Several children displaced by the 2023 Akosombo Dam spillage have been handed a fresh start after the Echoes of Royal Daisy School in Accra offered them full scholarships to continue their education.
The September 15, 2023, spillage devastated Mepe and nearby communities, sweeping away homes, classrooms, and a sense of normalcy for thousands. Nearly 39,000 people were displaced, and hundreds of downstream settlements were submerged.
Among the worst affected were schoolchildren whose education was abruptly disrupted when floodwaters washed away their learning facilities. For many, the future looked bleak — until Royal Daisy School stepped in.
Teacher Bright Edem, speaking to Channel One TV on Friday, August 9, recounted the challenges of supporting the displaced pupils to catch up academically.
“It hasn’t been an easy experience. Before they came here, due to where they were coming from, you could see that academically, they were a little bit low. It wasn’t easy. We took them through what we had to take them, and I can confidently say that we will get good results from them.”
The school’s proprietress, Freda Faith Mensah, said she was moved to act after learning about the tragedy on television.
“I heard the news on Channel One TV in September and decided to help them because it was very pathetic. It hasn’t been easy, especially in academics. I realised that there were a lot of things that they lacked,” she said.
For the scholarship beneficiaries, the intervention represents more than just a seat in a classroom, offering a renewed path toward a future once washed away by the floods.