Poverty worsens in Asasekorkor as parents struggle to buy school uniforms

The worsening level of poverty in rural areas in Ghana is affecting the ability of some parents to buy school uniforms for the children leaving the children to wear tattered uniforms and shoes to school.

The Quarterly multidimensional poverty report 2022 by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) pointed out that, as of the 2nd quarter, 46% representing 14.1 million of the entire Ghanaian population were still multi-dimensionally poor.

Poverty in rural areas in Ghana continues to worsen compared to urban areas.

Asasekorkor, a farming community in Okere District in the Eastern region is arguably one of the rural communities experiencing excruciating poverty.

Residents predominantly peasant farmers are struggling to survive the harsh economic conditions in the country.

Buying school uniforms and shoes for their children have become a daunting responsibility leaving some of the children to wear tattered uniforms and sandals to school.

Sarfo Ofori Ankomah, Headteacher Asasekorkor D/A Basic School says the development is worrying.

“These people are peasant farmers and they make little from the work they do so they don’t have money .Many of them are unable to buy uniforms and shoes for their children so you see these children wearing torn uniforms and tattered shoes.It really affects their confidence in class because they become mocking stock by their peers.”

Teenage girls in the community are at the receiving end of poverty as they fall in wrong hands in search of basic needs such as sanitary pads.

This has led to an increasing incidence of teenage Pregnancy.

Kwame Nkrumah Botsio, Nana Ama Ahwoi of the famous Ahwoi family,and Nana Yaa Appiah who led the 1994 Year Group of Christ the king Old Students Association in Accra, were shocked at the level of deprivation and poverty in the community when they donated School uniforms to the school children who were wearing tarrted uniforms and unprescribed dresses in Asasekorkor community to ameliorate plight of the parents.

They promised to mobilize more resources to support such communities.

Executive Director of As I Grow (AIG) Debrah Bekoe Isaac who coordinated the donation to the impoverished community urged the privilege in society to support poverty alleviation interventions in rural areas to reduce the sufferings.

For the peasant farmers in Asasekorkor community, construction of the deplorable road which becomes impassable whenever it rains,will help facilitate transportation of food to market centers to enable them to earn income.

Commercial motorbike which is the only means of transport to the community as a result of the poor road.

The riders charge farmers exorbitant fares to transport their farm produce to market centers leaving them a paltry to survive on.

According to them, although the road was under construction,it has been abandoned.