As part of efforts to give back to society, in a very practical manner, the African-American Association of Ghana (AAAG) using the African STEM Academy platform, has impacted knowledge into pupils of Mamprobi Basic 4 in Accra.
The one-day programme climaxed this year’s Juneteenth celebration commemorated every June to mark slave emancipation in Texas in the year 1863 in the United States of America (USA).
On the day, pupils studying Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) through the African STEM Academy, were empowered through innovative activities aimed at helping navigate life’s journey.
The pupils, who have been studying with the Academy, displayed their coding skills, balloon-powered car in a race among others, following which winners of the competition were awarded cash prizes.
Their studying activities were made possible by donations from the Jack and Jill organization in the US.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines, Tamika Atubga, a Sergeant at Arms of the African American Association, said what was witnessed on the day, was one of many Social Responsibility programmes they have been embarking upon from time to time.
According to her, what they set out to do at the institution alias Ebenezer School, was inspired by what happened during the era of the slave trade, where blacks regained their freedom and could explore life and it opportunities.
She said in the case of the pupils, they are being taught STEM, to empower and prepare them for the future.
“So today is about also empowering the children in the same way that they empowered those enslaved Africans by letting them know that, they were free to go and do as they pleased.
So, we are showing the children the same thing today, that if they focus on their education, if they continue to focus on STEM, which is big worldwide, then they can do anything that they want to do. So why the choice of this school? So this particular school is, but one of many endeavors that our members actually work with.
So, we have several members that have non-profit organizations. Our vice president works with African STEM Academy. We also have one of our members that works with a basic school in that’s Auntie Pat Wilkins”, she explained.
She also disclosed that, prior to the programme, members travelled with 40 Acres and Family, to the Volta Region, where a completely new Citizens Resource Centre was donated to the people. The members also donated an undisclosed cash amount for the provision of boreholes and resource centre for a village in the same region.
In her personal capacity, Atubga, said she attended the Mamprobi Basic 4 event with members of a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) she owns, Hope Approach, to participate in the exercise.
The Organization is designed with special interest in gender equity for the girl child to remain in school, acquire a skill to better themselves in future so they are independent.
“So, that is called the Hope Approach as in help our people eat, and not eat in the literal sense where we’re giving them food, but in the sense where we’re giving them skills, we’re giving them education so that they’ll be able to feed themselves and their families for generations to come.
So that’s why we chose this school because it’s one of the schools that our members are actively working with”, Tamika Atubga, Sergeant at Arms of the African American Association.
Josh Fennbell, the Assistant Coordinator of the African STEM Academy, said the pupils over the period were taught coding and more about STEM education and with support from the Jack and Jill and so on the day, they were tasked to display all that they have been taught and they did it with enthusiasm. He said with the advantage of what they have acquired it will serve as a guide for their future endevours.
“And so they have been learning to code. So they actually showed us how they can type certain things into a computer and cause it to work at traffic light in the same way that our traffic lights right on the roads are controlled by computer systems. So the children are learning this.
So, this is a skill that can take them very, very far in life. So they demonstrated that for us. And then they also demonstrated, and it was an effort where we worked on a team project where we practiced the Newton’s third law of motion for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”.
He added that “So they created a car, a balloon powered car out of recycled materials. So, it was all things that we can find right in our homes. And they demonstrated how the air in the balloon, as the air is being released, it can push the car forward.
And it was a great demonstration, and everybody was able to get involved. One of the beneficiary pupils, was thankful to the team for the education indicating it is going to go a long way to prepare for his learning journey and enhance his education going forward”.