Princess Umul Hatiyya Embarks on nationwide fundraising tour for schools for the Deaf and Blind
Princess Umul Hatiyya of the PUH Foundation has embarked on a nationwide road tour to raise funds for the renovation and maintenance of ten schools for the deaf and blind across Ghana.
The initiative, dubbed “60-Day Drive Across Ghana,” will see Princess Umul Hatiyya and her team travel through all 16 regions of the country aboard a tricycle, popularly known in Northern Ghana as the “Yellow Yellow.”
The tour aims not only to mobilize financial support for special schools but also to showcase Ghana’s rich tourism potential to both local and international audiences.
As part of the campaign, the foundation is seeking to raise GH¢2 million for the renovation of dormitory facilities at the Savelugu School for the Deaf and GH¢1 million for the Ashanti School for the Deaf and Blind. The funds will be used to improve infrastructure and learning conditions for students in the institutions.
Students at Savelugu school for the deaf
According to Princess Umul Hatiyya, a recent visit by the foundation to the Savelugu School for the Deaf revealed the deteriorating state of several facilities, including damaged ceilings, broken windows, and aging dormitory structures that require urgent attention.
This is not the first time Princess Umul Hatiyya has undertaken a long-distance fundraising campaign. In 2009, she rode a bicycle from Accra to Tamale in six days to raise funds for the renovation of the Nouri Imam Primary School at Tuutingli in the Tamale Metropolis.
Through contributions from corporate organizations and hundreds of individual donors, the foundation successfully renovated the school and later constructed a six-classroom block, a library, and toilet facilities. Princess Umul Hatiyya is widely recognized as a tourism advocate.
Having travelled to more than 90 countries across five continents, she has consistently championed the development of Ghana’s tourism sector by highlighting untapped tourist destinations and encouraging authorities to invest in tourism infrastructure.
She noted that her extensive travels have convinced her that Ghana possesses immense tourism potential and remains a destination worth exploring. However, she emphasized the need for greater attention to the development of tourist sites, improved sanitation in major cities and towns, and enhanced support for the tourism industry.
Princess Umul Hatiyya expressed optimism that the 60-day journey will not only raise the needed funds for the beneficiary schools but also draw national attention to the challenges facing persons with disabilities and the opportunities available within Ghana’s tourism sector.
The nationwide tour is expected to attract support from corporate institutions, philanthropists, development partners, and the general public as the foundation works toward improving educational facilities for children with hearing and visual impairments while promoting Ghana’s tourism heritage.
