The Helping Africa Foundation (HAF) and the Friends of Yamoransa Foundation (FYF) have inaugurated new additions of the Yamoransa Lab 2 at Gbawe in the Weija-Gbawe Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
The YM Lab 2 which is one of the eight ultra-modern ICT training centers constructed by the two Foundations under the Yamoransa Model Lab program was re-commissioned and it’s new additions inaugurated to the students, parents and community of Weija-Gbawe to enhance learning beyond ICT.
The facility which consisted of a 35-seater capacity Edulab and makerspace for Robotics, 3D printing, and coding, currently has a Home economics center for catering, a sewing center, and a science laboratory and is fully powered by a solar system as its newest additions.
These facilities are to help students of the school and community learn skills that would make them competitive and valuable in the job market in the future.
The project was managed by IMPLEMENTERS, a non-profit project management organization that partners with charitable organisations, philanthropists and corporate institutions to positively impact communities.
As project managers, Implementers undertook all the needs assessments, stakeholder consultations and ensured the effective implementation of the project and would continue with the management of the project for the next few years while monitoring, evaluating, and assessing the impact of the project.
Speaking at the occasion to re-dedicate the facility and inauguration the new additions, Mr. Kafui Prebbie, the Chief Executive Officer of TECHAiDE, a non-profit technology company indicated that the Yamoransa Model Lab 2 was running on a solar panel, big enough to power the makerspace (robotic center), home economics block, administration block, science laboratory block, sewing center, and the entire school.
According to him, TECHAiDE which is responsible for the installation of all the Yamoransa Model Labs, would provide the necessary knowledge transfer to the managers of the Lab for proper management and sustainability.
Mr. Japhet Aryiku, Executive Director of the HAF said the Foundation has a mission to spread computer literacy throughout Ghana and Africa as a whole and disclosed that plans were far advanced for the Yamoransa ICT Model Lab to be introduced in The Gambia and other African countries.
He revealed that the Foundation decided to add the Home Economics block to the L & A Memorial Academy because the school provides free breakfast to the students on each school-going day; and that the solar panels were to also reduce the huge electricity cost on the school.
Dr. Deborah Rose (Ph.D.), President of the HAF indicated that the main purpose of introducing the Yamoransa ICT Model Labs was to promote the learning of ICT in the rural areas of Ghana.
She said the project which is being offered for free is to ensure quality teaching, learning and research works amongst students, teachers, and community members and that the lab should be made accessible to all the schools in the Municipality.
Dr. Rose revealed that the HAF and its partners had put in measures to assist the beneficiary communities of the Yamoransa Model Labs to manage and sustain their facilities.
According to her, the Foundations had received a request from the Management of L & A Memorial Academy for a bus to be provided for the Centre to transport students to and from the lab.
The President of HAF however said that the bus could only be provided on the condition that the city authorities (municipal assembly, member of parliament, and the chiefs) would ensure that the main road to the school is tarred.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Weija-Gbawe, Madam Tina Ayeley Mensah was not present at the ceremony, but Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, MP for Ablekuma South assured Dr. Deborah Rose of his readiness to assist the MP to lobby the Roads and Highways Minister for the road to be fixed.
Commending Dr. Rose and her partners for supporting needy communities and impacting lives through the Yamoransa Model labs, Dr. Vanderpuije urged the students to take advantage of the Lab to become the best they could ever dream to become.
Mr. Stephen Donkor, Headmaster of the L & A Memorial Academy commended the Helping Africa Foundation and Friends of Yamoransa Foundation for choosing their school to host the lab.
He touted the many successes the school had chalked and the large number of influential personalities the L & A Memorial Academy has produced.
Mr. Donkor assured the readiness of the school management to offer the needed support towards the sustainability of the lab.
The occasion was graced by a representative of the Weija-Gbawe traditional council as a sign of support to the project and an appreciation of the good works of the Helping Africa Foundation.
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