The Tahama Learning Center
In January 2023, the Tahama Learning Center became our third community school for children ages 4 to 11. Tahama means hope in the local Dagbani language. Tahama will provide an opportunity for many children in a rural community to attend school for the first time. Teachers use an environmental educational curriculum, which is unique in the region. Tahama features a kitchen and food storage area, a school garden to produce food for the school lunch program, an outdoor classroom, solar power, and rainwater catchment.
Abiba is attending school for the first time at the Tahama Center. She is five years old and when asked why she wanted to go to school she said, "I want to meet a new friend." Every child, like Abiba, who attends our learning centers receives school supplies, a daily lunch to help reduce malnutrition, and a school uniform sewn by our vocational training graduates.
Teaching at Tahama
Tahama opened with a kindergarten class for children ages 4 and 5. Each year, we will add a new class of students. Teachers in our community learning centers are from the local area and many are graduates of our educational programs. Classes are taught bilingually in Dagbani and English and emphasize local culture and environmental education.
The Tahama Center is directed by Madam Salma, pictured here with her first class of kindergarten students. Madam shared that she is, "loving her work" and "every day she is thinking about her work and how to come up with a new strategy to help with teaching."
The Tahama Center is directed by Madam Salma, pictured here with her first class of kindergarten students. Madam shared that she is, "loving her work" and "every day she is thinking about her work and how to come up with a new strategy to help with teaching."
student Nutrition and Health
Childhood nutrition is an increasing concern in our partner communities due to poor and unpredictable rainfall, global food shortages, the cost of oil and transportation, and currency value declines in Ghana.
To help increase nutrition for our students, we provide school lunches. Some of the food for lunches comes from the school garden and from our women's farming projects. All other food is purchased from local markets, supporting women in the region. Food is prepared by two mothers of students at the school who are hired as part-time cooks (pictured left). Having a kitchen building at Tahama is a significant help to our school lunch program as food can be stored and prepared with clean water from rainwater catchment.
To help increase nutrition for our students, we provide school lunches. Some of the food for lunches comes from the school garden and from our women's farming projects. All other food is purchased from local markets, supporting women in the region. Food is prepared by two mothers of students at the school who are hired as part-time cooks (pictured left). Having a kitchen building at Tahama is a significant help to our school lunch program as food can be stored and prepared with clean water from rainwater catchment.
Environmental and Outdoor Education
Tahama uses an environmentally focused curriculum, including outdoor education which is designed to be a model for other rural schools and includes:
Tahama uses an environmentally focused curriculum, including outdoor education which is designed to be a model for other rural schools and includes:
- Learning of colors, numbers, teamwork, English, and many other skills in the outdoor garden classroom by studying plants, trees, insects, soil, water, and natural features of the community.
- A school garden that students help to plant with tomatoes, peppers, garden egg (eggplant), okra, corn, and rice. Children care for the plants and help water them using our rainwater catchment system.
- A native and fruit tree planting and raising program.
- Skill development through reading, writing, and activities about African wildlife.
- Outdoor play areas including a music wall, swings, and a soccer field.
Community engagement
The community will form a Parent Teachers Association for Tahama to share advice on school programming. Communities are also engaged through end of term events where students do plays and performances to share what they have learned each term. Parent volunteers help with the annual planting of school gardens. In the future, using the solar power at Tahama, we hope to hold evening youth and adult education programs, including English language classes and women's public health trainings.