Church Builds Classrooms and Washrooms for Ghana School

Boys attending the Ayirebi Senior High School in Ayirebi, Ghana, can now use the toilet without fear of being bitten by cobra snakes thanks to a new 12-seater toilet building constructed for them by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Additionally, all students at the school now have a better learning environment with the new six-classroom building constructed by the Church and handed over to the school on 4 September, 2025.

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Ayirebi Senior High School has a student population of over 1,500, far beyond what was originally intended. Consequently, the school suffers from a severe lack of classroom space. Originally built with laboratory space to teach science and technology, those labs have been converted to general classrooms to accommodate the influx of students. The outdoor pavilion that was intended for student dining and student assemblies has been converted into two makeshift teaching areas, and other makeshift structures have been assembled to try to provide general learning classrooms for the students. None of those accommodations are very conducive to effective learning.

Of equal concern was the lack of a proper toilet facility for the boys.  The existing structure was essentially an open lean-to frequently invaded by cobras and other pests.  It was dangerous enough that, rather than risk their lives, the boys would use the nearby bushes to take care of their needs, creating a highly unsanitary environment that also affected learning.

Upon receiving a request to help remedy the situation, the Church agreed to construct a new classroom building with six fully equipped classrooms as well as a new, fully enclosed 12-seater toilet and washroom building to accommodate the boys’ needs. In support, a new septic system was also installed, and two 10,000 liter polytanks were installed to provide an uninterrupted clean water supply. The construction took approximately 9 months, and the day for handing over the completed facilities to the school was a day of great celebration for the schoolboard, teachers, staff, students, and parents.

The handover ceremony was an event filled with talks and expressions of gratitude as well as joyous celebrations that included traditional cultural dancing and drumming performances by the students. As the ceremony began, Mr. William Amewuho, headmaster of the school, expressed his profound gratitude for the Church’s efforts to improve the learning environment for the students, noting that without the donation, the school would continue to struggle in providing a solid education.

Elder Patrick Appianti-Sarpong, an Area Seventy who presided at the event, addressed those attending the handover ceremony saying, “In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we certainly know that all people, all human beings, male and female, are children of a loving Heavenly Father. We certainly believe that we are all connected as sisters and brothers because we have a Father in Heaven who loves us. And because of his love for us, he wants our lives here on earth to be full of joy so we can prepare for even a greater life tomorrow. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is committed to ensuring that the rising generation is provided with all necessary things that will make their lives here on earth powerful and purposeful.

“We know that when Jesus Christ was on earth and was asked what are the two great commandments, He said to love God with all our heart, mind and strength, and to love thy neighbor as thyself. Donating these projects is the way the Church shows that we can love our neighbors as ourselves. We hope that for years to come, we can continue to collaborate with the educational authorities and the leaders in the country to continue to support education and other notable ventures.”

The Church supports educational initiatives such as this because, as Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said in his October 2009 General Conference talk titled Two Principles for Any Economy, “Education is not merely a good idea—it’s a commandment. We are to learn ‘of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad.’” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:78–79).

In receiving the donation, the Headmaster as well as the District Director of Education promised to maintain the new facilities so that students in years to come could benefit from the Church’s donation.

The ceremony concluded with a ribbon-cutting, formally marking the beginning of a new, brighter chapter for the Ayirebi Senior High School community.