Education in some parts of Africa is not easily accessible and both tutors and learners have had to make sacrifices and endure various challenges in its pursuit. This is the case of Kwame Mensah, the head teacher of Lonpe MA Primary School in Nothern Ghana.
The 36-year old teacher covers a long distance each morning to make it to school on time. He owns a motorcycle, but when it has broken down, he has to traverse difficult paths to school.
While heading to school when he does not have the motorcycle, he covers 9 kilometres to River Dakar where he has to to swim across. He then proceeds to cover another 3 kilometres to school.
Kwame takes off his clothes at the bank of the river and swims across in shorts to the other side to get a canoe. He then enters the canoe to fetch his clothes and belongings at the river bank before crossing onto the other side.
He notes that he has been forced to get to school in that manner since it was difficult to find accommodation in the school’s neighbourhood.
Kwame added that his swimming to school is a source of concern for his family as they always get scared he will one day not go back home knowing the danger posed by the river.
At school, he also faces a number of challenges including; infrastructure, lack of furniture and textbooks.
Kwame began teaching in rural schools after completing his college education in 2009. he has taught in various schools and admits that it is dangerous and at the same time frustrating to tutor in the rural schools.
“Teaching in rural communities is not an easy task especially as I have to swim across this river everyday to get to my school. My family is very worried.
“The pupils are at a huge disadvantage because I have to teach all the classes from basic one to six and this is stressful,” he told Onuaonline during a past interview.