Friday, 29 March

Tullow STEM Radio School advances in education, capacity-building

Education
Nana Ebo Ansah Chief Fisherman of Dixcove, Auntie Efua Asankoma, a fish monger and their children -Beneficiaries of the Tullow STEM Radio School

Tullow Ghana Limited, in collaboration with Youth Bridge Foundation, has made strides in promoting education and capacity-building of students in the Western Region.

In the coastal communities of the Western Region of Ghana, where educational resources are limited, thereby creating an inequality gap posing a concern for parents with the interruption of formal education of their wards due to the risk of Covid-19 infections and government restrictions, Mathematics, English, and Science lessons are broadcast via live radio to Junior High (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) students.

The radio was employed because it is the most widely accessible medium of communication in such rural communities. 

A beneficiary of the initiative, Nana Ebo Ansah, is a parent to Abigail Esi Ansah, a JHS 3 student of Busia M A JHS in Dixcove who follows the radio lessons.

Nana Ebo Ansah, who is a Chief Fisherman in Lower Dixcove, a fishing community in Ghana, is keen to ensure his daughter’s education remains on track during this period of inactivity.

Nana Ebo Ansah explained: “When you tune in to the radio school, there is no doubt that the children are really learning. Whenever my daughter, Abigail tried to study at home during the lockdown, she would always fall asleep but with the introduction of the Radio School, she is always active and anxious to learn each time the lessons begin.”

“Together with her friends, they sit together and listen attentively, and I do well to make my phone available for the call-in segments. In fact, without this program, I am not sure how my daughter would have coped these past few months.  Now, she is well-prepared to take her final exams and I am grateful to the organisers,” he added.

Another beneficiary of the Tullow STEM Radio school, Madam Efua Asankoma is a fishmonger at Ngyiresia in the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), also testified on how the initiative has helped her daughter in continuing her studies at home despite the impact of the COVID-9 pandemic on education and the technology gaps in communities like hers. 

“My daughter consistently joins these sessions whenever it starts. It has been very helpful. We are grateful to Tullow and we would encourage every parent to make sure their wards join these sessions, so they are not left out,” Madam Efua Asankoma said.

The STEM radio sessions tailored to meet the needs of JHS and SHSs students, has also caught the attention of a Class 6 pupil Audrey Banfo Boadu who is now an ardent listener even though she is not writing examinations.

Audrey joins the sessions daily and says but for this initiative, she would have been joining her friends to play and might not have the guidance to study.

Nana Ebo Ansah, Madam Efua Asankoma and Audrey Banfo Boadu represent numerous parents and wards who live within Tullow’s operational area in over seven (7) districts of the Western Region; Shama, STMA, Effia Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA), Jomoro, Ellembelle, Ahanta West and Nzema East who are the beneficiaries of the Tullow STEM Radio School since. For the parents, their wards are able to learn and keep up with their counterparts in urban areas, a situation that brings them a lot of joy.

The Youth Bridge Foundation (YBF) in collaboration with Tullow Oil Ghana Limited launched the STEM Radio School in the Western Region as part of measures to complement Government’s efforts in ensuring that learning in the Basic, JHS, SHS and Tertiary education continues in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The STEM Radio School started on 7 April 2020 when the pandemic took a foothold in Ghana. The initiative is part of Tullow’s commitment to improve the quality of STEM education in communities to operates and improve student success rates at the BECE and WASSCE expanding the future opportunities for young people beyond traditional work such as fishing.

The “Educate to Innovate with STEM Project” is aimed at supporting the study of STEM through community radio stations among Junior High School students in the peri-urban and rural areas of six (6) coastal districts where Tullow operates, namely; Jomoro, Ellembelle, Nzema East and Ahanta West with scale-up plans to Sekondi-Takoradi and Shama Districts.

STEM Radio School has some partnering community radio stations: West End Radio (100.3 MHZ) to cover Ellembelle and Nzema East Districts, New Day FM (94.1 MHZ) in the Jomoro District and Radio Ahanta (88.9 MHZ) in the Ahanta West District.

Source: Classfmonline.com