Nestlé Ghana and ECOM Ghana have handed over a newly constructed six-unit classroom block to Adarkwa Methodist Primary School in the Eastern Region. The project is part of efforts to support education in cocoa-growing communities nationwide.
The handover ceremony took place on Friday, May 22. The facility includes classrooms, offices, storerooms, and toilets, aimed at providing a safer and more conducive learning environment for pupils and teachers. Stakeholders described it as a major boost for education in Adarkwa.
Nestlé Ghana Managing Director Salome Azevedo said the initiative was intended to inspire hope and create greater opportunities for children. “I am delighted to be here today for this brief ceremony to hand over a six-unit classroom block with offices, storeroom, and toilet facilities to the Adarkwa Methodist Primary School, an initiative that will inspire new hope and create greater opportunities for the children of this community,” she said.
She stressed that safe and comfortable classrooms are vital for shaping young minds and nurturing dreams. “In a good classroom, students feel comfortable, respected, and ready to learn. It is a place where young minds are shaped, confidence is built, and dreams are nurtured,” she added.
Mrs. Azevedo disclosed that Nestlé Ghana had commissioned four schools in the Ashanti Region earlier this year and was simultaneously commissioning another in Akroma, Central Region. Three more schools are under construction with ECOM Ghana and are expected to be completed before year-end. She said the initiative reflects Nestlé’s commitment to the well-being of cocoa-growing communities where it sources raw materials, and noted that the desks were made from recycled plastic to help tackle plastic waste.
Speaking on behalf of Suhum Municipal Chief Executive Lydia Ohenewa Sarah, a presiding member commended Nestlé and ECOM for investing in education infrastructure. She said the facility would improve teaching and learning, inspire confidence, encourage regular attendance, and promote better academic performance, and appealed for proper maintenance to serve generations yet unborn.
Headmaster Emmanuel Padi thanked the companies, describing the project as the fulfillment of a long-held dream. He said the school had operated for nearly 90 years in a dilapidated structure that negatively affected teaching and learning: “The children were not coming to school frequently. Sometimes they got sick because the classrooms were too hot. During rainfall and extreme heat, academic work had to stop.” He believes the new facility will improve performance and increase enrollment.
