We appreciated your effort of providing us library stalled with books.

We hope to stabilized our relationship with your organization in the future.

Thank you and our regards to your team members for their marvelous work done.

Samuel Oppong

Ghana was a British colony until Ghana gained independence in 1957. Since the colonial era, education has been seen as way to encourage social and economical development. During the colonial era a formal education system was implemented in Ghana. Since Ghana gained independence Ghanaian governments have continued to implement a formal education system and tried to improve and increase the number of schools available. In the 1960s the Ghanaian government implemented a policy which made primary education free and mandatory. Currently in Ghana primary school education remains free. Primary school starts from the age of six, for six years and then continues for another three years of academic training combined with technical and vocational training. After basic school children can enter senior secondary school, following on to junior high school. School costs and payment for senior secondary and junior high school is expected to be provided by parents.

Towards the end of the 1980’s the Ghanaian government collaborated with the World Bank and the UN, they also collaborated with many other aid agencies to improve the education system. From 1980 the United Nations have implemented development programmes designed to support the most marginalised. The Millennium Development Goals set up by the United Nations in the 1990s provides targets for international development to be achieved by 2015. One of the goals set out is to “ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.” Through support from international development agencies, the Government are continuously working towards achieving basic education for all in Ghana, yet there are many problematic issues which affect the education system.

It has been suggested that due to issues such as world debt, population increase, and economic recession governments of some developing countries from the 1980 were compelled to reduce or cap their expenditure on education. The Department for International Development has stated that there is a lack of educational resources and government funding allocated to education in countries in Africa and this limits the country’s ability to achieve Universal Education for All. Primary school is free in Ghana but parents are expected to provide basic educational resources and a lack of finance for these could determine whether a family can afford to send and keep a child in school.

There is a lack of government funding allocated to education in Ghana school children are faced with the problem that there is a lack of education resources provided in Ghanaian schools. Parents and schools are expected to account for the lack of textbooks and educational resources yet most families and schools are not able to afford even the basic educational resources.

A problem faced by school children in Ghana is the lack of textbooks provided in schools and the inability for many families to be able to afford textbooks which are essential to the child’s learning. It has been recorded that lack of educational resources, such as text books make it very difficult for children to achieve in school and can result in low levels of attainment and children dropping out. Reading academic textbooks develop literacy levels, and comprehension adding to the pupils’ understanding of curriculum subjects. Instruction within primary school is delivered in the English language, it is important for children to develop an understanding of the English language and therefore reading materials are essential to the support children in learning a second language.

Most schools in Ghana do not have libraries and so many children do not have access to school books. Libraries give school children the ability to be able to read around the subjects within the curriculum developing their understanding. In addition having reading material available is a vital to improving literacy levels. The lack of adequate reading material effects pupil’s educational progression.

Donations of books from international sources helps to support school children affected by the lack of essential reading materials. The Department of International Development has stated that” it is important that international, external support facilitates the development of national education systems which can be sustained.”

Thrive Africa organises projects, which aim to improve the education of children in schools in Ghana. The charity works to provide donated educational resources, builds libraries in schools, and organises deliveries of donated books from the UK in order to help support the educational development of children in Ghana. Thrive Africa are working in connection with the Millennium Development Goals, helping to support school children and helping to achieve Universal Education for All. Thrive Africa collaborate with the UK based charity Book- Cycle to organise donations of books and educational resources in the UK. Thrive Africa organises groups of UK university volunteers to complete projects in Ghana, the volunteers build libraries for schools in the Ashanti region and organise the delivery of donated books. Thrive Africa ensures that books donated are in line with the curriculum and asks only for books which match the subjects needed. The projects are carefully constructed, and the charity works closely with the local schools and the local community to ensure the implementation of projects is needed and desired. The libraries provide a safe place for children to read the donated fiction and fictional books. As part of the project the pupils are encouraged and it is explained how to use the library and how it is beneficial to their education development. Thrive Africa currently sends resources to schools in Northern Ghana and plan to continue to build libraries in the rural and northern regions in Ghana as well as helping the children and schools in need in the Ashanti region.

Basic education provided in primary schools is the essential starting point in the developmental process. It is widely acknowledge that education provides people with the ability to break out of poverty. The Department for International Development have stated that, for developing countries, support from international organisations is “imperative” to the development of the education system. Donations of books from international sources is vital to ensuring children in Ghanaian schools have access to essential reading materials.

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