Impact Story: Messiah Montessori School Achieves Inclusive Education
Messiah Montessori School, located in Ghana, was founded on one vision- to provide children with accessible education to give them a strong foundation in life. That vision became a reality through years of dedication, growth and a collective commitment to continuous growth. Since its founding in 2018, the school has grown from a small-scale daycare provider into a competitive institution which provides affordable, quality education for students across Pre-Primary, Primary and Lower Secondary levels. This growth has only been possible through the tireless efforts of the school leadership team to transform the lives of local students, and it has been strengthened by its partnership with Opportunity EduFinance.
The school was first set up by Mrs Annah Adu Baffoe, an educator with a passion for nurturing children in her community to maximise their potential. What started off as a team of 4 teachers and a class of 20 students has now flourished into a school community of 21 trained members of staff and 475 pupils. To cater for the expansion in demand for education, Messiah Montessori started accessing school improvement loans through Opportunity Savings and Loans, Opportunity EduFinance’s Financial Partner. These loans served as an enabler for school expansion as they facilitated the purchase of school buses and expanded classroom space to ensure that they could accommodate for more students from the local community.
Messiah Montesorri School also joined the Opportunity EduFinance EduQuality Program which marked a key milestone in their growth. Through enrolling on EduFinance’s Flagship leadership program (School Leadership Professional Development (SLPD)), the school leaders were able to gain knowledge in fields such as marketing, branding and school management. This had led to tangible outcomes to the school’s approach to marketing. One example can be seen through the school’s decision to brand their school buses with the name of the institution, achievements and contact information. The benefits of this change have been twofold; firstly, it has helped to increase the visibility of Messiah Montesorri School in the community. Secondly, it has contributed to a visible increase in student enrolment.
“Messiah Montessori School, Antoakrom has improved greatly after associating with EduFinance and enrolling on EDQ programs. SLPD trainings have impacted the way our school is managed. This has improved school enrolment, and our school is thriving,” - Maxwell Adu Baffoe, Headteacher
The growth of the school has gone far beyond developments to infrastructure, through their enrolment in EduFinance’s Teacher Mentor Professional Development (TMPD) program, Messiah Montesorri School now has started adopting learner-centred teaching practices across the school. Educators have started varying their teaching styles in order to cater for the needs of different learners to ensure that no student is left behind.
They have also become increasingly aware of gender equity in the classroom and made conscious efforts to ensure that they are supporting all students equally, regardless of gender. Overall, the impact of the partnership is visible not only through increases in numbers but also in the everyday experiences of learners and educators at Messiah Montesorri School. Classrooms are more dynamic, leadership is more strategic, and the vision of Mrs Annah Adu Baffoe has now become a reality, which has empowered hundreds of students through the provision of affordable, accessible, quality education.