Nestlé Ghana and ECOM Ghana have reaffirmed their commitment to improving livelihoods in cocoa-growing communities with the commissioning of a newly constructed six-unit classroom block for the Adarkwa Methodist Primary School in the Eastern Region.
The project, handed over on Friday, May 22, forms part of a broader effort by Nestlé Ghana and ECOM Ghana to support quality education and sustainable community development in areas where cocoa is sourced.
The new facility includes six classrooms, offices, storerooms, and modern washroom facilities designed to provide pupils and teachers with a safer and more conducive learning environment.
Speaking during the ceremony, Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana, Salome Azevedo, said the initiative reflects the company’s belief that investing in education is critical to building thriving communities.
She noted that children learn best in environments where they feel safe, comfortable, and inspired.
“A good classroom is more than just a building. It is a space where confidence is built, dreams are nurtured, and children are given the opportunity to realise their full potential,” she said.
Mrs. Azevedo explained that the Adarkwa project is part of a wider educational infrastructure drive by Nestlé Ghana and ECOM Ghana across cocoa-growing areas in the country.
According to her, four schools have already been commissioned in the Ashanti Region this year, while another facility is being inaugurated simultaneously in the Akroma community in the Central Region. She added that three more schools are currently under construction and are expected to be completed before the end of the year.
She stressed that the companies’ investments in cocoa-growing communities go beyond sourcing raw materials and are aimed at promoting long-term sustainability and improved living conditions.
“We source cocoa from these communities, and we want to see them thrive in a sustainable way. This project is extremely important to us, and we will continue to invest in these communities,” she stated.
Mrs. Azevedo also highlighted Nestlé Ghana’s environmental sustainability efforts, revealing that the desks provided for the classrooms were produced from recycled plastic waste collected in Ghana.
Representing the Suhum Municipal Assembly, Presiding Member Lydia Ohenewa Sarah praised Nestlé Ghana and ECOM Ghana for supporting educational development within the municipality.
She described the project as a significant intervention that would help improve school attendance, strengthen teaching and learning, and boost academic performance among pupils.
She further urged the community, parents, and school authorities to maintain the facility properly to ensure its long-term benefit for future generations.
For the Headmaster of Adarkwa Methodist Primary School, Emmanuel Padi, the new classroom block marks the end of decades of challenges faced by the school.
According to him, the school had operated for nearly 90 years in deteriorating structures that disrupted teaching and negatively affected attendance.
“During rainfall and extreme heat, teaching and learning had to stop. Some children even stayed away from school because the classrooms were uncomfortable,” he recounted.
Mr. Padi expressed optimism that the new infrastructure would improve enrollment and academic performance in the community.
“This edifice is going to transform education in the Adarkwa community, and we are deeply grateful to Nestlé Ghana and ECOM Ghana for making it possible,” he added.
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