Students of the Bolgatanga Senior High School affectionately called BIG BOSS, in the Talensi District of the Upper East have said that for the first time in a rainy season, they can afford to sleep soundly following the renovation of a dormitory block by the Parent Association of the school.
According to the students, they dealt with different challenges depending on the time of the year. While they cannot afford to sleep or have their properties safe due to the leaking roofing during the period of rain, the dry season comes with a different nightmare – enduring bed bugs.
Overall, they could not afford a good night’s sleep or keep their belongings safe.
Some students with health conditions such as asthma say they were often compelled to go and sleep at other dormitories.
But at long last, the battle over sleepless nights due to the deplorable condition of the Ajene and Bayala Houses is over after the PA of the school intervened to renovate the block.
The renovation works saw the association expend 148,550 cedis on the one-story block as they described the intervention as critical to protect the students and their belongings from getting soaked with water anytime it rained.
As part of the renovation, the entire roof was removed and redone, rewiring of the facility was done, fixing of the ceiling and other general furnishing work including fixing new doors, louver carriers, and blades with painting work all completed on the 30th of June 2024.
Some occupants of the Ajene and Bayala Houses detailed how the previous state of the dormitory block affected them as they commend the PA and the school administration for the facelift.
“During the dry season, we have to deal with bedbugs and during the rainy season, our rooms get flooded. So, during the rainy season, our anthem is we can’t sleep! We can’t sleep but now, we can sleep and snore. We are grateful to the PA for renovating our block.” One occupant of Bayala House said.
The Parent Association Chairman of the School, Leonard Anafu, explained why it became necessary to intervene.
“The whole of this roof is leaking and when it rains, some of the students have to go to their house master’s houses. The wires were exposed and we had to do it all over we are glad that we finally completed this project.”
He is, however, not happy about the failure of many parents to commit resources to the association to help in improving service delivery for the students.
Mr. Anafu urged parents not to assume that schools do not need support because of the implementation of the Free Senior High School Policy.
“As for the PA, when the Free SHS came and they said everything is free, when you tell people to bring money, and then they relax but you cannot also force people. So, what we try to do is that we want to ensure that the money is used so that parents will know what their money is used for.” He stressed.
