Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) Can Help Educate Children in Ghana

When children go to school hungry, what is going to motivate them stay in school? This is the dilemma facing many Ghanaian parents, especially in the villages. In a village that may not have role models of successful educated citizens, the children and their illiterate parents may not place premium on education. All they see are their friends who dropped out of school and are farmers, fishermen or laborers.

These children need to have a compelling reason to stay in school. In many cases, the parent may not be able to give them enough reasons for them to continue their studies, as they themselves had no formal education. The Ghana Government with the help of the World Bank has recognized the importance of education to fuel its economy. The introduction of ICT's in the villages will help educate the children about what is possible for them if they stay in school. Apart from the educational value of these Information and Communications and Technology centers, the children who are usually fast learners would be able to embrace the technology and connect with other kids in Ghana and all over the world. This way, they can expand their horizon and realize the benefit of education.

It is therefore imperative that these centers be part of every school. The investment in these technologies will be beneficial to the country by producing educated work force to fuel the country's economy. Without these investments in the children, they will always be "hewers of wood and drawers of water," a situation that would not be suitable for the rapidly growing world economy with its complexities.

One example of this ICT is the one village foundation in Winneba. Imagine duplicating this in every village in Ghana. The whole world would be open to the children so they can be motivated to stick with their course work and grow up to be productive citizens to improve their lot and contribute to the socioeconomic development of Ghana.