Cedar Impact Network partners KNUST Basic School to combat textbook shortage in underserved communities

The Cedar Impact Network, in collaboration with KNUST Basic School, is championing the reuse of learning materials to support deprived schools through its “Don’t Throw It Away, Donate It” initiative.

The Educational Impact Project, under the theme “Every Old Textbook is Someone’s New Beginning,” seeks to improve access to learning materials by promoting the reuse of educational resources.

As part of the launch of the maiden initiative, over 1,000 old but usable textbooks that would have otherwise been discarded, burnt, or left to gather dust after pupils progressed to the next class were collected from parents and pupils of KNUST Basic School and repurposed for children in underserved communities.

The beneficiary schools were Kensere M/A Basic School and Bogyawe M/A Basic School in the Bekwai Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

Speaking at the presentation, the Founder and Executive Director of Cedar Impact Network, Ing. Deborah Achiaa Baffoe-Bonnie, explained that the initiative aims to bridge the resource gap in underserved schools, where many pupils lack basic textbooks, by giving a second life to books that would otherwise go to waste.

“The whole idea is that all the books that have been used by students and they’ve moved on, normally parents would throw them away; some would burn them or just discard them. That is not the right way,” she said.

Ing. Baffoe-Bonnie noted a used book can be repurposed to become learning material for another child.

“We want to assemble, gather these old books and donate them to children from underserved communities who may not have access to good educational materials. When we put them together and give them, we expect that these children will also have the opportunity to learn from the right educational material,” she added.

According to her, the project not only supports quality education but also promotes a culture of sharing and environmental sustainability, in line with the principles of a circular economy.

Ing. Baffoe-Bonnie urged pupils of the beneficiary schools to remain committed to their studies to make the initiative count, and charged teachers and instructors to continue teaching with intentionality.

In addition to the old textbooks, the team donated new exercise books, notebooks, mathematical sets, pens, pencils, footballs and other learning aids to enhance both learning and play.

The Deputy Education Director in charge of Supervision and Monitoring at the Bekwai Municipal Education Directorate, Mr. Francis Nsafoah, has commended the Cedar Impact Network for donating textbooks to deprived basic schools in the municipality, describing the gesture as timely.

He said beneficiary schools have introduced reading interventions, including early morning reading and a “Read a Page a Day” programme, to complement teaching activities on the timetable, initiatives that require supplementary readers.

According to him, the beneficiary schools lack adequate supplementary readers, and the donation will significantly support their reading activities.

Mr. Nsafoah explained that many families in the communities are deprived and struggle to provide basic learning materials for their children, making the “Don’t Throw It Away, Donate It” initiative highly commendable.

He appealed for more support, noting that many other communities require similar interventions.

He assured that the authorities of the beneficiary schools would safeguard the books and ensure they are used judiciously to achieve their intended purpose.

“Right after the presentation, I met with teachers from the beneficiary schools and urged them to safeguard the books and use them wisely to achieve their intended purpose, which I strongly believe they will do,” Mr. Nsafoah assured.

The Headmistress of KNUST Basic School, Rev. Irene Nkansah, also urged other well-resourced private and mission schools with such used but usable textbooks to partner with the Cedar Impact Network to scale up the initiative.

She said many schools have large stocks of textbooks that become redundant after each academic year and could be channeled to support learners in deprived communities rather than going to waste.

Rev. Mrs. Nkansah commended parents and pupils of KNUST Basic School for embracing the project and expressed optimism that broader collaboration would help bridge the learning resource gap across the country.

‎About Cedar Impact Network

Cedar Impact Network is a foundation instituted to contribute to the transformation and growth of young people through mentorship, counsel, access to useful information, productive networking, and community-impact initiatives such as promoting primary education in underserved communities.