American rapper Jeffery Atkins, popularly known as Ja Rule, has inaugurated a six-unit classroom block for the Nuaso Anglican Primary School in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The inauguration was done in partnership with Pencils of Promise, an international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in education.
The block, which was financed by the rapper, was furnished with dual desks and learning materials as well as an ancillary eight-unit water closet toilet facility.
This was after Ja Rule and Pencils of Promise had cut the sod for the commencement of construction work on April 1, 2024.
Accompanied by his wife, Aisha, the rapper expressed happiness of his ability to have put up the classroom block to enhance education in the community.
He said it was fulfilling to give back to society after a successful career and accomplishments, adding that there was no better place to do that than in the Nuaso Community.
He expressed the hope that he would see progress in the lives of the children in terms of their educational development when next he visited the community.
Ja Rule promised to bring onboard other projects he was passionate about to the community, including film, music, arts and sports.
“I am looking at building a nice gym facility here for you and a space where you can practice music, dance, arts and all the things that we love,” he said.
Mr Freeman Gobah, Ghana Country Director of Pencils of Promise, said they chose the school as part of efforts to end the shift system, which was practiced at the school, for years, due to its infrastructure challenges.
“The completion of this six-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities will not only help solve the infrastructural challenges as far as this school is concerned, but will also reduce the school’s enrollment and attendance challenges,” he added.
Mr Gomah urged the school authorities and learners to use the facility effectively to improve education outcomes in the community.
He pledged his organisation’s continued support to doing more to support education advancement through infrastructural development and teachers’ capacity building as it had done over the past 13 years.
Mr Samuel Tetteh, Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Education Director, said the school, through the Assembly, made an appeal for support after their old building was damaged by rainstorm some five years ago, resulting in truancy among students.
He said they looked forward to ending the shift system and increasing enrollment and attendance in the school with the inauguration of the new classroom block.
Meanwhile, Ja Rule and his team paid a courtesy call on the Konor of Manya Krobo, Nene Sakite II, prior to the inauguration of the block.
The rapper was presented with gifts, including the traditional Kente cloth and beads, by the traditional leaders of the area for his generosity.
GNA
