ACCRA, Ghana, July 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The African Bicycle Contribution Foundation (ABCF), a 501(c)3 organization founded by African Americans in late 2016, today announced the distribution of 85 free bamboo bikes to students from the Ningo-Prampram District, of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The event was held, on July 17, at the Achimota Golf Club, in Ghana's capital city, Accra.
Hon. Elizabeth K. T. Sackey (center), Deputy Regional Minister of Greater Accra and Mr. Carl Nelson (second from right), COO, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, congratulating bamboo bicycle recipients, recently, at the African Bicycle Contribution Foundation’s “500th Bicycle” event, in Accra.
Display of bamboo bicycles and 85 student-recipients from Ningo-Prampram School District, recently, at the start of the African Bicycle Contribution Foundation’s “500th Bicycle” event, in Accra.
ABCF’s “500th Bicycle” event speakers present bamboo bicycles to individual students, recently, in Accra. Speakers included: Mr Daniel Lawer Agudey, head teacher, Ningo Senior High School (Second from left); Ms Beatrix Ollenu, Ningo-Prampram School District Director of Education (third from left); Mr Peter Djan, Head teacher, Prampram Senior High School (fourth from left); Ms Patricia Marshall Harris, executive director, ABCF (fifth from left); Mr A.Bruce Crawley, chairman, ABCF (sixth from left); Hon. Elizabeth K. T. Sackey, Deputy Regional Minister, Greater Accra (center); and Mr. Carl Nelson, COO, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (third from right), with bamboo bicycle recipient.
Standing in front of the event banner at the African Bicycle Contribution Foundation’s (ABCF): “500th Bicycle” event, in Accra, recently, were (from left): Philip Sackey CEO, PCS Company Ltd; Mr Peter Djan, Head teacher, Prampram Senior High School; Ms Patricia Marshall Harris, executive director, ABCF; Mr. Carl Nelson, COO, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre; Hon. Elizabeth K. T. Sackey, Deputy Regional Minister, Greater Accra; Ms.Bernice Dapaah, CEO, Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative; Mr A.Bruce Crawley, chairman, ABCF; Ms Beatrix Ollenu, Ningo-Prampram School District Director of Education; and Mr Daniel Lawer Agudey, head teacher, Ningo Senior High School.
Map of Ghana, depicting the locations where the African Bicycle Contribution Foundation (ABCF) has distributed its 500 bamboo bikes, since its establishment, in late 2016.
According to ABCF chairman A. Bruce Crawley, the bicycles, manufactured in Kumasi, Ghana, by CEO Bernice Dapaah's Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative (GBBI), bring the ABCF total of bamboo bikes distributed to 500, across the country, since 2016.
The Ningo-Prampram District is located within a 45-minute drive of Accra, and is a predominantly rural (58.3.%) jurisdiction. Of special interest to ABCF, the Ghana Statistical Service has reported that 27 percent of the population has never attended school.
Although Ningo-Prampram has been designated as a location for a new Ghanaian International Airport, 33.7 percent of its residents, overall, and 43.5 percent of its rural residents, are engaged in agriculture.
According to the World Bank, children in rural regions of Africa are at 43 percent higher risk than urban children for dropping out of, or never attending, school. Indeed, the Ghana Statistical Service, in 2014, reported that while only 8 percent of Ghana's urban children had no education, that figure climbs to nearly 25 percent for rural children.
In the "Dropout Issue and Economic Implications: Evidence in Rural Ghana," poverty and "long distances to school" were found to be major contributors to the school dropout phenomenon, in the country.
According to ABCF Executive Director Patricia Marshall Harris, the foundation believes that access to bicycles in rural Ghana can play a significant role in reducing dropout rates and preparing students for successful future careers.
She added that a World Bike Relief study has cited attendance rate increases from 65 percent to 90 percent for African students, once they have received access to bicycles, for their daily commute. In addition, their school absences were decreased by 27 percent, and their overall commute time was reduced by one-third, with a 66 percent increase in punctuality.
Program participants for ABCF's Ningo-Prampram bicycle contribution event were as follows:
-Opening Prayer: Amanor Miriam Teiko, Student
-Introduction of Dignitaries: Raymond Akadi, moderator
-Chairperson's Welcome Address: Hon. Elizabeth K. T. Sackey, Deputy Regional Minister, Greater Accra
-Remarks: A. Bruce Crawley Chairman, ABCF; Patricia Marshall Harris, Executive Director, ABCF
-Remarks: Ms. Beatrix Ollenu, Director of Education, Ningo Prampram School District
-Remarks: Ms Bernice Dapaah, CEO, Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative
-Presentation of Bicycles
-Acknowledgement: Mr Peter Djan, Head teacher, Prampram Senior High School
-Closing Remarks: Mr. Daniel Lawer Agudey, head teacher, Ningo Senior High School
-Closing Prayer: David Adjei Adjetey, Student
Since late 2016, ABCF has distributed its bamboo bicycles in 13 rural locations across Ghana, including in Brong Ahafo, Kumbungu, Sunyani West, Kagara, Koforidua, Nabdam, Ejisu, Kumasi, Accra, Dormaa, Amasu and Drobonso.
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For additional information, please contact A.Bruce Crawley, 267-243-2500, or [email protected]
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