Category: General

Women from Doba in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality and Kandiga in the Kassena-Nankana West District have appealed for the preservation of the prevailing peace between the two communities in the Upper East Region.

They said the communal conflict that ensued between those communities had left deep cuts in their memories and deformed those areas, which should not happen again.

‘We have lost our loved ones, our sons and husbands have been killed, houses have been burnt and this should not happen again, we need to sustain the peace that we have because we are one people,’ they said.

Poganaba Mavis Amenga-Etega, the Queenmother of the Kandiga Community, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, noted that women and children suffered the most during the conflict and urged stakeholders to work together to maintain the peace.

‘Pregnant women could not access healthcare, our children could not access education, many people have lost their businesses, and our community has been backward in terms of development, a
nd we need this peace to get back on our feet,’ she said.

Madam Martha Akawegre from Kandiga noted that unlike before, members of the two communities could visit each other without fear and called for peaceful coexistence to accelerate development.

Madam Patience Abosenka from the Doba community explained that many people lost their houses and livelihoods during the conflict and were finding it difficult to rebuild.

She appealed to the Government and other organisations to support such families to get back their livelihoods.

It would be recalled that Doba and Kandiga were involved in a communal conflict that lasted almost three years due to a misunderstanding over a piece of land leading to the loss of lives and destruction of property.

The communities smoked the peace pipe in 2023 after the intervention of a team of traditional leaders, led by Naba Atogumdeya Akwara II, the Paramount Chief of the Sirigu Traditional Area.

Some women, known as ‘Poyaasi’ and ‘Isi’ formed by the Sirigu Women’s Organisation
for Pottery and Art (SWOPA), a non-government organisation, played critical role in the peace process.

‘Poyaasi’ in the Gurune Language refers to women married in a particular community while ‘Isi’ refers to their children (both boys and girls) born in the marriage and therefore the Poyaasi and Isi concept was to promote intercommunity ties for sustainable peace.

Currently the chiefs and people of the two communities interact and engage in social and economic activities and visit each other’s communities freely without fear.

The people engage in farming activities, traders’ access markets, and children attend school freely within those communities.

The Poyaasi and Isi organised food and cultural festivals, which brought together chiefs and people to fraternise.

Ms Bridget Adongo Akasise, the Manager, SWOPA, commended the people for smoking the peace pipe and the women for sustaining activities that continue to unite the communities.

She said SWOPA with support from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives,
formed the ‘Poyaasi’ and ‘Isi’ to implement a peace project in Doba, Yua, Kandiga, Mirigu, Nabango and Sirigu to support peace efforts.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Accra Girls’ Old Students Association (AGOSA) has marked International Women’s Day (IWD) with a call on women to collaborate with men to speed up national development.

Professor Adelaide Kastner, the National President of AGOSA, said both men and women possessed unique but complementary capabilities that required their cooperation with each other to solve the world’s problems.

The public must move away from the notion that: ‘What men do, women can do better,’ she said, adding that such statements rather alienated men and put barriers in the way of women.

Prof Kastner made the call in Accra when AGOSA marked the 2024 IWD with students of the Accra Girls’ Senior High School, on the localised theme: ‘Inspiring Inclusion for Progress and Respect.’

This year’s global theme was: ‘Inspire Inclusion’.

The IWD, recognised officially in 1977 by the United Nations, celebrates women for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.

Prof Ka
stner said: ‘IWD is not about aggression, it is not a battle, it is not a competition. We are not here to fight or malign the male counterparts of society. We are going to collaborate, coordinate, and synergise. It is the cooperation we are looking for.’

She touched on the importance of collaboration between women and men in all spheres of life, including the home, school, workplace and the community to foster mutual growth.

Women must also collaborate among themselves and assist one another, she noted, adding that; ‘Combining our efforts as women and men will enable us to solve the problems that confront humanity.

‘We can create more wealth than we could create separately and then we can inspire each other and advance the world’s economy and reduce poverty.’

Prof Kastner said it was important to involve the students in commemorating IWD to ensure speedy transformation.

‘When it comes to the role and place of a woman, we want to change the psyche, there should be a paradigm shift. If it is going to happe
n, it should happen at the nurturing stage,’ she said.

‘So we want to get the girls involved. Build their confidence, and let them know that opportunities abound for them. We want the girls to know that men want women who are educated and empowered, have skills, and careers, and can earn healthy, sustainable income to help the family.’

She emphasized that if women wanted inclusion, then they should also work on themselves because ‘they have to justify their inclusion.’

In a panel discussion, Dr Gloria Clarissa Dzeha, the Board Chair of Accra Girls’ Senior High School, said girls must make conscious efforts to develop their potential to earn the desired respect and contribute

meaningfully to development.

Mrs Gifty Andoh, the Headmistress, encouraged the students to have strong convictions in their abilities and persevere so they could excel in the male-dominated fields.

Mrs Miranda Degraft-Amanfu, the National Vice President of AGOSA, urged the students to study wide and broaden their horizons to functio
n effectively in all endeavours.

To promote the inclusion of women, some of the students called for more talk shows to empower women, expansion of technical and vocational education to equip women with the requisite skills, and the encouragement of women to build confidence and utilise their skills effectively.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Tamale Area Branch of the Church of Pentecost has donated an audio digital mixer board musical instrument valued at GHS 3,000.00, to the Tamale Central Prisons to enhance their worship.

Reverend Dennis Asanga, the Nyankpala District Minister of the Church of Pentecost in the Northern Region, who presented the instrument on behalf of the Church, to the authorities of the Prisons, said the gesture was to amongst others, help connect inmates to God through praises and worship.

He gave an exhortation based on the theme: ‘Transforming My World,’ and said it was important for all to reach out to the vulnerable and less privileged in society.

He touched on the need for every Christian to prioritise supporting the less endowed in society to transform the world.

Reverend Asanga urged the inmates to remain faithful and trust in the unfailing promises of God.

The Northern Regional Commander of Prisons, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Mr Thompson Otsyokpo, who received the instrument on behalf of the inmates, t
hanked the Church for coming to the aid of the Prisons service.

He said the instrument would replace its existing damaged one and be used for the intended purpose of enhancing the spiritual well-being of the inmates as well as strengthening their faith in Christ.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Sheikh Sulemana Gomna, a 68-year-old Educationist, has been outdoored as the new Kadjebi District Chief Imam in the Oti Region.

The retired Educationist succeeded Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Salifu-Gundogu, the late District Chief Imam, who died in October 2023.

The new District Chief Imam had his basic school education at Kadjebi and proceeded to Qatar for his Secondary education in Qatar and tertiary at the Qatar Islamic University in Doha.

Before the coronation held at the forecourt of Kadjebi Central Mosque, Alhaji Haruna Danjumah, the Zongo Chief, said the installation event came at the appropriate time as Monday, March 11 marks the beginning of their Ramadan Fasting.

He asked the new Chief Imam to impart the in-depth knowledge he had acquired to the younger generation.

Alhaji Danjumah also advised him to let unity be his hallmark and rally all Islamic clerics in the Zongo communities to work with him.

Alhaji Alsumah Ural-Jamah, the Oti Deputy Regional Chief Imam, said the ceremony should remind them of
what happened during the installation of the first successor of their beloved Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W).

Okyeame Baa Danso, the Okyeame (linguist) to Kadjebi Adontenhene, called for peace in the Muslim communities as they could not develop in a state of anarchy.

Sheikh Sulemana Gomna, the new Chief Imam, in an acceptance speech, thanked everyone for his coronation and appealed for their support to rule well.

He said he was not affiliated with any political party and that his sole aim was to support the development of the Kadjebi District.

Sheikh Gomna, a retired Headmaster of the Kpando Arabic and English Basic School, praised the late Chief Imam Muniru, saying he once secretly told him that his time would come, and truly it had come.

The Kadjebi District Police led by Supt. Gyan-Mante Frempong, the District Commander, provided security during the coronation to ensure peace and order.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Balmaisha Foundation, an NGO committed to supporting preterm babies and their families, has held a summit in commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day to honour outstanding women in the country.

The summit dubbed: ‘CelebrateHER Empowering Women Summit,’ was to shine the spotlight on women whose resilience, dedication, strength and contributions had helped to shape the world, whilst inspiring and uplifting the younger generation.

Mrs Fayudatu Yakubu, the Chief Executive Officer of Balmaisha Foundation, said the Organisation saw the event as a complementary platform for celebrating women, who were the ‘incubators of the lives we seek to protect and their families by extension.’

She said, ‘Whilst we celebrate these extraordinary individuals, it is not only to recognise their achievements but also to acknowledge the ripple effect of their actions.’

Touching on the selection processes of the awardees, Mrs Yakubu said an independent awards committee shortlisted the winners based on their merits and
contributions to society.

Twenty women were honoured at the summit for their various remarkable roles in shaping communities and families.

Hajia Lamnatu Adam, the Executive Director of Songtaba, an advocacy NGO, spoke on the need for women to build healthy partnerships with relevant stakeholders and other women-led organisations, to pave the way for the realisation of their aspirations and growth.

She tasked them to prioritise skills acquisition and the needed competence and expertise that would enable them to advocate for positive change in their communities.

Alhaji Mohammed Haroon, a retired educationist, advocated gender equality, saying it was the surest way to facilitate an all-inclusive sustainable development.

Madam Joyce Bawah Mogtari, a Special Aide to former President John Mahama, urged women to develop a balance for their personal lives and work to enhance productivity.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Water in Africa Through Everyday Responsibilities (WATER), a not-for-profit organisation has ended a year intervention project, to eliminate Skin-Neglected Tropical Diseases (Skin-NTDs) in Akuapem North and South of the Eastern Region.

The project, with funding from ANESVAD, sought to eliminate Skin-NTDs in collaboration with the respective assemblies and reached out with varied interventions to about 17,000 people in rural communities in the two districts and beyond.

At a meeting to review the accomplished interventions and gaps in the project, Ms Yvette Neh, the Project’s Technical officer mentioned that two mechanised and three manual boreholes respectively, and two micro flush bio-digester toilets were constructed for some endemic communities in both districts.

Others included repairs on 22 boreholes, provision of 140 hand washing station facilities to schools and health centres, distribution of 200 units of ceramic water filters to households, training of WATSAN Committees and the formation of WASH cl
ubs in schools.

She said the WASH facilities were meant to improve on water, sanitation and hygiene which were the key factors and modes of transmission of Skin-NTDs such as Buruli ulcers and yaws in the communities.

Ms Neh said despite the tremendous successes chalked in the provision of basic amenities such as potable water sources and toilet facilities, there was a need for other interventions like patient support services, to care for the infected persons.

She said the second phase of the project would focus on comprehensive awareness campaigns for early detection, reduced stigmatisation of Skin-NTDs and an integrated health intervention.

Ms Neh said it was hoped that stakeholders particularly, the Ghana Health Service and Assemblies, would continue with the education and capacity building to sustain the gains made so far.

Dr Nana Kotey, the Coordinator of the National Buruli Ulcer Control and Yaws Eradication Programme, applauded WATER for surpassing initial targeted interventions and extending to o
ther nearby communities in the Okere district.

She expressed hope of seeing a positive decline in Skin-NTD cases in the beneficiary communities and called on the assemblies, to ensure that the WASH infrastructures were properly maintained.

Dr Agana Nsiire, the ANESVAD Focal Person, said he was impressed with the incorporation of gender mainstreaming into the project as required.

Madam Lydia Akueteh and Mr Samuel Adjinbaruk, the Coordinating Director and Deputy Coordinating Director of Akuapem South and North respectively, thanked WATER and ANESVAD for coming to their assistance in the fight against skin NTDs with diverse assistance.

They expressed satisfaction with the project, especially the approach of tackling the root cause of the problem and hoped for phase two to make more inroads.

Source: Ghana News Agency