Ghanaians praise Chinese firm for renovating school after floods

ACCRA, July 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese company on Wednesday handed over a school it renovated after a flood in the Ghanaian capital of Accra, winning praise from the local people.

In late May, heavy rains caused flooding that damaged the St. Thomas School and Dynamic Divine Academy in a coastal fishing community in Accra.

After learning about their predicament, the CRCC Harbor & Channel Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd, a Chinese company undertaking the China-aided Jamestown Fishing Port Complex project, suspended the construction of the port and came to the rescue of the school instead.

Over the past month, the company has built new drains, concreted the school compound and erected new walls, enabling the school to become more resistant to floods and safe for the children to return.

During the handover ceremony, Mavis Dede Allotey, a deputy project engineer with the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority, commended the Chinese company's prompt response.

"If you were to come here a few weeks ago, you would not have been able to enter the compound due to the mess created by the flooding. But now, the place has become usable again for the children, thanks to the response by CRCC," she said, adding the Chinese company's kind gesture made it possible for the children to enjoy quality school life in a safe environment.

Samuel Nii Akwei Addo, the founder of the school, expressed gratitude to the Chinese company. "I did not attend a proper school, but I have realized that education is the key to success in life. I thank the Chinese company for doing this valuable work to care for the children in this school," he said.

Jin Xiaodong, general manager of the fishing harbor project, said "as an old Chinese saying goes, distant relatives are not as good as neighbors, and we have been good neighbors since the project started in 2019. We are always committed to attending to your needs within our capabilities."