A SPEECH DELIVERED BY PASTOR EVELYN GYAMPA MARKIN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CREATOR SCHOOLS, TEMA.

A SPEECH DELIVERED BY PASTOR EVELYN GYAMPA MARKIN, M.D OF CREATOR SCHOOLS TEMA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE GRAND DURBAR MARKING THE CLIMAX OF THE YEAR-LONG CELEBRATION OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF CREATOR SCHOOLS, TEMA. SATURDAY, 27TH JANUARY, 2024

Our eminent Chairperson for this historic occasion, Rev. Brigadier-General Dr. Nii Adjah Obodai (RTD) Former Commander 37 Military Hospital, Distinguished Board of Directors, Our Seasoned Guest Speaker, Professor George K.T Oduro, Former Pro Vice Chancellor (University of Cape Coast), The Member of Parliament for Tema Central Constituency, Our respected traditional rulers from the Tema Traditional Council, The Tema Metro Director of Education and her entourage, Heads and reps of corporate organisations herein seated, Distinguished guests, Respected reps from GNAPS & sister schools, Chairman of the Anniversary Planning Committee and his team, Noble Members of Staff, Pace-setting members of CROSA, Continuing pupils and students, beloved parents and guardians, Friends from the media fraternity, Ladies and gentlemen.

Today, undoubtedly, marks a red-letter day in the Life of Creator Schools as this colourful durbar we are witnessing at this arena today effectively brings to an end, the one-year long programme of activities systematically rolled out to Commemorate the 40th birthday of Creator Schools, our pride and heritage. As the Managing Director of this great school, I deem it an exceptional honour and a pleasant responsibility to deliver the formal anniversary address for the occasion.

Before I delve into the knitty-gritty of my address, I Would like to humbly crave your indulgences, ladies and gentlemen, to spring onto your feet as we momentarily and solemnly observe a minute silence in honour of the memories of the transitioned Founder and MD of Creator Schools, Rev. Comfort Chemfe Adjarko, and other departed members of staff and parents who are physically not present in our midst, but spiritually aligned to this august function. May their souls find eternal rest in the caring arms of our Lord. Amen.

Distinguished Guests, the elaborate traditional welcome dance performance you were treated to, which gave you some breathtaking moments to cheer about, and our beautifully toned welcome address delivered in your honour, lend credence to our hospitality as a school and our immeasurable delight to have you in our midst as Our august guests. Thank you for taking a sliver of time off your busiest schedules to be here with us.

RECOUNTING THE SCHOOL’S BIRTH

Mr. Chairman, Creator Schools is 40 years old and we have every cause to be collectively delighted. The school, which is incontestably the brainchild of Rev. Comfort Chemfe Adjarko, our transitioned enterprising, visionary, purposeful and resolute Founder, was birthed in the year 1983 after many prenatal considerations and motivations particularly the urging voice of the Holy Spirit, whom she had relied upon for counsel.

Her decision to establish Creator Schools was informed by the challenges that had bedeviled Ghana’s educational sector during the early turbulent years of Ghana’s 3lst December, 1981 Revolution, when the country was in an economic quagmire, a situation that compelled many teachers of the motherland to abandon the classroom, to seek greener pastures in Nigeria.

To fulfil her heart’s desire of founding and managing her own school, Rev. Mrs. Comfort Chemfe Adjarko parted ways with the GES, where she was then plying her trade professionally as a middle school teacher. She began with 6 pupils and today, the school has been blessed with its fair share of enrolment.

Like humans, the school has gone through certain growth phases to get to its present milestone. Thankfully, the inspiration to establish the school did not suffer a still birth during its foetal and embryonic stages of its development. The school’s formative years were saddled with an avalanche of setbacks, but our forebear did not throw her hands up in the air in despair, but gallantly held fast onto her convictions, braced the storms and marched on.

up in the air in despair, but gallantly held fast onto her convictions, braced the storms and marched on. Ladies and gentlemen, the future looked promising as the school’s adolescent and semi – adult stages gave stakeholders cause for joy because of its resounding exploits on the academic landscape in Ghana.

Today Creator Schools has become a fully-fledged adult at forty, the result of God’s divine help and the founder’s resoluteness in the face of adversities. Kindly join me in saying” Lord we thank you.” May I once again humbly request that we all rise up and accord our transitioned Founder a post-humous standing ovation.

Our well-thought out theme for this anniversary, “Forty Years of Sustained Quality Education Through Hardwork and Perseverance,” couldn’t have been more appropriate, as it summaries the school’s sweet-bitter experiences as a basic educational institution.

THANKING GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS.

Beloved guests, certainly, four (4) decades in the life of a school of Creator’s caliber is no mere a journey. Indeed, this historic voyage has not been a bed of roses. Like the Israelites having to cross the Red Sea to the Promised Land, we have had our fair share of low moments, but it’s refreshing to say that when we count our blessings one-by-one as a

school, it surprises us what the Lord has done.

• • it’s been 40 years of God’s goodness, His immeasurable faithfulness, image-building mercies and mind-blowing favours. it’s been half a century short of ten years of God’s protection against fire disasters, food poisoning, accidental deaths and outbreak of epidemics in the school.
  • It’s been 4 decades of the Sovereign Lord’s unwavering directions in our decisions-making, policy formulation and implementation.
  • It’s been 2 score years of massive infrastructural development.
  • It’s been 40 years of great strides on the competitive private schools’ educational terrain reflected in spectacular yearly BECE results.
  • It’s been forty solid years of industrial harmony and stability.
  • Above all, it’s been forty years of sustained quality education through hard work and perseverance.

Ladies and gentlemen, kindly join me in offering a clap offering unto the Lord.

ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FIELDS OF EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

By dint of hard work and sheer determination over the years, Creator Schools stands out as the best baseball-playing school in the Tema Metropolis.

• • The school has won major baseball competitions at the basic schools’ level within the Tema Metropolis and the Greater- Accra Region. The Lineup of trophies on display at our exhibition stand today bear eloquent testimony to the school’s exploit in that connection.
  • Similarly, the school had won the blue ribbon in drama, Essay Writing, Spelling Bee, and Cadet Drill Contests within and beyond the Tema Metropolis.
  • The school also placed 2nd twice in Ghana’s Independence Day celebrations march past at Tema Metro Metropolis.
  • Our school also showed prowess in soccer matches in the metropolis are well as put up gymnastic performances on the Independence Day celebration organized by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly.
  • The Preschool Department was actively involved in a major TV programme dubbed Toddlers’ Time and became the toast of the host and organizers.
  • The Twi Department performed creditably in a poetry recital competition organized by the GBC in Accra.

CORPORATE AWARDS

Mr. Chairman, the phenomenal contributions of our great school towards the development of quality education in Ghana have not gone unnoticed, but handsomely rewarded with special awards and citations from a good number of individuals and corporate entities such as SNNIT and TNG, stemming out of various academic and extra-Curricular related competitions we showed class in. We are grateful for the recognition which had spurred us on to do more and will continue to energise us to expand the frontiers of our mandate to empower the Ghanaian child. Certainly, we shall not remain in our comfort zone nor rest on our oars.

CELEBRATING OUR OLD STUDENTS

Distinguished audience. Without the least intention to sound self-praising, one may posit that Creator Schools’ contribution towards the development of Ghana’s human resource capital cannot be underestimated. The school takes pride in the fact that its forty years of existence have produced hundreds of personalities who are gainfully pursuing their dream career goals in Ghana and beyond. By virtue of the solid moral and academic foundations the school laid for our old students, they have become the toast of many at the various second-cycle and tertiary institutions around the world and in the world of work. We are certainly on cloud nine to see some of our pacesetting CROSA members in our midst today. Old students, we are profoundly enthralled by your exploits. Continue to be worthy ambassadors of your alma mater wherever you find yourselves.

Precious guests, in the course of our 40 years, it is interesting and heartwarming to note that our once agile pupils who once paced down this paved compound with unrestrained energy and joy during break and play times have also, with the passing of time, become mothers and fathers, whose children are also harvesting the rich Creator academic experience and sound character training. Certainly, the CREATOR tradition lives on. We wish to salute some of the CROSA year groups for making various donations to the school.

WORDS OF APPRECIATION TO OUR PARENTS & ASSURANCES

Mr. Chairman, our Board of Directors, The Management, and staff thank you, our valued parents, for choosing Creator Schools for your children and keeping abiding faith in the school’s ability to empower your children to the pinnacles of their dream ends. We appreciate the reality that despite the proximity of some good schools to your homes, you chose to settle on Creator Schools for your children’s education. We are profoundly proud of you and cannot afford to take your decision and investments for granted. Beloved parents, rest assured that your children are in good hands. To this end, the Directors and management promise not to renege on our Commitment and responsibility to invest in schemes, academic mechanisms and learning tools that would guarantee your children a solid foundation for their future aspirations.

RECOGNIZING OUR PAST AND PRESENT STAFF

Ladies and gentlemen, Creator Schools has, since its procreation, been endowed with a dazzling array of competent, understanding, and dedicated staff. On an auspicious occasion such as this, it is imperative that we extol their virtues and let the whole world know that we value them beyond description. Beloved fellow workers, the Directors of the school doff their hats for you and say that “on a scale of one and ten, you are an eleven” Thank you, Wonderful past and present staff, for your service to humanity. Many many thanks to you for making the Creator dream and story complete, through your diverse roles played in the value chain as teaching and non-teaching staff. Mr. Chairman, our staff deserve our applause to the rooftop. It’s our prayer that the good Lord, out of His storehouse of blessings, bless you all manifold.

 

SALUTING OUR STAKEHOLDERS

May I, on behalf of the Board of Directors, ladies, and gentlemen, use the platform of this colourful occasion to eulogise our major stakeholders like The National Schools Inspectorate Authority(NaSIA), The Tema Metro GES Directorate, The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), Foundation for Generational Thinkers(FOGOT). The Ghana Police Service Community 4, Tema, The Ghana Health Service, Lion Security Services, Donewell Insurance, Enterprise Insurance, a host of NGOs, Samcoy Stationery, John Taffah Ventures and other business partners, for the warm rapport and mutually beneficial working relationships we have had over the years. We are looking forward to an enhanced relationship in the years ahead.

CHALLENGES.

Ladies and gentlemen, Creator Schools, like all human institutions cannot be insulated against challenges.  At Creator Schools, we view challenges as opportunities for growth and innovation. We address issues such as non-payment of fees, the flagrant abuse of fee instalment payment options, balancing high operational costs with affordable tuition fees, the proliferation of schools impacting enrollment, navigating the effects of government policies on the core activities of the institution, coping with extra levies imposed on private institutions and handling various negative environmental influences.

The board and management consistently strategize to discover innovative approaches to navigate the dynamic landscape of our industry.

EXPECTATIONS

Distinguished patrons, as I draw the curtains on my speech, I would like, on behalf of the board, to mention that:

• • There are plans to embark on expansion works, to rejuvenate and retool all existing laboratories and workshops. There are other developmental initiatives to be rolled out to match up innovative ways to enhance quality service delivery to our stakeholders.
  • The Board of Directors recognizes the importance of making its workforce happy with their conditions of service. Such motivational packages are constantly reviewed to make life more meaningful for the staff.

May I, at this juncture, urge the leadership of the Creator Old Students’ Association (CROSA) to consider mobilizing its ear group members, home and abroad, to initiate and carry out some legacy projects as part of the school’s 40th anniversary. This is one of the ways they can give back to Creator, all the opportunities bestowed on them for development. We are trusting the good Lord who has called us to good works for the presence of mind to carry through our plans. “Indeed, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.”

I wish to thank the Mr. Kanetey – Essel led 40^th Anniversary Planning Committee and the sub-committees for discharging the various roles related to this anniversary effectively. We salute you profoundly.

Mr. Chairman, Distinguished personalities. The Creator brand has come to stay and shall continue to hold its own in the glorious years to come. Thank you all, our respected guests, friends of the school, and all well-wishers for honouring our invitation to this historic function.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen may the Lord grant you all travelling mercies to your destinations.

Thank you.