A group of individuals led by Dr. Marita, based in Germany, has donated relief items worth thousands of Ghana Cedis to victims of the Sawla Senior High School fire disaster. The items donated include customized suitcase bags, core textbooks, sets of uniforms, sewing machines, bedspreads, mathematical sets, cakes of toilet soap, pairs of footwear, deodorants, sanitary pads, and pens, among others.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr. Issahaku A. Janhafu, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Director General and the District Director of Education for the kind gesture, describing it as timely and a relief to the affected students and the school. He noted that though the affected students have been relocated, the unforeseen event has the potential to affect effective teaching and learning in the school.
Mr. Janhafu disclosed that an investigation by the National Fire Service identified two possible causes of the fire disaster that occurred on November 2, 2022, following a similar incident on October 26, 2022. The personnel of the Fire Service attributed the cause of the fire to an electrical fault in the building and a possible arson.
He stated that the students’ belongings in the building, including school mattresses and fans that were burnt, amount to a total cost of GHs 72,360.00. Additionally, the school lost a substantial amount of GHs 222,360.00 due to the fire incident.
He urged the students to remain calm and refrain from engaging in illegal connections in the dormitories.
Dr. Marita and her friends in Germany were moved when they saw pictures of the devastation on Madam Nabiah’s WhatsApp status, who appealed for support for the affected students. They decided to raise £2,500 to purchase the items for the students.
Dr. Marita emphasized that the essence of the donation was to draw the affected students closer to the state they were in before the fire outbreak. She encouraged the students to take their studies seriously and regain what they lost during the fire in the future. She also expressed hope that help would come to renovate the affected dormitory.