The Member of Parliament for Wa West, Supt. (rtd) Peter Toobu Lanchene, has announced a new grassroots education initiative aimed at tackling illiteracy in communities without access to basic schools within the district.
In a post on his Facebook page, the MP revealed that during the 2024 election campaign, he identified several communities in Wa West with populations ranging between 300 and 500 people that have no educational facilities. According to him, children in these communities are often too young to walk long distances to school, a situation that continues to deny them access to education and leaves them behind in an increasingly educated society.
To address this challenge, Mr. Toobu said that beginning in 2026, he will collaborate with traditional elders, women, and youth in ten selected communities to establish one Kindergarten (KG) school in each community. The initiative, he explained, will rely on communal spirit and modest infrastructure, emphasizing local participation and ownership.
Under the plan, one volunteer teacher will be engaged for each KG and supported with a monthly stipend until the state formally absorbs the schools into the public education system. The MP noted that the programme is being undertaken in consultation with the Wa West District Director of Education, with selected volunteer teachers expected to undergo orientation before deployment.
Beyond improving early childhood education, the initiative is also expected to ease the burden on women in the beneficiary communities, who will be able to leave their young children in school before heading to farms or markets.
The honourable MP stressed that the project is designed to complement government efforts rather than replace them, with a clear pathway for the KGs to be transitioned into the public education system. He emphasized that the focus is on community ownership rather than dependency.
Following the planned rollout of the ten KGs in 2026, Mr. Toobu indicated that a second phase of the initiative will begin in 2027. He also appealed to individuals and groups who share his vision of building strong human resources for national development, particularly those from the affected communities, to come on board and support the initiative. Describing illiteracy as “cancerous,” Mr. Toobu urged collective action to confront the problem at its roots.
