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More Than Teaching: Suhum and Ayensuano Teachers Shoulder Rising Social Burdens.

Published on June 2 2025

Introduction
In a modest classroom in Suhum, Madam Abena Yeboah’s day begins not with numbers or textbooks, but with wiping away tears, calming emotional outbursts, and looking out for signs of neglect among her students.
“I trained to teach mathematics,” she says with a quiet sigh. “But now, my mornings are spent comforting hungry children and addressing challenges that go far beyond the classroom syllabus.”

Across Ghana’s Eastern Region, in rural districts like Suhum and Ayensuano, teachers are carrying more than chalk and textbooks. They are increasingly stepping in as caregivers, counselors, and providers. As parental involvement fades, the classroom has become a refuge for children left behind by poverty, migration, and fractured family structures.

Disappearing Parents, Disconnected Homes
For many families, survival has become the top priority. Economic hardship forces parents to focus on feeding their children, often at the expense of their educational involvement. Rural-urban migration has also seen many children left in the care of elderly grandparents or relatives, some of whom are too frail or illiterate to support schoolwork.
“I want to help my children with school,” says Akua Mensima, a single mother in Ayensuano, “but I leave home before sunrise to sell at the market and return after dark. If I don’t work, we don’t eat.”
In communities where both time and resources are stretched thin, the responsibility to raise and mold children is gradually shifting from the family to the teacher.

Burnout in the Classroom
For educators like Mr. Kwame Mensah, the changes are overwhelming.
“It used to be a partnership,” he says. “Parents cared. They came to meetings. Now, we’re expected to handle everything, from feeding hungry students to addressing trauma from unstable homes. And then somehow still teach.”
The pressure is mounting. Teachers are increasingly exhausted and emotionally drained. The demands of Ghana’s new Standard-Based Curriculum, which requires detailed planning and delivery, are often sidelined by the immediate social and emotional needs of their students.
Classroom time is now divided between education and crisis management, leaving learning outcomes hanging in the balance.

A Ray of Hope
Despite the bleak picture, some changes are beginning to take root. Through targeted interventions such as Savana Signatures’ “Rural Youth in Ghana Catching up on Education” project, communities are slowly beginning to re-engage with schools.
The project has conducted 45 community discussions involving over 850 parents and supported the formation of five Child Protection Committees. Since its implementation, teachers in targeted schools report increased parental presence and a notable reduction in classroom stress.
“We didn’t realize how our absence was affecting our children,” one parent confessed after a sensitisation session. “Now, I try to attend meetings and check on their homework. It’s a small start, but it matters.”

Rebuilding the Bridge
Education stakeholders are calling for stronger community-school partnerships. Suggestions include establishing active Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), organising family engagement days at schools, creating mentorship programmes for young or single parents and hosting public awareness campaigns to highlight the role of parents in education
“This isn’t about pointing fingers,” says a local education officer. “It’s about bringing parents back into the picture. Teachers can’t raise these children alone.”

Beyond the Curriculum
As the day winds down in Ayensuano, Madam Abena finishes her lesson notes. Today, she has fed a student who hadn’t eaten in two days, comforted another with visible signs of neglect, and settled a dispute between siblings, all before starting her class.
“I love teaching,” she says. “But I can’t keep doing everything. No teacher can.”
Her voice, like that of many others, is not one of anger, but of quiet desperation. Because when the bell rings in Suhum and Ayensuano, it doesn’t just summon children to class, it calls an entire community to action.

By: Prince Kwame Tamakloe/Ralf – Savana Signatures

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Quality Ice CEO Alhassan Iddi Donates Deep Freezer to Sankara Nationals FC


‎Details

Published: 21 October 2026

Published at: 11:09Am

By Saibu Terry


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‎The Chief Executive Officer of Quality Ice, a leading producer and distributor of quality mineral water in Yendi and the Eastern Corridor, Mr Alhassan Iddi, has donated a brand-new deep freezer to Sankara Nationals FC to support the club’s operations.


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‎The donation was made on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at the club’s headquarters in Yendi, with representatives of the playing body and management receiving the item on behalf of the club.
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‎The delegation was led by players’ leadership representatives Mohammed Salis Toufick and Sulemana Murtala, alongside management member Tahiru Osman.


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‎Mr Iddi’s gesture is expected to contribute to the club’s operational needs as Sankara Nationals FC continues its campaign in the 2026/27 UMB Division One League.
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‎Quality Ice has established itself as one of the major producers and distributors of quality mineral water in Yendi and the wider Eastern Corridor, with the donation reflecting a show of support for the development of football in the area.


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‎Speaking on behalf of the club’s Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Osman Baba Daney, management member Tahiru Osman, popularly known as Orga, expressed profound gratitude to Mr Iddi for his generosity and commitment to supporting the club.


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‎He assured the donor that the deep freezer would be put to its intended use and maintained appropriately for the benefit of the club.
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‎The management, players, technical staff, supporters and all stakeholders of Sankara Nationals FC have expressed their appreciation to Mr Iddi and Quality Ice for the timely support.


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‎The club has also offered prayers for God’s blessings upon the donor, asking for continued prosperity and success in his business endeavours.
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‎The donation comes at a positive moment for Sankara Nationals FC, who are enjoying an impressive start to the 2026/27 UMB Division One League season.
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‎The Yendi-based side currently lead the Zone One A standings with 13 points from five matches, having recorded four wins and one draw.


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‎Their unbeaten run has strengthened their position at the top of the table as they continue to pursue their ambitions in the ongoing campaign.
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‎The club’s management has consistently called for support from individuals, businesses and other stakeholders to help sustain its progress and strengthen its efforts both on and off the pitch.


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‎Mr Alhassan Iddi’s donation is another welcome contribution towards that objective, with Sankara Nationals FC expressing optimism that such acts of goodwill will inspire further support for the club.

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NLA Presents GH¢10 Million Dividend to Government

Details

Published: October 2, 2026

Published at : 05:59Pm

By SAIBU TERRY.

The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has presented a GH¢10 million dividend to the Government of Ghana, marking the Authority’s return to contributing directly to the Consolidated Fund.

The cheque was presented by the NLA Board and Management to the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, with Director-General Mohammed Abdul-Salam leading t8he Authority’s delegation.

The payment represents the NLA’s first dividend contribution to the state since 2017, according to reports on the presentation.

Dr. Ato Forson welcomed the development but stressed that the contribution should not be treated as a symbolic gesture. He called for sustained efforts by the NLA to improve its revenue generation and deliver greater financial value to the state.

The Finance Minister further disclosed that the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the NLA and the Attorney-General, is reviewing existing revenue-sharing agreements involving the Authority. According to him, the review is intended to address arrangements that may have limited the revenue accruing to government.

In a statement shared on his Facebook page, NLA Director-General Mohammed Abdul-Salam said the dividend reflects the Authority’s renewed focus on efficiency, transparency and revenue generation.

He said the NLA would continue working to strengthen its operations and contribute meaningfully to national development through its statutory mandate.

The GH¢10 million payment is therefore being positioned as part of broader efforts to improve the NLA’s financial performance and strengthen its contribution to Ghana’s public finances.

The NLA has also urged the public to remain vigilant against fraudsters and scammers who may seek to exploit the Authority’s name for fraudulent activities.

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GABBSO Hospital Zone Treats Dakpema Pupils and Staff to Free Haircuts

Details

Published: September 26, 2026

Published at: 05:11

Ghananewsnet.com

​ Pupils and staff of the Dakpema Primary and Junior High School were met with a pleasant surprise on Friday, September 25, 2026, as the Hospital Zone of the Ghana Association of Barbers and Barbering Salon Owners (GABBSO) rolled out a free haircut outreach at their school compound.

​The community focused initiative brought smiles to the faces of over 100 students, providing them with fresh grooming free of charge.

According to leadership, the exercise forms part of the association’s broader corporate social responsibility to give back to society and support parents within the local community.

​Speaking during the outreach, the Regional Secretary of GABBSO, Mr. Abu Abdulai, who also serves as the Northern Regional Secretary for Association of Small Scale Industries(ASSI) took the opportunity to champion industry unity.

He urged fellow barbers operating within the region who have yet to join the association to register, emphasizing the numerous welfare and professional benefits members stand to gain.

​Mr. Abdulai also made a direct appeal to the Member of Parliament (MP) who double as Ghana Education Minister, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, calling for partnership and financial or logistical support.

He noted that with backing from the lawmaker, GABBSO can successfully scale up the initiative to reach many more schools across the constituency.

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