By Julius K. Satsi, GNA
Accra, Nov. 1, GNA - The World Bank Group staff has donated assorted items valued at GH¢ 12,000 to the inmates of the Senior Correctional Centre (SCC) to help in the reformation and reintegration of the young ones.
The items included 10 cartons of fish, 10 bags of rice, five bags each of gari and beans, five gallons of oil, used clothes and stationery.
In their quest to promote reading and reduce illiteracy in World Bank operational areas, the staff partnered the Ghana Library Authority to give books to young people with the aim of boosting their reading skills.
Mr Pierre Laporte, the World Bank Country Director, encouraged the children not to be ashamed of their current situation but rather learn from their mistakes.
He said the Bank was not only interested in donating items to the young ones but also visited them to encourage them to take their studies seriously, make time to read a story every month and apply the lessons learnt.
Mr Laporte said many children were experiencing “learning poverty”, defined “as the percentage of children who cannot read and understand a simple story and are failing to acquire foundational skills such as basic literacy by age 10.”
He said reading is the foundation upon, which other essential skills, such as numeracy and science are built, adding that, children who do not read by late primary find it difficult to catch-up.
Receiving the items on behalf of the Centre, Assistant Deputy Director of Prisons (ADP) David Ofosu-Addo commended the World Bank Group Staff for coming to the aid of the Centre.
In a speech read on her behalf, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Florence Asantewaa, the director of the Centre, said they currently have 263 inmates who are undergoing reformation process.
She said the SCC was doing all it could to ensure the children came out well reformed to fit into society.
DDP Asantewaa said the Centre has in place formal education and informal training systems to equip the juveniles, who spend a minimum of three months and maximum of three years at the Centre.
She said the SCC has two categories of persons described as junior offenders between the ages of 13 and 18 years and young offenders between the ages of 18 and 21years.
She said the Centre recorded a 100 per cent distinction with the 25 inmates who took part in the 2019 Basic Education Certificate Examination.
GNA
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