Project Progress

From 11 to 15 August, Tom Vaughan of NMSI led a team of employees and volunteers on a CSR project to renovate the Noyaa Academy in Jamestown, Accra, with the help and support of the NMSI team. The roof had numerous holes meaning that during the rainy season classes were severely interrupted due to flooding, while the children’s school books and food was being destroyed. The roof was replaced with new roofing sheets; new guttering was added in order to channel run-off water and a concrete apron was constructed along the right hand side of the building to divert surface water away from the building.

In addition to the above, the team also created a new classroom, for older Year 4 students, by constructing a new partition wall in one of the larger rooms, using materials recycled from the Dodowa Hospital build.

Finally, the school exterior was completely repainted in its customary blue. Tom said: “it has been a great privilege to head up this very worthwhile CSR project. It fills me with great happiness and pride knowing that the underprivileged pupils of Noyaa may now continue their education come rain or shine and that one day they might graduate into the national education system. This could not have been achieved without the help of my colleagues here at NMS, especially my right-hand woman, Safia Wahab, and the support of the headmistress, Rachel, the students and the rest of the local community who took it upon themselves to help refurbish the school. Good job all round!” Rachel Annan, Noyaa Academy’s Headmistress said “I thank you and NMS for your help, it was so heart-warming seeing the love from the staff of NMS to us.

Words can’t express our gratitude for your efforts and the whole staff of NMS. Our roof is all fixed and painted. A classroom created to add up to what we have, and the kids will be so happy, and we won’t have to be shifting from one place to the other when it rains”

On 18th June, the children at the Noyaa Academy received their first class on how to weave from recyclable plastics. The Noyaa Academy has teamed up with Environment360 to organise an eight-week programme sponsored by NMSI. To help the school to become sustainable, Environment360 are hosting the plastic weaving classes where students will learn to weave baskets from recycled black rubber and water sachets.

This tangible skill can be used to help raise revenue to care for themselves and their families and will even ensure some stay in school. Noyaa headmistress, Rachel Annan, said: “Our first class of using sachet rubber to make bags and other beautiful items was amazing with Angela teaching the kids the basic steps so that at the end of the eight-week programme the children will have acquired a skill that will help them in the future.” Cordie Aziz, director of Environment360, added: “Environment360 believes in empowering children to not only clean up their environment, but equip them with skills that can help them earn money as well”.

Overall the first class was a great success and the children had fun, as well as starting the journey on how to have a tangible skill going forward. They are all very much looking forward to the next classes over the coming weeks and seeing their baskets at the end of the programme.