This month, we have had the chance to catch up with Solomon Lartey, the Spot Lead at the new Funkoe Spot, who was nominated as the Catalyst of the Month for June. We found out more about his experiences and motivations.
Solomon holds a Masters in Educational Administration from the University of Cape Coast, and is the headteacher at the Funkoe M.A. Basic School. He is also a father of three — with two daughters and a son.
Funkoe is located along the coast of Ghana, and Solomon informs us that the population is made up of mostly fishing folks with a few artisans. He explained that there are certain educational challenges due to low income levels, and therefore saw the opportunity to partner with EduSpots as advantageous. In particular, Solomon points to EduSpots’ digitalisation campaign as a catalyst for change. The tablets and routers distributed through this campaign were instrumental in introducing digital literacy to a large number of learners who had previously lacked such opportunities. In addition to traditional classroom instruction, internet access provided supplementary learning opportunities. For example, students could reinforce their knowledge of the digestive system by watching online videos after covering the topic in class.
Despite being a new Spot in the network, Funkoe Spot has exhibited great enthusiasm, coming third in the first EduKidz and Spot Lead monthly challenges they participated in, and also recognised for their participation in Ignite Equity and EcoSTEM monthly challenges. Solomon credits the supportive, committed and dedicated Spot Catalysts who help run all five strands of EduSpots’ Ignite Programme.
Leveraging his role as headteacher, he has successfully implemented EduSpots’ programmes within the school environment. For instance, he has encouraged a daily reading habit among students by designating a quiet reading period before classes. This is done so as to help learners develop the habit of reading. According to Solomon, the learners’ recent reading and spelling bee win, highlights EduSpots’ positive influence on the community.
Solomon expresses how much his upbringing has shaped his convictions and continues to guide his journey in education and volunteering. He grew up in a farming community in a family of six, and recalled how he would walk five kilometers a day to get to primary school, where there were only three teachers. However, he speaks fondly of his father, who understood the importance of education and sacrificed a lot, consequently, Solomon and his siblings all went through tertiary education. Two of his sisters are also teachers, while another is going through nursing training. These experiences allow him to connect deeply with Spot learners — as he sees himself from thirty years ago, in them! He is motivated to create transformative opportunities for them through education, such that they can thrive and rise just as he had. His passion is palpable: “My greatest joy”, he said, is “being a part of small beginnings” and to “see people try”.
When asked what he sees in the future for the Funkoe Spot and EduSpots as a whole, he wonderfully evoked the metaphor of an incubator. Deeply embedded in the community, the Spot is a base for the transformation in society: one that not only equips learners with knowledge and skills, but instills changes in mindset, such as through the activities in Ignite Equity. With this, he envisions a Spot as “one of the best places where life will be transformed through education”.
Congratulations on your outstanding accomplishments, Solomon!