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From Struggles to Success: Rural Ghana’s Education Breakthrough

Published on June 3 2025

In the soft morning light of Ayensuano, 12-year-old Adwoa clutches her exercise book as she walks barefoot to school, her steps steady with purpose. Not long ago, she could barely read simple sentences. Today, she reads aloud in front of her class with confidence.

“I used to be shy because I didn’t understand what was written,” she says. “But now I can read. I even help my little sister with her homework.”

Adwoa’s journey mirrors a growing shift in rural Ghana, where education once meant being in school but not necessarily learning. Despite Ghana achieving over 90% primary school enrollment, communities like Suhum and Ayensuano have struggled for years with poor infrastructure, limited teachers, and complex social barriers. Now, signs of real learning gains are beginning to emerge.

Barriers Beyond the Blackboard
For many rural children, simply getting to school is a victory. But staying there, and succeeding, is a different battle altogether.
At the secondary level, the numbers start to drop. Only about 65% of children move on from primary to Junior High School (JHS), with many pulled out to help on farms, get married early, or due to sheer financial pressure.

“Sometimes, girls don’t come back after vacation,” says Madam Efua Danso, a JHS teacher in Suhum. “You ask around and hear she’s been married or is expecting a child. It breaks your heart.”

Even those who remain often face quality deficits. The World Bank reports that only 35% of primary students in Ghana meet minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics, highlighting a systemic issue in how children are taught and supported.

A New Approach, A Brighter Path
That is where Savana Signatures’ Rural Youth in Ghana Catching Up on Education project stepped in, with a mission to change the narrative.

The project, implemented in Suhum and Ayensuano, focused not only on getting children into school, but making sure they learn, grow, and stay.

Professional development for teachers and school leaders has been a cornerstone. Through training in clinical supervision, learner-centred pedagogy, and the Standard-Based Curriculum, teachers are now better equipped to engage and inspire their students.

But the learning goes beyond academics.
“We teach about emotions, relationships, and personal growth,” says Mr. Ibrahim, a beneficiary teacher involved in the project. “Children now talk about how they feel. They’re more respectful, more confident, and more willing to learn.”

The project placed strong emphasis on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Reproductive Health Education (RHE), areas often overlooked in rural classrooms. Teachers have been trained to weave emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and reproductive health into everyday lessons.
The outcome? Better behavior, improved attendance, and stronger student-teacher relationships.

“Before, I didn’t know how to say what I was feeling,” says 13-year-old Evans Kofi. “Now I tell my teacher when I’m sad or scared. She listens.”

Communities That Care True to its community-based approach, Savana Signatures ensured that the project also tackles the social and cultural challenges that affect learning, particularly for girls.

Savana Signatures has organized 45 community meetings, opened dialogue on issues like teenage pregnancy, child marriage, and parental neglect, and trained 150 parents on positive parenting and the importance of supporting girls’ education.

“I didn’t know how to talk to my children about certain things,” admits Beatrice, a mother in Ayensuano. “Now I talk to my daughter about her body, about school, about staying focused. I want more for her.”

Savana Signatures Closing the Gap, One Child at a Time
Raphael McClure Adomey the Programmes Manager for Education at Savana Signatures says the transformation is visible. “In classrooms, once quiet girls now raise their hands. Parents who rarely visited schools are now joining PTAs and attending workshops. Teachers who once felt unsupported now feel empowered.” Says Mr. McClure

There is still more to do, scaling interventions, enhancing teacher training, and deepening partnerships with the Ghana Education Service, but the path ahead is clearer than ever.

Through this model, learning gaps are being filled with real, measurable gains. Not just in test scores, but in confidence, awareness, and hope.

In rural Ghana, where a school uniform was once just a piece of clothing, it’s becoming a symbol of possibility.

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GALOP Project: Tamale Mayor cuts sod for construction of 6-unit classroom block at Zakaliyili

Published by Inusah Dondaliya

25th February 2026

The Mayor of Tamale, Adam Abukari Takoro has cut sod for construction of 6-unit classroom block at Zakaliyili, a farming community under Tamale South Constituency, aimed at increasing access to education and providing educational infrastructure to communities where there are no public schools.

This reflects the wish of the community members as access to basic education has been a challenging one to their kids due to lack of community basic school, resulting to their children trekking several distant kilometers to seek education.

Following the ground breaking ceremony for the commencement of the construction of the 6-unit classroom block on Tuesday 24th February 2026, by the Tamale Mayor, the predicament of the children with school going-age will soon be over as the project is expected to be completed in 8 months’ time.

Hon. Abu Takoro cut the sod on behalf of the Education Minister and MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu under whose influence the project came to fruition through Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes project known as GALOP.

It forms part of shared commitment and responsibility of the MP and the Tamale Mayor not to only increase access to education within the area but to also ensure inclusive education at all stages especially at the basic level.

The Chief and and elders of Zakaliyili joined the Mayor and his team at the project site in the community to break the ground for the work to start in earnest.Also, Accompanying the Mayor for the sod cutting ceremony were officers from the Planning and Engineering department of the Tamale Metro Assembly and other senior staff.

Addressing the Chief and the elders during his courtesy call to the community Palace prior to the ground breaking ceremony, the Mayor urged the community members to collaborate with the contractors for smooth work on site, admonishing them to serve as watchdogs of the project against any theft of construction materials among other forces that can work against the progress of the work.

He also urged the engineers in charge of the project to hire the unskilled labor within the community as laborers for the construction works.

On behalf of the community, the chief expressed his happiness over the project, noting that children who hitherto move to long distances in search of education in other communities will soon heave a sigh of relief now.

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Ramadan: Alhaj Farhan supports selected mosques in Tamale with food items

Published by Inusah Dondaliya

20th February 2026

Some Selected Mosques in Tamale have received food and assorted items from the Managing Director of Ghana Commercial Bank, Alhaji Farhan Alhassan, aimed at supporting Ramadan Festive season.

The gesture by Alhaj Farhan Alhassan forms part of his philanthropic drive of giving back to the society through GCB’s Corporate Social Responsibility.

The beneficiary Mosques include Anbariya Mosque, Bambawuyya Mosque, and Tamale Central Mosque.

Each mosque received 30 bags of rice, 10 bags of sugar, 10 cartons of milk, 10 cartons of Milo, and 10 cartons of Lifton Tea. In addition, they were each gifted with 10,000 Ghana Cedis.

On behalf of the various Mosques, their representatives expressed profound gratitude to the MD for the gesture, praying to Allah for only not rewarding him back abundantly but shield him from evil in his field of work.

On his part, the MD of GCB, Alhaj Farhan Alhassan mentioned that the Bank is embarking on this gesture as part of its corporate social responsibility.

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Hon. Patrick Boamah donates 200 bags of cement to support construction of NPP N/R party Office

Published by Inusah Dondaliya

19th February 2026

The Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, Hon. Patrick Yaw Boamah has committed resources to supporting the construction of NPP Northern Regional Office by donating 200 bags of cement to the Party Regional Executives.

The MP’s gesture forms part of his broader efforts to assist Regional Executives enforce completion of the project.

The Northern Regional Executives led by Chairman Mohammed Batimba Samba, last week, cut sod for construction of multi-purpose regional party office at Zogbeli in Tamale, aimed at ending long- aged problem of renting offices to spearhead party activities in the region including party’s operations and administrative work.

When completed the party office will contain 12 offices, a conference room, and guests rooms. Work is currently ongoing since the sod was cut and is expected to be completed in 6 months period.

Receiving the items, Alhaj Abdul Rahaman Mahama, the Northern Regional Second Vice Chairman of NPP, expressed his profuse gratitude to Hon. Patrick Yaw Boamah for his gesture, assuring that they will put it into good use to complement the construction of the project. He also lauded him for examplary leadership by extending his gesture beyond Greater Accra region to the Northern Region.

Alhaj Abdul Rahaman said “I will stand on behalf of the Regional Chairman and accept the items on behalf of the regional Chairman and say a very big thank you to Honourable Patrick Yaw Boamah and also say that we are so grateful to him for remembering us and also know that as a party man he is exhibiting leadership not only in Accra but all the way to Tamale, he is well appreciated. We will make sure that we put it into good use”.

Other Regional Executives present during the donation were Northern Regional Organizer, Rashid COP and the treasurer.

Patrick Yaw Boamah is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana representing the Okaikwei Central Constituency in the Greater Accra Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party.

Boamah entered parliament on 7 January 2013 on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party representing the Okaikwei Central Constituency. He was re-elected in the 2016 ,2020 and 2024 Ghanaian General Election to represent the constituency for a second consecutive term.

In parliament, he has served on various committees, some of which include; the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Foreign Affairs Committee.

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