Seventy-one (71) students have graduated from the newly-introduced Pentecost Literacy School of The Church of Pentecost following a successful pilot of the project in the Anyaa-Ablekuma Area.
The soon-to-be rolled out “Literacy Project” has been initiated by the church in pursuance of Vision 2023 to teach adults how to read and write in their various native languages and to aid them to read the Bible.
In partnership with the Literacy and Evangelism Ghana (LE-GH), the church began a pilot phase in the Anyaa-Ablekuma Area to test the feasibility of the project. Consequently, 43 volunteers (Twi – 22, English -13, Ewe – 4, and Ga – 4) were selected from the various districts in the Area and trained by the LE-GH to serve as teachers/facilitators for the programme.
Following the successful training of the facilitators, 544 students were enrolled on May 26, 2019, to officially commence the first pilot of the Pentecost Literacy School. The students were profiled by the LE-GH and categorised into Advanced, Intermediate, and Beginners levels. The learners were then placed at seven learning centres in the Area namely, Nichobeth, Agape, Oduman, Doblo, Nsakina, Amamorley, and Vicolis at Olebu.
Having undergone a five-month training, the 71 advanced learners, who had successfully passed their final examinations, graduated during a special ceremony held on December 20, 2020. The graduands were joined by 37 facilitators or teachers who also passed all the courses and met all the requirements for their training.
In his address, the General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, who was the special guest of honour at the ceremony, was thankful to God, the Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, and the Executive Council for the timely vision to help people who cannot read or write in their local dialects.
He also commended the Area Head, Apostle Samuel Gakpetor, and his team as well as the Literacy and Evangelism Ghana for the hard work and dedication in making the vision possible.
He indicated that the project would be rolled out in the other areas of the church in the year 2021. He hinted that all the areas have been divided into 5 zones and dates have been scheduled for the training of trainers/teachers, adding that payments have been made for the production of primers for the project.
He said that the Pentecost Literacy School would not only benefit the uneducated constituents but even the educated who are unable to read in their mother tongues.
“It is interesting and surprising to note that, we even have some CoP ministers and officers who cannot read the Bible in any local language. I, therefore, want to challenge everyone to take this as a special project to get their entire household enrolled on this programme,” he said.
Other dignitaries at the graduation ceremony were Apostle Samuel Gakpetor (Anyaa-Ablekuma Area Head and Chairman of the National Discipleship and Leadership Development Committee – NDLDC), Apostle William Boakye Agyarko (Area Head of Obuasi and Member of the NDLDC), Apostle Vincent Anane Dente (PEMEM Director and Member of the NDLDC), Pastor Henry Sowah Ako-Nai (Secretary of the NDLDC) and Pastor Eric Ansah (Member of NDLDC). All the ministers and their wives of the Anyaa-Ablekuma Area were also present at the ceremony.
Report by Pastor Isaac Boadu Bonsu (Anyaa-Ablekuma Area Coordinator of NDLDC).
