Kevin Okyere, founder and Chief Executive of Springfield Group, led a team from the company and the Kevin Okyere Foundation (KOF) to Ahwerase in the Akuapem South Municipality of the Eastern Region on Wednesday, distributing shoes to hundreds of primary and junior high school pupils across three schools and pledging to repair leaking roofs that have been disrupting lessons.
The exercise covered the Ahwerase Presbyterian Primary and Kindergarten, Aburi Methodist Primary B and Junior High School, and the Anglican Junior High School. At each stop, team members fitted pupils individually with new footwear. More than 300 pairs of shoes were distributed in total across the three schools.
“The kids are very happy,” Okyere said after the exercise, explaining that the Presbyterian school’s dress code specifies black shoes and that the team selected durable footwear to match. He added that the team had observed leaking roofs over the science laboratory and several classrooms during the visit and would return to fix them. “We’re going to fix all their leaking issues so when it rains, it doesn’t have to interrupt their education,” he said.
Sylvia Attafuah, headmistress of the Ahwerase Presbyterian Primary, said the scale of the donation exceeded her expectations. “I knew they were coming to donate some shoes, but I did not expect that every pupil will receive a pair. I am overwhelmed and happy,” she said. She expressed hope that the gesture would have a positive psychological effect on pupils and contribute to improved academic engagement.
The Kevin Okyere Foundation supports approximately 10,000 children with meals, school supplies, shoes, uniforms and other essentials, alongside interventions in healthcare and community development. Okyere said the Foundation aims to build long-term partnerships with beneficiary communities rather than one-off donations, identifying specific needs and returning to address them over time.
