Nkanfoa Methodist School and Church Aid logo. The Ghanaian flag superimposed on the charity's name

Images of Nkanfoa

The new classroom block

Some of the new set of class­rooms, 4 on the ground floor, are in use despite having no window frames or doors. We persuaded the school to build with a concrete ceiling to allow for it to become the floor of the next level so as not to waste materials.

School sign

This was a new sign in 2006 to replace the old wooden one we saw when we arrived in 2003. JSS, meaning Junior Secondary School, has been replaced with JHS, Junior High School. The Nursery is private so fee paying whereas the remaining parts are government supported with no fees and teachers supplied and also a small amount of capitation.

The library

The “new” library as it was in 2006. All the books you can see were supplied from donations from the UK. Textbooks have been supplied from the government and are very curriculum specific so non Ghanaian textbooks are of no use. The librarian is not able to cope as he is unwell and has been given a job here to keep him on the payroll.

Two young pupils carry water to class.

Pupils have to carry water to their classroom as there are no taps in the rooms.

Young pupils during worship

Nursery and Kinder­garten pupils during their Wednesday morning worship. They will sing hymns from memory and pray aloud.

Ian repairs a PC

Ian rebuilding a desktop computer (Windows only) from parts brought out in a suitcase. The parts are from donated desktop computers which have been tested before dismantling. Computers in Ghana tend to have a short life due to the dust, heat and spikes in the electrical supply. Laptops are very welcome as they can be better protected from the unreliable supply but again can have a relatively short life. The school received brand new 10 netbooks from the government and run a version of Linux with software compatible with Windows.

Students taking their exams in the corridor

The classes are of such a size that when exams take place in JHS some of the pupils have to sit in the corridor.

At the start of each day, 8.00am, the school gathers for Morning Assembly. Apart from notices, the pupils will sing a hymn, have prayers and sing the National Anthem and the National pledge. Most pupils now wear the distinctive Yellow and Blue uniform as a Methodist School. Very few still wear the national colours which are brown and tangerine. The uniforms are handed down with much darning and mending.

The new building with outside stairs to the second floor.

Updated photo of the new building, showing outside stairs to second floor and the pillars for the ceiling of that floor but insufficient monies this year to erect the ceiling.