Nestlé Ghana and ECOM Ghana have delivered a new six-unit classroom block to Adarkwa Methodist Primary School in the Eastern Region, as part of efforts to support education in cocoa-growing communities across the country.
The handing-over ceremony took place on Friday, May 22. Stakeholders described the project – which includes classrooms, offices, storerooms, and toilet facilities – as a major boost for education in Adarkwa.
Nestlé Ghana Managing Director Salome Azevedo said the initiative was meant to inspire hope and create greater opportunities for children.
“I am delighted to be here today for this brief ceremony to hand over a six-unit classroom block with offices, storeroom, and toilet facilities to the Adarkwa Methodist Primary School, an initiative that will inspire new hope and create greater opportunities for the children of this community,” she stated.
She emphasized the importance of safe, comfortable learning environments: “In a good classroom, students feel comfortable, respected, and ready to learn. It is a place where young minds are shaped, confidence is built, and dreams are nurtured.”
Mrs. Azevedo disclosed that Nestlé Ghana had already commissioned four schools in the Ashanti Region earlier this year and was also commissioning another in Akroma, Central Region. Construction is ongoing on three additional schools with ECOM Ghana, expected to be completed before the end of the year.
She said the initiative reflects Nestlé’s commitment to the well-being of cocoa-growing communities where it sources raw materials, and that the classroom desks were made from recycled plastic to tackle plastic waste.
A presiding member representing Suhum Municipal Chief Executive Lydia Ohenewa Sarah commended Nestlé and ECOM for investing in education infrastructure.
She said the new facility would improve teaching and learning, inspire confidence, encourage regular attendance, and promote better academic performance, and appealed to the school, parents, and community to maintain it for future generations.
Headmaster Emmanuel Padi expressed gratitude, calling the project the fulfillment of a long-held dream.
He said the school had operated for nearly 90 years in a dilapidated structure that affected teaching: “The children were not coming to school frequently. Sometimes they got sick because the classrooms were too hot. During rainfall and extreme heat, academic work had to stop.”
He believes the new edifice will improve academic performance and increase enrollment in the community.
