was 70 pupils. The lack of education facilities in Kowie meant that there was low awareness of the importance of education amongst parents and adults and responsibility was being placed on children to support their families economically. Following consultation with the local community the commitment was given to provide facilities for primary education by:

• Building a new six-classroom block with facilities to provide an environment conducive to learning
• Increasing the number of children in Kowie attending school and ensuring ongoing good quality education provision.
• With the support achieved, a great number of successes were achieved:
• The engagement of the community and government in making this project sustainable
• Kowie community came together and agreed to provide eight acres of land for the school
• The Ghanaian government committed to take responsibility for the school post construction, and to work alongside the School Management Committee to ensure that the school is properly run, managed and maintained
• The school was opened in September 2013
• The enrolment rate for children in the Kowie community is now 100%
• 176 children were enrolled at the start of the 2013/14 academic year, increasing to 211 for the 2014/15 year
• The government provided six teachers and a headteacher for the school, and implemented a school feeding programme, which ensures that children are provided with lunch.

OTHER SUCCESS STORIES