New Computer Lab in Ghana Empowers Student Learning

Students at the Brofoyedur Mangoase D/A Community Basic School in the Gomoa Mangoase Traditional Area of Ghana’s Central Region now have access to a modern computer lab, thanks to a collaborative effort between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Citizens Taking Responsibility (CTR), a Utah-based NGO. The new facility was handed over on 23 September, 2025 in a ceremony filled with expressions of appreciation from school, community, and government leaders, interspersed with poetry recitals, dances, and other cultural displays performed by the students.

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Educators and administrators at this remote school were woefully aware that computer literacy is essential for success in today’s digital world. Unfortunately, prior to the project, the school had no computers, leaving its 417 students without a way to learn essential technological skills. Dr. Thomas Appiah, an alumnus of the school and founder of CTR, recognized the need and pledged to donate 40 new computers to the school on the condition that a suitable and secure space could be prepared to house them.

Himself a member of The Church, Dr. Appiah contacted the Church’s humanitarian arm in Ghana to request its help and involvement. Upon receiving this invitation to collaborate, The Church undertook a comprehensive renovation of a school building to create a functional, efficient, and secure Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Lab.

The Church’s contribution included completely renovating the designated room, replacing the roof, installing secure metal burglar bars, and upgrading all necessary electrical wiring. To ensure the computers can operate effectively, the Church also installed air conditioning and ceiling fans, placed new floor tiles, painted the interior and exterior, and provided 40 new desks and chairs.

Just before proceeding to the formal handover ceremony, in a private meeting between representatives of the Church, CTR, and the traditional leaders of the community, Nana Okofo Ogyefo Amoako II Odikro, the Chief of the Gomoa Mangoase Traditional Area, personally expressed his gratitude to the Church for its involvement. The Church doesn’t have any branches or groups that meet in the small community, but having been impressed with the spirit of Christian discipleship and recognizing that the Church was “doing the work of God,” the chief asked the Priesthood leaders if it would be possible for the Church to establish a branch in their small community. They assured him that it would be a goal towards which they would work.

In his introductory remarks of the handover ceremony, Nana Barima Adu-Twum I, who is the Nkosuohehe (development chief) of the Mangoase traditional area, thanked the Church and the humanitarian senior missionaries who worked on this project for their effort to overcome the limitations the school faced, saying, “Today, the children of Gomoa Mangoase D/A basic school are the greatest winners of this struggle, who may lead to the testament of this kind of monumental gesture by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Citizens Taking Responsibility. . .I believe strongly that this day will go down in history as a game changer as we seek to bridge the poverty gap through technology for these young ones.”

President Amos Wallace, President of the Swedru Ghana Stake who presided at the event, told attendees at the ceremony, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is committed to developing the rising generation through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and through quality education.  We believe strongly that education is a key part of our future generation.”  He referenced other programs that the Church sponsors, such as the Gathering Places and BYU Pathways that help people to gain an education and to develop the skills to become self-reliant.

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Church leaders have often emphasized the value of education.  In his address at the October General Conference in 1992, then Elder Russell M. Nelson said, "Because of our sacred regard for each human intellect, we consider the obtaining of an education to be a religious responsibility."

In the Church publication "For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices," in the section on The Truth will make you free, we are taught that "Education is not just about earning money. It is part of your eternal goal to become more like Heavenly Father."  Thus, the Church engages in humanitarian educational initiatives such as the computer lab at the Brofoyedur Mangoase D/A Community Basic School to help God's children both temporally as well as spiritually. 

This project, celebrated by a united community, ensures that students from Gomoa Mangoase area will be able to enhance their educational experiences and develop technological skills that will benefit them in the classroom, in their adult lives, and beyond.