Day: March 20, 2024

Ahead of the 2024 World Water Day celebration, World Vision Ghana has renewed its commitment to ensuring that every child has access to safe water.

Mr Joshua Baidoo, Director for Integrated Programmes of World Vision, Ghana, said Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) played an essential role in ensuring children enjoyed life to the fullest, hence the commitment.

Mr Baidoo was speaking at a press soiree organised by World Vision Ghana in Accra on Tuesday.

The event was for World Vision Ghana and media organisations to bond well and pool resources and expertise together to drive and accelerate community and national development.

He said World Vision Ghana understood the issues of WASH and had prioritised the provision of safe drinking water in its programming for decades.

‘ The communities we work in now have access to clean and safe drinking water, reducing the incidence of water-borne illnesses such as diarrhoea and cholera, which can sometimes lead to child mortality,’ he said.

Mr Baidoo commended the m
edia as a great partner in raising the voices of the most vulnerable children, their families and communities that were desperately in need of clean and safe drinking water.

The Director said two years ago, World Vision Ghana launched a five-year strategic plan designed to expand its outreach to 3.3 million most vulnerable children with life-saving development interventions.

They are WASH services, quality education, health, food and nutrition, livelihood and income generations, child protection as well as environmental restoration concepts for Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration principles.

He said the strategy named: ‘Accelerating our Commitment to the Most Vulnerable Children’ also entailed systems strengthening at the national and sub-national level to facilitate the effective delivery of essential services for children and their families.

He said the strategy outlined three technical programmes as pillars for achieving the strategic objectives.

These are Healthy, Environment and Wellness (HEAL); Rea
ding, Improvement and Skills Enhancement (RISE) and Livelihood Improvement and Family Empowerment (LIFE).

He expressed the hope that the meeting would strengthen the collaborative efforts with the media and showcase World Vision’s technical competence in the various sectors.

Mr Robe L. Wamisho, Technical Programme Manager, WASH, said 85,200 people in communities were provided with access to safe drinking water while providing 19 health facilities with improved water facilities on-site.

He said 56,492 people gained access to improved household sanitation facilities with 77 communities certified as Open Defecation Free.

‘…38 schools with a total population of 11, 981 pupils were provided with clean water on their school premises and 27 schools also received waste bins for effective waste management,’ he added.

He said 298 water and sanitation management teams and 44 WASH school clubs were formed with 631 faith leaders involved in WASH programme activities.

Mr Samuel Gmalu, Programme Manager, Humanitarian
and Emergency Affairs, said 8,000 Asylum Seekers and host community members were reached with humanitarian assistance through the Burkina Faso Asylum Seekers Emergency Response.

He said 85 partners were trained in peace-building and conflict sensitivity programmes in the Gushiegu and Karaga Areas.

Mr Maxwell Amedi, Programme Manager, Food Security and Livelihoods said 290 new Saving for Transformation (S4T) Groups comprising 6,133 members caring for 15,394 children were formed and trained.

He said 4,792 Saving Group members were trained in financial literacy skills while training 1,072 individuals in additional livelihoods, including beekeeping, Shea, and groundnut processing was ongoing.

He said the LIFE technical programme sought to build and maintain peaceful, inclusive, and cohesive families and communities to promote love and justice for one million vulnerable children by 2025.

Mr Sasu Brako, Acting Programme Manager, RISE, said 4,2652 children were participating in unlock literacy interventions acr
oss World Vision Ghana’s programming areas.

He said 32,450 learners from kindergarten to primary three were reached with improved literacy instruction in 264 schools with 360 early childhood teachers and early grade teachers receiving in-service training in unlock literacy and learning roots methodology.

Source: Ghana News Agency

PATH Ghana, an international non-governmental organization has launched a group called ‘Women at PATH Ghana’ for its women staff to invest in them and inspire progress.

The group launched as part of the celebration of the International Women’s Day comprised of all women who work in the PATH Ghana office.

‘Women at PATH Ghana’ formed part of PATH’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategy, recognizing the needs of special groups of workers.

This signifies a noteworthy achievement in the organization’s unwavering dedication to empowering women and advancing progress.

It was on the theme ‘Invest in Women, Inspire Progress.’

Dr. Patience Cofie, the Country Director of PATH Ghana, expressed her heartfelt appreciation to the leadership and staff of PATH for the tremendous support shown towards the launch of ‘Women at PATH.’

‘Women at PATH’ seeks to advance gender equality and empowerment of women and create an inclusive environment where women could thrive and contribute meaningfully to building a soci
ety where health is available and accessible to all.’

Speaking on inclusivity as a fundamental value, the Country Director emphasized the significance of both men and women in advocating for gender equality and advancing women’s rights within the organization.

Mrs. Aline Adamou Barry, the DEI Program Assistant, said the objectives of ‘Women at PATH,’ include having a comprehensive plan to deal with gender issues, find a balance between work and personal life, and help women progress in their careers.

Mrs Barry emphasized the importance of creating a welcoming and supportive environment where women could learn from mentors, develop new skills, and connect with others.

Mrs Vera Karikari Bediako, the Principal Programme Officer, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, speaking on behalf of the Chief Director, congratulated PATH for the initiative and encouraged other organizations to emulate them.

While appreciating the Country Director of PATH for her leadership qualities called for the need to
establish a gender policy and a mentorship programme for young ladies.

Dr. Kwadwo Asante Afari, representing the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative asked PATH to establish a special space for women to refresh themselves and breastfeed their babies. ‘Continue to be a good partner in health research and interventions,’ he added.

Mrs. Sophia Ampofo, representing the Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPME), Ghana Health Service, presenting a poem titled, ‘leave her alone,’ urged women to embrace their individual journeys and fulfill their purpose in their generation.

PATH is an international non-governmental organization with a presence in 70 countries. PATH Ghana has been active for 15 years with several interventions in maternal, newborn and child health as well as non-communicable diseases, vaccines, and health policy advocacy.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghana’s International Electro-Technical Commission National Committee has held its Annual General Meeting and Conference in Accra, bringing together stakeholders from different institutions to deliberate on its work of developing standards and impact on the country.

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Kobina Tahir Hammond, in an address on his behalf, underscored the important role of the Electro-technical Committee in developing standards to ensure the country’s socio-economic development.

He said the issue of standards was even more critical now in the face of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which provided a huge market of more than 1.3 billion people for the benefit of the country.

He said adherence to standards would allow Ghana to benefit tremendously from exports to neighbouring African countries to enhance economic growth and at the same time ensure that citizens were not short-changed with sub-standard goods.

The Minister commended the National Committee for its sterling performa
nce and urged them to build on it.

Mr Danladi Bukari, the President of the IEC National Committee, said standards were critical as they allowed us to meet evolving trends in the industry and to ensure that the country maintained and met the demands of nations.

He said the committee has the expertise to develop new standards and it was necessary to bring stakeholders together at such a forum to take stock of what is happening and what their needs are to be able to begin work on new standards to benefit the country as a whole.

Again, standards also help us to create economic opportunities for our people all the week, I mean cutting across agriculture industry, service, what have you. So when we are able to get the right standards, what it means is that we are able to harmonise our weights at the continental level and also at the global level, to the extent that if you take a service or boost from Ghana, because it meets a certain standards, you are able to trade that service and goods in other jurisdictions,
which is very good for economic development. So for the benefits of standards

The Deputy Coordinator of the Ghana Scaling-Up Renewable Energy Programme (SREP) said the forum allowed the various stakeholders to go through some of the things the IEC National Committee had done and their impact on the nation.

He said standards played a key role in every facet of the economy, right from finance, through engineering as they were very critical in the country’s decisions.

‘As we evolve in terms of economic development and social growth, there are changes that are happening and there’s a need for us to make sure that we have standards that allow us to streamline those changes so much that we can stay relevant within the committee of nations.

‘So when we can get the right standards, what it means is that we can harmonise our weights at the continental level and also at the global level, to the extent that if you take a service or goods from Ghana because it meets certain standards, you can trade that service and g
oods in other jurisdictions, which is very good for economic development. So for the benefits of standards, I think the list is endless,’ he said.

Ghana is an Associate Member of the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) and has enjoyed some benefits, including increased awareness and use of IEC International Standards, helped by removing technical trade barriers and also use of the IEC Conformity Assessment Systems.

Source: Ghana News Agency

By Charity Nginyu

A dark cloud descended upon Foumbot in the West Region of Cameroon as violence erupted, claiming the life of a young individual amidst clashes between rival factions.

According to reports, tensions prevailed in Foumbot for some time, culminating in confrontations between groups of delinquents.

Eyewitnesses recount that the victim, attempted to quell the tensions as approached the belligerent group only to meet a swift and untimely demise. Despite his noble intentions, he fell victim to the violence perpetrated by the delinquents.

Following the tragedy, residents of Foumbot have expressed outrage and grief, lamenting the loss of one of their own to the senseless violence that has gripped their town.

Many have equally expressed frustration vis-a-vis the gendarmerie, as they blame them for failing to intervene despite being alerted to the escalating clashes.

The main reason that led to the confrontation was not given at press time but fights like this are common in this area and often lea
d to bloody outcomes.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Addis Ababa: Addis Sustainable and scientific environmental and natural resource protection works should be consolidated in order to ensure food security in Ethiopia, the environmental activist and expert Mengistu Wube noted.

The environmental activist Mengistu Wube is a researcher and lecturer who has been publishing books and studies on food security.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, he pointed out that Ethiopia has resources that could feed the region by exploiting its multi-ecological and bio-diversity potentials.

In this respect, Mengistu said the Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) that Ethiopia has been implementing over the past years is of immense significance.

For him, the initiative is a pragmatic response and has become imperative in ensuring soil security and water conservation.

According to him, environmental conservation should be widely taught in schools beginning kindergarten and the role of institutions that are bases for indigenous knowledge must be consolidated.

The activist noted that
land protection and use policy are crucial for sustainable natural resource conservation, adding that soil and water conservation activities play a major role in ensuring food security.

Man’s cruelty to natural resources has created many crises on himself, the activist stressed.

In addition to the effort to reverse the looming danger of climate change on food security, Mengistu underlined that pursuing a strategy that can withstand the unprecedented impacts of the change is critical.

In this regard, the special attention given to wheat production and bounty of the basket (Ye Lemat Tirufat) programs by the government have lots of hope, the activist said.

The Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) has so far planted over 25 billion tree seedlings.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Dr Richmond Atta-Ankomah, Economic Researcher, Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), has urged government to leverage the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for economic growth.

He said the SDR was a less costly financing regime which offered lower interest rates than commercial loans for countries like Ghana.

‘The current SDR interest rate is about 4 per cent, which was substantially cheaper than 7 to 11 per cent charged on Ghana’s Eurobond, ‘he added.

He said the SDR by the IMF is characterised by quotas, which members shared in a general allocation.

He encouraged government to appeal to the IMF to take into account the need for more funds to help Ghana channel liquidity and investment financing into well structured, sustainable, and inclusive developmental projects.

He said the unused funds by developed countries like the G20 could be channeled to African countries which were in dire need of funds for economic recovery.

He said SDRs allocate
d to developed countries supplemented their trillions of reserves.

Considering the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, Russia’s war in Ukraine and other huge threats facing Africa at the moment, it was important to recycle a portion of the SDRs from developed countries to vulnerable countries like Ghana.

Dr Atta-Ankomah asked the IMF to consider and integrate region-specific shocks to allocate more funds to countries predisposed to certain climate shocks and lack resilience capacity.

He said Ghana could not afford to go to the commercial credit markets even if it was still opened due to its unsustainable high debt level.

‘The precarious conditions and limited financing options in the global south, particularly in Sub Saharan African countries makes the SDR a valuable option to explore, ‘he added.

Mr Atta-Ankomah said a higher allocation of SDRs to Africa offered a unique opportunity to put the continent on track to meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and build th
e Africa ‘we want.’

He said:’the money would not be a free money and would be paid back, therefore we must generate enough revenue from it to quantify our income.’

Speaking on domestic reforms, he said digitizing the economy and tax administration would be efficient to reduce the costs associated with tax collection.

This, he said, would create transparency and accountability in the tax system at all levels to help minimize or eliminate corrupt activities from officials.

He said government must implement prudent expenditure measures by cutting the size of ministries to between 40 to 50, adding that, there must be the need for continuous audit of payroll.

SDRs are not a currency but an international reserve asset created by the IMF expected to have reserve assets features, including immediate availability to address financial needs.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission has asked the three-striking Teacher Unions to return to the negotiation table for swift conclusion on conditions of service.

That, the Commission said, was to ensure that the four concerns out of the 16 raised by the Unions were resolved.

This comes on the back of the announcement of an industrial action by three Teacher Unions.

The Unions – Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and Coalition of Concerned Teachers-Ghana (CCT-Ghana) – declared an indefinite strike on Wednesday, March 20.

However, at a press briefing on the same day in Accra, Mr Benjamin Arthur, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Commission, said the call by the Unions ‘is in bad faith’.

He said the best intervention was for the two parties to engage because both parties needed each other.

‘We’re committed, willing and open to engage, and we’ve demonstrated that by inviting them. So, we’ll be waiting to see how best we’ll continue wi
th our engagement [on Thursday, March 20],’ Mr Arthur said.

‘If what they [the Teacher Unions] have cited as delays is anything to go by, then the strike is really what’s going to cause the delay, because we’ve made tremendous progress,’ he stated.

‘We were expectant that Thursday by 1400 hours [2:00pm] at least, we should be able to conclude the negotiation,’ he stated.

The Unions cited delays on the part of the government in negotiations on their Collective Agreement, which addressed issues such as allowances for teachers in underserved areas, entertainment allowance, and housing/rent allowance, following the expiration of the existing one Agreement in 2023.

They said the agreement should have been completed on or before February 29, 2024.

They also cited delay in the distribution of laptops to some members, and failure on the part of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to institute a functional Scheme of Service for teachers as reasons for the industrial action.

The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission’s
CEO called on the leadership of the three pre-tertiary teacher unions to call off the strike for engagement to continue.

He urged parents and pupils across the country to keep calm as the Commission worked relentlessly to have a lasting solution to the impasse.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ms Cynthia Anima Boadu, the Bono Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has advised students to take matters of security seriously to prevent violence in the country.

Ms Boadu stressed the need for students to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities of individuals or groups of people to the security agencies in time to stop distractions in society.

She gave the advice at a sensitisation and awareness campaign organised by the NCCE at separate programmes for Senior High Schools in the Sunyani West and Sunyani East Municipalities.

The campaigns were part of the NCCE’s Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) Action programme, supported by the European Union (EU) to raise awareness about the activities of extremists and their threats to national security.

Among the schools educated were the Notre Dame SHS, Sunyani SHS, Odumaseman SHS, Twene Amanfo SHS, SDA SHS, Social Welfare Technical Institute, and Sunyani Technical Institute.

The students were engaged t
hrough film screenings to increase their understanding of the dangers of violent extremism and its impact on the security and stability of the state.

Ms Boadu emphasised the importance of peaceful co-existence among students, regardless of their differences, while urging them to avoid marginalization, unhealthy debates, and online radicalization that could lead to violence.

She indicated five other Districts and Municipalities in the Region were undertaking the same educational programmes at Banda Adentro, Dormaa Central, Dormaa West, Jaman North, and Jaman South communities on preventing and containing violent extremism.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Conrad Bombayireh, in Charge of the Sunyani Police Hospital, explained that extremists use unlawful methods to achieve political, ideological and religious goals by targeting the youth who are vulnerable with promises of scholarships, money, and indoctrination.

He therefore urged students to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities to th
e police.

ASP Conrad Bombayireh gave assurance that their identities would be protected, saying ‘security is a shared responsibility.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Kaneshie District Court has ordered a driver to pay a fine of GHC 720.00 or serve six weeks imprisonment for driving without a valid license and negligently causing damage.

Richard Dzah admitted his offences and he was convicted on his own plea.

The Court presided over by Mrs Ama Adomako-Kwakye heard that on February 15, 2024, at about 1330 hours, Dzah was driving a Nissan HARD BODY PICK-UP with registration number GT 3129 Y along the Cantonments Road: from Danquah Circle towards Togo Embassy direction.

Police Chief Inspector Apewah Achana said on reaching the Ghana Prison Service Headquarters, he failed to pay due diligence on the road and as a result, ran into the rear portion of a Land Rover with the registration number GS 3673-Z which had stopped due to the traffic jam ahead of him and being driven by one Aderesob Anthony.

The prosecution said further inspection revealed that Dzah was driving without a valid license.

He said both vehicles got damaged, but no one got injured.

After careful invest
igations Dzah was charged with driving without a valid license and negligently causing damage, Chief Inspector Achana told the Court.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Hailed as a springboard for global companies looking to dive deep into the Chinese market or expand their business, the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world’s first import-themed national-level trade fair, is scheduled to take place for the seventh time this November in Shanghai.

The preparation work is in full swing, as over 240,000 sqm of the Business Exhibition area have been booked by early exhibitors, including nearly 200 Fortune Global 500 companies and industrial giants.

Foreign businesses reap the fruits of the past CIIEs

Over the past six years, companies from 173 countries and regions have made appearances in the CIIE and achieved tentative transactions worth $424.23 billion.?

‘The CIIE provides a?platform for international trade cooperation and exchange, where global companies and agencies can interact directly with Chinese consumers while networking with industry players and possible business partners,’ said Jorge Viana, president of the?Brazilian?Trade and Investment Promotion Ag
ency.

Triunfo,?Brazil’s largest producer of organic?Yerba Mate, has become increasingly-reputed among Chinese consumers since its top-quality products showed up at the fourth CIIE. ‘The expo not only helps us grow our business in the Chinese market, but it promotes cooperation between raw material suppliers, buyers and distributors,’ stated?Leon Lee,?a representative of the firm.

In addition to the Business Exhibition,?72 countries and international organizations?wowed visitors with?their scientific and technological achievements, culture and art?at the?Country Exhibition?of the sixth CIIE.

‘The Netherlands?has increased its international presence through the CIIE in areas including investing environment, technical advancements, environmental preservation, and life and well-being,’?said?Wim Geerts, ambassador of the Netherlands to China.

Hongqiao International Economic Forum puts spotlight on global issues

The sixth Hongqiao International Economic Forum, had a record attendance of over 8,000 participants
and featured 22 sub-forums on a range of subjects.

Eyeing to become a more productive and impactful event, the forum’s organizers held a symposium in Beijing and invited more than 130 persons to contribute to this year’s themes and topics.

Yi Xiaozhun, former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, pointed out the?forum?should?maintain its focus on openness to promote cooperation and mutual benefits?amid the fragmented world economy.

Similar seminars will ensue to solicit opinions, ideas and suggestions for topics to be discussed during this year’s forum.

CIIE 2024 welcomes more participants.

The seventh CIIE?will hold another series of global roadshows from?March?20?to?28?in?Brazil,?Portugal?and?the Netherlands, and more local firms?are invited?to participate in?CIIE.?

Source: Ghana News Agency

Chance for Childhood (CfC), a non-government organisation, has trained journalists from some selected media organisations on inclusive education and the use of appropriate terminologies in their reportage.

More than 20 media houses participated in the training workshop, which also aimed at building their capacity for disability and inclusion of children with disability in mainstream education.

The CfC is a child-centred NGO working to promote inclusive education and a safe learning environment for children in vulnerable situations, including children with disability and out-of-school children.

Mr Richard Opoku, the Senior Programme Manager and Global Safeguarding Lead said the training formed part of the CfC’s advocacy to sensitise the media in using the right terms in their reportage on disability issues.

‘We also want to equip the media to advocate for education in the country,’ he added.

He decried the many forms of discrimination against people with disability, especially when it comes to education,
employment, and other social life issues, noting that a lot has been done since the launch of Ghana’s Inclusive Education Policy by the Ministry of Education in 2015.

However, the CfC said it felt a lot more needs to be done to ensure that children with disabilities get the right support to be educated in mainstream education.

‘To achieve that, the government needs to increase funding for inclusive education,’ he suggested

‘Consistently, inclusive education has been the least funded sub-sector when it comes to education in Ghana, receiving less than one per cent for the past years.

‘We want to call on the government to change that trend so that inclusive education will receive adequate funds to achieve its targets,’ he added.

Mr Opoku said there was a lot to be done in the policy, including screening for children in Kindergarten One and Kindergarten Two at the beginning of each new academic year and training teachers to identify and handle children with disabilities.

‘All these, we need funding to facil
itate them. We need to equip the teachers on how to teach children with disabilities. Also, parents too need to be sensitised to know how to collaborate with the schools and how to assist their wards at home,’ he said

Mr Opoku noted that lack of funding was the main hindrance to building capacity for more teachers to enable them identify and teach children with disabilities in their Classrooms.

He said the CfC as an organisation working for children with disabilities and ensuring that they get access to education, would continue to advocate until they achieve the necessary results.

The participants were taken through the various forms of disabilities and the right terminologies.

Source: Ghana News Agency