FEDCO and partners hand over new classroom block at Pieso

Federated Commodities Limited (FEDCO), a licensed cocoa buying company (LCBC) and partners, VALRHONA SA and Walter Matter, have constructed a Junior High School (JHS) classroom block for residents at Pieso in the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipality of the Western Region.

Estimated at GH¢ 900,000, the new block which has an Information Com­munication Technology (ICT) centre, headmaster’s office, staff common room, a storeroom and other facili­ties, formed part of FEDCO’s corpo­rate social responsibility programmes to ensure quality teaching in its oper­ational areas.

Speaking at the handing over cer­emony at Pieso recently, the Man­aging Director of FEDCO, Mrs Maria Adamu-Zibo, explained the group’s desire to expand and increase access to education at the basic levels in its operational areas.

She said the construction demon­strates the company’s commitment to provide holistic education for pupils in the area, adding that the new school block would increase school enrol­ment.

“We don’t want children to be marginalised and deprived. This is a huge investment FEDCO and partners have made let’s have a good culture of maintenance for the buildings to attract other assistance in future,” she said.

The Director of Special Services at Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Mr. Charles Amenyaglo, said COCOBOD and the government, had provided scholarships to students to ensure they did not labour on cocoa farms or travel long distances to access education.

He said the foundation intended to establish state-of–the-art recreational facilities in schools in the region, and therefore appealed traditional leaders to make land available for the project.

Cocoa Sourcer, VALHORNA SA, Cedric Robin, said over the years, the partners had built schools in Pieso and beyond to reduce infrastruc­ture deficit in the municipal­ity and also nurture future manpower needs.

The Municipal Education Director (MED), Sebastian Atrama Diaw, con­gratulated FEDCO for helping tackle some of the educational challenges in the area.

He, however, appealed to FEDCO to consider building a teachers’ quarters for the school as to retain staff posted to Pieso.

The Chief of Pieso, Nana Kwamina Badu, applauded FEDCO for its ex­emplary leadership in the education sector and asked other well-meaning organisations to do same.

From Clement Adzei Boye, Pieso