One of the most important keys to breaking the cycle of poverty is education. When children are well-educated, they have more opportunities to get good jobs and contribute to the well-being of the community. Plan Canada has been investing heavily in building schools and encouraging student enrollment in Volta, Ghana, but every classroom needs a trained and well-qualified teacher.
Staffing schools in Volta is a challenge; there are just not enough qualified teachers. Through Community Sponsorship, Plan is providing prospective teachers with the training they need to provide the skills necessary to create an effective classroom.
Rural schools also face an additional challenge; teachers tend to prefer living in the city, and even if they do take a job in the country, villages often don’t have a place for them to live.
“Because teacher accommodation is limited, it will be difficult to attract teachers to the village, let alone teachers who are trained and excited to be there,” says Global’s Seanna Collins. “Plus, right now, teachers must walk many kilometres to get to the school, and during the rainy season, many cannot make the long journey.”
Seanna Collins, who visited Volta with Plan Canada to see their Community Sponsorship projects, sees the benefit of having the teachers embedded with the local community.
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“By having teachers live in the community, they will be able to attend school every day to educate the children.”
Plan Canada helps communities provide housing for its teachers. Not only does this benefit the teacher by eliminating a long commute, having a teacher on site will improve the quality of education.
Plan Canada has more planned to improve the access to and quality of education in Volta. You can help by being part of the Edmonton Challenge: Plan is looking for 800 individuals or families to support Volta through Community Sponsorship . A donation of $39/month helps the community develop the tools and skills to break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient. Learn more at plancanada.ca/edmonton-challenge .
