Covid-19 is affecting life all over the globe, including throughout Ghana where our students live. Managing Director Daniel Osei and site directors have had to think on their feet to find a way to help facilitate learning for students who are isolated at home, so they don’t fall behind in their studies. Here is Daniel’s latest report on the work that they are doing:
Dear Friends of Anansi,
We are in this together, let’s obey the recommendations from the WHO to safeguard ourselves and that of our families and friends. We aren’t living in ordinary times, friends. We pray this to be over soon.
In the midst of this global pandemic, Anansi had been thinking of how best to support its students yearning for knowledge. With most of them have dummy phones, we decided to still offer some academic supports especially to the final year students in high school. If not because of the pandemic, they would have started their final school exams. Thoughts to support them differently emanated having in mind the severity of the disease, we decide to offer on telephone classes for Anansi’s students and many more students who might be sitting in the house barely doing something.
The idea of calling all of them on a conference popped up since it offered a cheaper means since Anansi would be paying for the entire session. Ah, unknown to me, I had a limit to the number of persons I could call at a time on conference. We had to improvise. We thought of a tree network. I could call five students a time, put other members under those I call to also call them. With this, students were put into groups. The leaders are those I call, leaders intend call their respective members onto the bigger call, which we call our SmartClassroom. We make airtime available for use by the leaders.
The students have been briefed to get set into a study mood during our session times. There is one at 9:00am, 1:15pm and the last class is at 7:00pm. Each session last for 45 -50minutes. The student picks his/her book and gets prepared for the class 5minutes to time. The students are advised to jot down critical points in the explanation. The lesson notes and other study materials are posted to a WhatsApp group created. Voice notes are also done to explain the notes. Students’ questions are posted on chat, voice note or on phone conversation.
In order to ensure participation, students’ assignments are sent to me in private on WhatsApp or sms. I also do call the Students to give them feedback.
We can’t tell exactly when these students are going back to school, but we promise to support them with the necessary assistance so far as schools are locked down.
Thanks to my supporting team members: Victoria, Lalina, Frank and Elsie who have offered relentless commitment at this difficult times.
Stay safe.
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Thank you to Daniel and the entire Anansi team for their efforts to continue helping our scholarship students to improve their lives through education, even in these scary times. We are wishing the best to all members of our Anansi family, all over the globe.