St. Raphael’s primary school is an icon of excellence in the Jirapa Municipality of the Ghana Education Service (GES)

The school is located in Hain a rural community but with excellent infrastructures in the Jirapa Municipal of Upper West Region of Ghana, West Africa. The people are predominately peasant farmers and a Muslims dominated community. The school has three blocks funded by Mission Cara and Tom Jago. Misean Cara funded the lower primary class one to three. Mr and Mrs Tom Jago funded the upper primary classes four to six, the administration block and an eight (8) Seater KIVP Sanitary facility.

In 2017, St. Raphael’s primary school was adjudged the 3^rd Best Primary in the Ghana National Primary School awards.  This is a testimony to the commitment of all stakeholders – the School Management Committee-SMC, Parent-Teacher Association-PTA, Staff, Students and the Presentation Brothers.

On 5^th October 2020, St. Raphael’s Primary school was once emerged FIRST among over 27,380 Basic schools in the country as being the Most HIV/AIDS Alert Model School in Ghana at the ceremony that took place in the University of Cape Coast-UCC. This was through the hard work of the Head Teacher Br. Franklin, Teachers, Parents and Learners the school was certified by all the monitory teams that visited the school, that is the Municipal, Regional and finally the National team from the Ministry of Education (Headquarters), Accra.

The school took home: a flat-screen TV set, a Desktop computer and its accessories, a printer, several footballs, a set of jerseys and HIV/AIDS books and other materials.

Bravo! Bravo!! Bravo!!! Keep up the Presentation Spirit. More grease to your elbows and congratulations Br. Franklin, Staff and Pupils for all your dedications and efforts. The citation lauded the Brothers “—-We are appreciative to the Presentation Brothers West Africa Province, and all well-wishers. It is no mere achievement for a rural school like St. Raphael’s in Hain—” we wish to appreciate and thank Misean Cara and our Mission Development Office for your generous financial support to put up the structure for effective teaching and learning in Hain.

Mr and Mrs Tom Jago, we are proud of you and thank you so much for being magnanimous to provide finances for the Mission developmental projects, May God richly bless you and your beloved family.

The 36th edition of the National Farmers’ Day for this year 2020 was held in Techiman in the Bono East Region on November 6, 2020, and across the various Regions, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies throughout the country on the theme: “Agribusiness Development under COVID-19 – Opportunities and Challenges”

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture-MOFA is promoting accelerated Fisheries Sector Development as a viable economic segment that will conduce to the total development of the economy of Ghana in line with Medium to Long term National Development Policy Frameworks of the country.

Presentation Brothers’ JHS, Hain, emerged as the Best Fish Farmers in the Jirapa Municipality in 2019/2020 crop season. Br. James who is the Headmaster of the school started the fish farming three years ago, the Staff and Students sooner than later became interested in such a new adventure. This venture aims to rouse and open to students the aquaculture system of farming in a more practical way of learning by doing and as a means of livelihood.

News of this kind of farming (Fish Farming) gradually began to spread far and people came from within and beyond the Jirapa Municipal Assembly to visit and see things for themselves.  The attention of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture was drawn to this new adventure and the Ministry took special interest and started visiting the school and (farm) as it was the first of its kind in the Municipality. The Ministry offered technical advice to support and improve the production of the aquaculture.

On Friday 6^th November 2020 National Farmers’ Day, Br. James with his students accompanied by the Community leader Br. Emmanuel Dassah and two of our Brother Novices presented a sample of the farm species of Tilapia and catfish for exhibition in a transparent jar. The Presentation Brothers’ JHS exhibition point was the centre of admiration for the officials and the general public. The curiosity and excitement of the crowd were even more intriguing as the students took turns to explain to the teeming crowd the processes and care of handling the fingerlings, feeding, cleaning and maintenance of the fishpond as well as the nutritional value.  This immediately enthused some parents and they started seeking admission for their wards into Pres. High, Hain for the next academic year.

What else do you think? Unanimously, Presentation Brothers’ JHS was declared the Best Fish Farmer in the Municipal, thus, lifting higher the flag and the name of the school. This is the first time that a Presentation Brothers’ school in the Region has won such a prestigious award and a recognition in the field of agriculture development.

The school has in stock four hundred species of tilapia and seven hundred and fifty of catfish.  For their prize, the school took a Bicycle, Spraying machine, Watering can, Cutlasses, Wellington boots and a Certificate of Honour. We are appreciative of you Br. James, the staff and students for your enthusiasm on this project it is no mere achievement for our rural school like Pres. JHS in Hain to have emerged as the Best in Aquaculture in the Jirapa Municipality.

Br. James who is passionate and optimistic about the prospects of the aquaculture stated that the project can help improve productivity and profit for the school when given the necessary financial support to produce more tilapia and catfish.

Congratulations to Br. James in particular, the staff and students of Pres. High, Hain, on your excellent award and keeping the name of the school aloft in all endeavours. No risk, no reward.