ST. VINCENT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION-YENDI. GHANA WEST AFRICA PROJECT

(Artist Impression of 3 classrooms with 4 offices plus lavatory -> construction works have begun with a donation of 45,000 AUD from a generous Aussie friend of Fr. Erasmus)

GROUND FLOOR PLAN of 3 classrooms with 4 offices and lavatory

PROJECT COST AND PROSPECTS: This project will cause at least 900,000 Australian dollars in initial constructional work alone. It might require at least another 300,000 Australian dollars for equipment and provision of learning materials and services. Physical structures to be constructed in the FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT:

1. Cost of building plans and quantities ……………………………………………….. = 16,000 AUD 2. 3 Classrooms/Lecture block with offices (5 rooms) ………………..……... = 73,900 AUD 3. Administration block (9 rooms) ……………………………………………………..… = 90,000 AUD 4. Library, ICT and Science Laboratory block …………………………..……….…. = 224,181 AUD 5. 3 Dormitories with lavatories for 150 students ……………………….…. = 101,450 AUD 6. Dining Hall & Kitchen with store (400 seating capacity) ……………….…. = 103,666 AUD 7. Principal’s Quarters (3-bedroom) block ……………………………………..…... = 86,796 AUD 8. 2 Apartments - Lecturers’ Quarters ……………………..………………..………. = 107,701 AUD 9. 3 Apartments - Vice-Principal, Finance Director, Kitchen Matron……. = 128,975 AUD 10. SPECIALISED RAMTEC FORMWORK ……………………………………………… $40,000

11. RAMTEC MECHANICAL COMPACTION EQUIPMENT ………………………… $12,000 12. RAMTEC TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR TWO LOCAL WORKERS ………. $ 9,500 13. TRANSPORT OF RAMTEC EQUIPMENT TO GHANA …………………………... $ 40,000

Total …………………………………………………………………………………………......... = $ 1,034,169 AUD

As at now, adequate land (57.07acres) has been acquired through the help of Yendi local chiefs for the project. Also, a generous Australian friend of Fr. Erasmus has already donated 45,000 AUD to our account and this amount is being used to manufacture cement blocks to begin the construction of the 3 classrooms with 4 offices in Yendi this year 2011.

THE MERITS OF ST. VINCENT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, YENDI-GHANA

St. Vincent College of Education-Yendi is a teacher training facility with special concern for girl child education through a special support and recruitment of rural female candidates, who constitute 50% of total enrolment as trainee teachers. The most practical way of supporting and keeping the rural girl child in school is by improving the perennial poor educational standards in six disadvantaged rural districts of Ghana through the training of teachers recruited from among the local rural population, who after graduation will remain to teach in these rural schools to improve academic performance.

Ghana Education Service statistics and the 2000 Ghana Population Census indicated that in 2002, the literacy rate of the Northern Region of Ghana, where Yendi and Saboba are located was lower than 5 percent. Also, 40 percent of school-age children, mostly girls, were out of school. The great majority of children do not complete the compulsory nine years of primary school and consequently do not attain a basic level of literacy. The Northern Region receives only 4 percent of recurrent budget expenditures, although it has 10 percent of Ghana’s total population. (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADG010.pdf)

Even if children enter school and complete a cycle, little is gained unless they have actually learned to read, write, calculate, and use these tools to solve real life problems. According to Ministry of Education ‘2003 Education for All (EFA)-Fast Track Initiative (FTI)’ statistics, Ghana’s national survival rate to sixth grade is 66 percent. In the Northern Region, the survival rate from first to third grade is 59.4 percent, with 47.9 percent reaching fourth grade from first, and only 35.5 percent reaching sixth grade. (http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/files/Ghana_reportdesign_July2010.pdf )

The majority of Ghana’s population of 23,351 (UNICEF, 1980) close to 70% live in rural areas (UNICEF). These rural areas are deprived of adequate social (health and education) and economic infrastructure. Employment and economic prospects are bleak. Thus, the majority of Ghana’s children who are born into rural localities are more poverty affected and have less access to basic education. The six local districts of Yendi, Saboba, Chereponi, Gushegu, Karaga and Zabzugu-Tatali where, for eight years Erasmus have lived and worked as a Graduate Teacher and volunteer School Counsellor, Development coordinator and member of District School inspectorate Team are among the most deprived/disadvantaged rural districts in Ghana. These six districts have a total population of approximately of 600,500. http://www.geohive.com/cntry/ghana.aspx

The three northern savannah regions of Ghana, namely: Northern, Upper East and Upper West have the highest prevalence of poverty and extreme poverty and the lowest rate of school access by children, most especially; the girl-children of school going age. All the above six districts which St. Vincent College of Education will serve belong to this deprived Northern Region of Ghana. Most inhabitants of our six rural districts are subsistent farmers and due to their perennial poor farm yields (result of poor rainfall pattern) most of them remain below the poverty line. The standard of formal education, which would have served as a catalyst for further education and improved livelihood for the children of these farmers unfortunately remains very low. The few rural children who entered the primary school hardly make it to the middle school and to the Senior High School as the school dropout rate is high. This is mostly due to the poor teaching and learning environment that prevails in the rural schools in the Districts.

In Ghana, public schools accommodate the majority of children from poor and rural disadvantaged communities. If rural schools are well managed with adequate trained teachers, many poor people will be able to have access to a reasonable level of education leading to an increase in the literacy rate in the country. This will also lead to poverty

reduction as these poor people will be developed enough to take up jobs and thereby earn income. Quality education is a right and not a privilege and must therefore be accessible to everyone. The results of the 2007/2008 Basic School Certificate Examinations (BECE) were poor as almost 40 percent of the total number of candidates failed (Myjoyonline News, 2008) and many of those who failed come from rural and disadvantaged Junior High Schools.

There is no doubt that quality and higher educational attainment of household head can lead to improvement in household economic condition. The results of a study carried out by Unicef under the title: “Global Study on child poverty and disparities in Ghana between 2007 and 2008” support the fact that formal education leads to better economic opportunities which in turn translate into child wellbeing. Thanks for all your generosity and continuous assistance. CONTACT: Erasmus K.N. Mortty

(enorview@our.ecu.edu.au Erasmus K. Norviewu-Mortty, Coordinator, St. Vincent College of Education-Yendi, Ghana.

ST. VINCENT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION-YENDI:

TO IMPROVE RURAL EDUCATION IS TO REDUCE RURAL POVERTY; HELP US TRAIN RURALTRAINEE

TEACHERS FOR GHANA

SOME FACTS ABOUT GHANA Ghana Education Service statistics and the 2000 Ghana Population Census indicated that in 2002, the literacy rate of the Northern Region of Ghana, where Yendi and Saboba are located was lower than 5 per cent. Also, 40 per cent of school-age children, mostly girls, were out of school. The great majority of children do not complete the compulsory nine years of primary school and consequently do not attain a basic level of literacy. Even if children enter school and complete a cycle, little is gained unless they have actually learned to read, write, calculate, and use these tools to solve real life problems. Of the majority of Ghana’s population close to 70% live in rural areas (UNICEF). These rural areas are deprived of adequate social (health and education) and economic infrastructure. Employment and economic prospects are bleak. Thus, the majority of Ghana’s children who are born into rural

localities are more poverty affected and have less access to basic education.

The three northern savannah regions of Ghana, namely: Northern, Upper East and Upper West have the highest prevalence of poverty and extreme poverty and the lowest rate of school access by children, particularly the girls of school going age.

ST. VINCENT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION-

YENDI: TO IMPROVE RURAL EDUCATION IS TO REDUCE

RURAL POVERTY; HELP US TRAIN RURALTRAINEE TEACHERS FOR GHANA

….. ST. VINCENT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION-

YENDI: TO IMPROVE RURAL EDUCATION IS TO REDUCE

RURAL POVERTY; HELP US TRAIN RURALTRAINEE TEACHERS FOR GHANA

ST. VINCENT

RURAL EDUCATION PROJECT YENDI. GHANA. WEST AFRICA

This project is designed to establish a college (ST. VINCENT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, YENDI) to develop and train local teachers for rural school children in a complex built by the local people using local materials. Once built, the Ghana Education Service and the Catholic Diocese of Yendi will be responsible for running and maintaining the College.

You are invited to be part of this humanitarian project to: · Develop a training complex for local

rural trainee teachers · Improve education for rural children,

with special emphasis on the rural girl-child in Ghana

· Reduce school drop-out and rural poverty

To educate a child is to provide a gift for life—to the child, to the

family, to the local communities of Yendi and Saboba and to the

country of Ghana BACKGROUND: In Yendi and Saboba and other rural remote villages in Northern Ghana, schools exist and the students are willing but there is a severe shortage of teachers. THE DIRECTOR Fr Erasmus K Norviewu-Mortty, a Divine Word Missionary priest from Ghana, is currently studying towards his doctorate in education at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. Along with many supporters in Ghana and Australia, Erasmus has begun the work and laid the foundations to establish a rural education project to train local teachers for the impoverished communities of Yendi and Saboba. The success of this project will enable local high school graduates to be trained as teachers and then to be employed in their own district. They will be powerful role models within their communities THE TECHNOLOGY Rammed earth technology is highly appropriate for building in a country with an abundance of low cost and willing labour. This technology will enable local people to build their own college using local materials. THE PROJECT The initial project is developed in stages—

designed to allow supporters and sponsors to assist in a practical way of contributing towards a specific part of the project. These stages are: · Construction of Initial 3 classrooms with 4 offices to serve as Lecture rooms, Interim Library and Administration · Purchase of Mechanical Compaction Equipment for use of rammed earth technology to reduce cost of construction (from RAMTECH, Cottesloe, Western Australia) · Purchase of RAMTEC Formwork · One Month of Training in Perth in Rammed

Earth technology for two workers from Ghana · Transport of the equipment from Perth to

Ghana · Construction of 8 essential buildings including

Administration, Library, ICT & Science labs, Students’ dormitories, staff accommodation, dining halls and kitchen, etc.

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO BE A SUPPORTER & SPONSOR OF THIS EXCITING PROJECT THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THE LIVES & FUTURE OF

MANY RURAL CHILDREN IN GHANA

Please nominate which element of the Project Stages you would like to be part of and you will have the chance to assist the rural people of Yendi, Saboba, Gushiegu, Karaga, Zabzugu-Tatali, and Chereponi to make this college a reality.

CONSTRUCTION OF 3 CLASSROOMS WITH 4 OFFICES AS LECTURE ROOMS, INTERIM LIBRARY & ADMINISTRATION This building is CRUCIAL to the commencement of trainee teachers’ admission and commencement of lectures for the 2012 Academic year. Above all, it is a key requirement to gain Ghana Government partnership for the payment of staff salaries, emoluments and administration cost of the College.

*Preliminary works, including Architectural drawings, land mapping and title, clearing of site, etc. $16,000 *Construction of 3 classrooms with 4 offices $73,900 Total cost …………………………………………………. $89,900

SPECIALISED RAMTEC FORMWORK This will enable formwork to be set up ready to receive the local soils mixed with cement and water.. $40,000

MECHANICAL COMPACTION EQUIPMENT ….. $12,000 The specialised equipment needed to compact the local earth for construction of the walls of the buildings.

TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR TWO LOCAL WORKERS This will enable two identified workers from Yendi, Ghana to travel to Perth and be supported for one month whilst they are trained in Rammed Earth technology. Even though this training will be provided FREE of charge by Ramtec Pty Ltd., the cost of airfare, accommodation and upkeep in Perth for the two Workers from Ghana will cost approximately …………………………..…..…….$9,500

TRANSPORT OF RAMTEC EQUIPMENT TO GTHANA This will be a significant aspect of the project, as the equipment will have to be loaded on a container (20ft of 38,000lbs) in Fremantle and transported to Tema (Ghana) and from Tema to Yendi which is located in the North West of Ghana. This stage will cost approximately ……………………………………………….. $40,000

CONSTRUCTION OF 8 OTHER ESSENTIAL BUILDINGS These are buildings for: Administration, Library, ICT & Science Labs, Staff accommodation, Students’ Dining hall & kitchen and dormitories. Total Cost ………………… $842,769 GRAND TOTAL (1st Phase – Constructions).… $ 1,034,169 AUD

ST. VINCENT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION-YENDI:

TO IMPROVE RURAL EDUCATION IS TO REDUCE RURAL POVERTY; HELP US TRAIN RURALTRAINEE

TEACHERS FOR GHANA

ST. VINCENT RURAL EDUCATION PROJECT YENDI. GHANA. WEST AFRICA

If you are willing and able to be involved in supporting or sponsoring any stage of

this project we would be most appreciative of your contact.

To assist you in the manner in which you can support we have a range of options

available including direct payment to the service providers or a donation to

the general fund set up for the St Vincent Rural Education Project.

For further information contact:

*** Rev. Erasmus K Norviewu-Mortty enorview@our.ecu.edu.au

…………………………….

*** Mr. Francis Leong (Catholic Mission

Office, Perth) cm@perthcatholic.org.au (9422

7933)

*** Mr Ray Lane (Trinity Business Consultants) trinitybiz@iinet.net.au +61 409 111 441

, Yendi-GHANA

(Keeping the rural girl-child in school)

Yes, you too can be part of this great mission and project:

· to train rural candidates as teachers with emphasis on female candidates who will remain and teach in our remote rural schools

· and thus, sustain the education of rural children of Ghana in general, and the girl-children in particular.

YOUR HELP IS WELCOME. Contact us today:

, Yendi-GHANA

(Keeping the rural girl-child in school)

RESIDENTIAL & POSTAL ADDRESS IN GHANA

C/o Catholic Diocese of Yendi. CBY office,

P. O. Box YD 129 Yendi. N/R. G H A N A

Contacts in Australia: * Erasmus K. Norviewu-Mortty (Rev.)

enorview@our.ecu.edu.au

*Mr. Francis Leong (Catholic Mission Office, Perth)

cm@perthcatholic.org.au (9422 7933)

*** Mr Ray Lane (Trinity Business Consultants) trinitybiz@iinet.net.au 0409 111 441 , 9401 4949

, Yendi-GHANA

(Keeping the rural girl-child in school)

Helping to educate and support the rural poor, most especially the rural girl children and their mothers as well…

RESIDENTIAL & POSTAL ADDRESS IN GHANA

C/o Catholic Diocese of Yendi. CBY office.

P. O. Box YD 129 Yendi. N/R. G H A N A

3 classrooms with an office & lavatory built in Saboba, Ghana by Erasmus with funding from EU & Misereor,

Germany

3 classrooms with an office and lavatory (front view)-> built in Saboba, Ghana by Erasmus with funding from EU & Misereor,

Germany)

(3 classrooms block in Sabtech -Saboba, Ghana -> built by Erasmus with help from EU-Misereor, Germany)

(Moulding of cement blocks for the construction the NEW ST. VINCENT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, YENDI. GHANA, undertaken currently by Erasmus)

(Moulding of cement blocks for the construction the NEW ST. VINCENT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, YENDI. GHANA, undertaken currently by Erasmus)

(Moulding of cement blocks for the construction the NEW ST. VINCENT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, YENDI. GHANA, undertaken currently by Erasmus)

(Moulding of cement blocks for the construction the NEW ST. VINCENT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, YENDI. GHANA, undertaken currently by Erasmus)

(Staff quarters built in Saboba, Sabtech with funding from EU-Misereor, Germany by Erasmus)

(Staff quarters built in Saboba, Sabtech with funding from EU-Misereor, Germany by Erasmus)

(Moulding of gravel blocks for the construction of St. Vincent College of Education, Yendi. Ghana)