Misean Cara is an Irish and International Faith-based Missionary movement working with poor, marginalised and vulnerable communities in developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. They are inspired by the Gospel and are responding to God’s call to work for a better life for all. Misean Cara has already funded the building of a four-unit classroom block, an administration, and a library complex for the Hain community in the Upper West Region for the education and Christian formation of the youth through the Presentation Brothers.

At a recent maiden speech and prize-giving ceremony on 5th August 2022, Misean Cara donated Bicycles to twenty-four girls to help reduce their burden and the long distances they trek to school daily.

Misean Cara believes that education is a fundamental human right for every child irrespective of gender and a catalyst for socioeconomic development. Thus, the donations of bicycles to support village girls to assert their right to access education by providing them with bicycles is to help them get to school regularly and arrive better rested. This will reduce their commute time, increase their punctuality and reduce the number of days absent from school as a result of long distances.

Addressing the gathering, the Jirapa Municipal Director of Education, Mrs. Agnes Mwaawaaru thanked Misean Cara who funded the school building, Presentation R/C JHS, and also for providing the bicycles for the girls, an intervention to support the girl-child education in the Hain community. She urged students, teachers and parents to take good care of the donations given to the girls.

She added that this will help curb tiredness, and loss of contact hours of students staying far away. She said, that Misean Cara had done a lot in supporting educational needs in the municipality and urged parents, teachers and everyone to help the school to grow.

The girl-child education officer, Mrs. Sophia Jakpa, also thanked Misean Cara and the Presentation Brothers for the good work for such a wonderful programme in place for the girl child and asked parents to delete the mindset of “our girls are bad” to pave way for them to aspire higher and continue supporting their girls to attend school regularly.

Mrs. Agnes presents the bicycles to the girls assisted by the Girl child officer Mrs. Sophia Jakpa

The Province Leader of the Presentation Brothers Rev. Br. Emmanuel Aminenta and Mrs. Agnes Mwaawaaru jointly presented the bicycles to the girls and their parents.

In attendance was the Parish Priest of St. Raphael’s Parish Hain, Rev. Fr. John Kuupiel and his curiat Rev. Fr. Robert Dodome who blessed the bicycles for the girls.

Mr. JB Kulah and his wife received a citation from the Province leader Br. Emmanuel.

The District Director of Education Lambussie-Karni Direct, Mr. JB Kulah received a citation from the Province Leader for his generous pioneering contribution to the foundation of the school. Other outstanding teachers, parents and officers were also presented with citations.

The chiefs of Hain lauded Misean Cara for the school facilities and the kind gesture of the bicycles and warned the parents and the beneficiaries, girls, to take good care of the bicycles. The event was reported and broadcast by Upper West Media.

Concurrently, on the 5^th of August 2022, 24 girls in Presentation Brothers’ secondary school at Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi State, Nigeria also received a donation of a bicycle by Misean Cara. The bicycles were jointly presented by the Principal of the school Br. Wilfred Angko, the PTA chairman and Fr. Issac the Chaplain of the school in a ceremony attended by the PTA executives, the Parents of the girls and opinion leaders. The PTA chairman in appreciation expressed gratitude to Misean Cara and the Brothers for ardent support for girl education in the community and the school. ‘I’m overwhelmed with the support from Misean Cara, I and the PTA are highly indebted to Misean Cara and the Brothers and do appreciate the support your willingness to educate our youth and particularly the girls’ he added.

The project manager Br. Solomon Kuusoyir encouraged the parents to help keep the bicycles in good shape so the girls can come regularly and be punctual.

The event was so fascinating that the community was agog to see the girls riding in the street. The girls rode to the community centre after the presentation. They practised before the presentation.

Girls on their Bikes went test riding, in a community where women previously were not allowed to own a bicycle, let alone ride.

The Students and their parents who received the bikes.

From Godfrey Kuubagr.