The Council of Ewe Associations of North America, (CEANA) in collaboration with the Anloga Development Association of North America (ADANA), non-profit organisations, have renovated and handed over a modern public library facility to the Anloga community in the Volta Region.
The project marked a significant milestone in the development of the community to promote education and enhance quality learning environment for local population.
Mr William Kumah, the President of CEANA, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the Association was non-profit making organisation, represented by Ewe associations in North America which financed the renovation to support the cultural and educational needs of the Anloga community and beyond.
“The initiative reflects the diaspora’s commitment to homeland development, and the renovation transformed the old library into a state-of-the-art facility equipped with modern bookshelves, digital resources, comfortable reading spaces, and computer lab. The upgrade aims to cater for students, researchers, and community members who seek knowledge and skills development,” he said.
He expressed pride in contributing to Anloga’s educational infrastructure, and emphasised that the access to quality libraries was essential for nurturing young minds and preserve cultural heritage among individuals.
He explained that funding for the renovation was sourced entirely from CEANA’s community development fund, through group members across Benin, Togo, Ghana and beyond which demonstrated the organisation’s dedication to philanthropy and transnational support for heritage communities.
“The Anloga Public Library is house with extensive collection of books in Ewe, English, and other languages, alongside digital resources for e-learning. This diverse inventory is aimed to preserve indigenous knowledge to expose the community to global information.”
Mr Kumah called on other Ewe citizens across the world to join the association help to impact positively in the communities, and urged the authorities and the community leaders to always practice high level of maintenence culture to sustain the facility to improve teaching and learning.
Mr Kofi Agbolegbe, who delivered a message on behalf of Mr David Abusah, the ADANA president, encouraged the public to make full use of the facility, and charged students to adopt the habit of learning.
He said that the three key objectives of ADANA include bringing together people of Anlo States in North America, the United States, Canada and Mexico among others to help relieve hardship and distress among the people to promote education, skills development, training, employment opportunities for all citizens and those in the diaspora.
Mr Agbolegbe emphasised that the handing over of the modern Public Library at the Anloga Evangelical Presbyterian basic school signifies a successful partnership between international diaspora organisations and local communities which has set a precedent for future development projects to focus on education and cultural preservation in the communities.
Mr Victor Dela Odamson, the Librarian in charge of Keta and Anloga, who received the items on behalf of the communities and the schools expressed gratitude for the support and thanked the donors for the kind gesture that would change the fortunes of many learners to become great future leaders through learning.
He pledged that the facility would be well maintained to serve as a teaching, learning and research hub for community gatherings and literary events for the public and expressed believe that the new library would stimulate intellectual growth in the area to foster innovation and cultural pride among youths.
He said that the plans would be implemented to integrate the library into regional educational programmes, including literacy campaigns and learning information centers, and the ADANA and CEANA intends to monitor the project’s impact and explore further collaborations were highly commendable.
Mr Godwin Debra, a resident of Anloga among others, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency, praised CEANA and ADANA for their impactful investment, and noted that the modern library would enhance academic performance in schools and promote lifelong learning among communities within a Anloga District and beyond.
They welcomed the facility which they said have highlighted the potentials to improve research capabilities and provide a conducive environment for studying while others proposed that activities such as training sessions for library staff on modern management practices and digital resource utilisation should initiated to ensure sustainable operation of the facility.
The Anloga community hoped that the library would also inspire similar development projects in other areas to encourage diaspora involvement in local initiatives while the facility stands as a symbol of unity between the Ewe diaspora and their homeland.
The newly renovated Anloga Public Library at the EP basic school was unveiled in a vibrant ceremony attended by community leaders, educators, government officials, and representatives from CEANA and ADANA, and their collaborative effort were described as a boost to literacy and access to information in the area.