Category: General

Women In Need (WIN), a local non-governmental organisation with focus on supporting females with disability, has trained some vulnerable women and girls in livelihood skills to assist their growth.

They were empowered to break the myriad of barriers that hinder their growth and serve as a lifelong saving opportunity.

The training will also help the women and girls fend for themselves and improve on their standards of living, rather than becoming a burden on society.

This forms part of a three-year project by WIN, dubbed: ‘Promotion of Equal Rights for Women and Girls with Disabilities,’ with the aim of increasing women’s capacity through entrepreneurship, financial literacy and life skills training to ensure their independence.

Beneficiaries were trained on snail, palm weevil and mushroom farming techniques for economic empowerment.

WIN has already trained the first batch in beads, fascinator and soap making among other things. All participants would be given financial literacy training to enhance profi
t.

Ms Susie Ama Korakoma Arkuh, the Executive Director, WIN, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview after the training that women and girls were the most vulnerable, hence the project was to empower them to become self-reliant and help in their development process.

She said though the government was doing its best to provide security for the vulnerable, WIN found some loopholes, hence the idea of supporting them to bridge the inequality gap.

Ms Abena Opare, the Mfantseman Municipal Director, Social Welfare Department, applauded WIN for its continuous support to persons with disability within the area.

She called on all stakeholders to join hands in pushing forward the welfare of women and children and bridging the stereotypes against persons with disability.

The Department would monitor and support the beneficiaries to ensure the intended outcomes were achieved, she said.

Madam Grace Amoah, a beneficiary, expressed gratitude to the organisers for the opportunity to make money.

She said her family l
ost a snail farming business due to less knowledge about it and that with the training she would revive the business.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) in collaboration with the Center for National Culture (CNC) have offered employable skills training for some women in the Bono Region to empower them economically.

In all, more than 300 vulnerable women were trained in soap making, bead production, washing powder, liquid soap and other detergents.

A statement issued and signed by Mr Williams Ohene-Adjei, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Region Manager of the NPRA, said the training was held in Sunyani on March 8, 2024, to mark this year’s celebration of the International Women’s Day on the theme ‘invest in women; accelerate progress.’

The statement which was made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani said Mrs Effuah Gyimah, the Senior Manager of the NPRA, represented Mrs Drusilla Naa Yartekai Frimpong, the Director, Human Resources and Administration of the Authority.

Addressing the opening session of the training, Mrs Gyimah highlighted the crucial role of women towards accelerated national de
velopment hence the need to empower them economically so they could also contribute towards the upkeep of their families.

It said there was a need to identify and channel significant resources to empower vulnerable women not only to make them self-reliant but also to build their self-esteem and inspire them to register and join pension schemes.

That was the surest way the nation could eliminate old age poverty among women, Mrs Gyimah stated and reiterated the need for women to show interest and plan for their retirement by joining pension schemes.

Mrs Gyimah called for more opportunities to be created for women as ways of building their capacity and enhancing their economic prospects.

Mrs Gyimah, it said, used the opportunity to interact with prospective retirees of the Ghana Education Service in the region and glorified them for their hard work, dedication, and selflessness in serving the nation.

Mrs Gyimah also interacted with Human Resource practitioners in the local government sector and sensitised t
hem to the new Pension Act, urging them to continually liaise with their trustees to provide up-to-date information on the contributions of employees.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Nkwanta South Municipal Police have arrested one Abdul Majeed, a 27-year-old man, for posing as a military officer in the area.

The suspect is said to have taken the fake soldier’s identity to a local chop bar in town by engaging the services of a commercial motorbike rider (okada) for some hours but refused to pay for service rendered.

The suspect, however, told the motorbike rider to send him back to his residence for money to pay, which the rider obliged.

Upon arrival, the fake military officer refused to pay the rider, using his fake identity to intimidate him leading to a fight between them.

After interrogation by some military officers in the area, it was revealed that the suspect had no affiliation with the Ghana Armed Forces but had been using his fake identity to gain respect and authority in the area.

The suspect was subjected to some drills for deceiving the public.

The suspect, Abdul Majeed, has since been handed over to the Police for further investigation and prosecution, and is curre
ntly facing charges of impersonation and fraud.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Professor Elvis Asare-Bediako, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), has implored stakeholders to invest in geosciences research and data infrastructure to enhance efforts in combating Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Ghana.

  He emphasized the role of geosciences in shaping a healthier and more sustainable future for the country.

  Prof. Asare-Bediako, addressing the World Geoscientists and Geologists Day celebration organised by the University of Energy and Natural Resources campus at Dormaa-Ahenkro, in the Bono Region, stressed the need to influence geospatial technologies and embrace the transformative power of geosciences for sustainable development.

  The event, under the theme ‘Geosciences, a Key Entity in Addressing Preventive Health in Ghana’ was attended by students, health practitioners, geoscientists, traditional rulers and policy makers drawn from across the country

  Prof. Asare-Bediako underscored the vital role of geosciences in providing valuabl
e insights into climate change, water resource management, geological abnormalities and mineral exploration, which were essential for developing strategies for environmental conservation and resource utilization.

  He mentioned that geosciences needed to be utilised as a catalyst for transformative change in advancement by propelling geosciences forward for development and empowering future generations to create a more resilient and prosperous world.

  Prof. Asare-Bediako bemoaned the increasing prevalence of diseases such as cardiovascular illness, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and chronic respiratory disorders in the nation, posing a significant threat to public health and well-being of the citizenry.

  He indicated that through meticulous geospatial analyses, areas with heightened risk exposure could be identified, allowing for targeted interventions to mitigate these hazards and to understand the impact of chronic changes on the spread of non-communicable diseases.

  As global temperatures rise, Prof
. Asare-Bediako said disease patterns were shifting and disease vectors were expanding into new territories and therefore by harnessing geospatial data and utilizing predictive modeling that could implement preventive measures to protect the population.

  Mr. Crysler Akwei Ankrah, President of the Ghana Institute of Geoscientists, emphasized the importance of alliance between the fields of medical science and geology in conducting research to better understand various diseases and illnesses which were previously unknown and could not be identified.

  As a geologist, Mr. Ankrah pointed out the significance of studying the composition of minerals in the soil to recognize those minerals that may have a detrimental impact on human health by combining geosciences expertise with medical knowledge, effective strategies to address health concerns.

  He stressed the need for preventive measures to be implemented in areas where trace elements pose risk to human health, saying such collaborative approach would help m
itigate the impact of these diseases and illnesses.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A promotional event for the seventh China International Import Expo and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum was held in Windhoek, capital of Namibia, on April 9.

Approximately 120 people attended the event, including representatives from Namibia’s Ministry of Industrialization and Trade, the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), businesses, and exhibition organizations.

Shen Jian, chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Chinese embassy in Namibia, noted that China has been Namibia’s second-largest trading partner and the largest source of foreign direct investment for consecutive years. He expressed hope that Namibian businesses can better understand the CIIE through this event and bring more high-quality local products to the Chinese market to share development opportunities with China.

Song Shangzhe from the CIIE Bureau provided an overview of the CIIE. He stated that over the past six years, an increasing number of African enterprises and unique local products have entered the C
hinese market through the expo. As a global public good, the CIIE is willing to support African enterprises and their high-quality products, including those from Namibia, in entering the Chinese market, Song added.

Yu Zirong, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, shared basic information about the Hongqiao International Economic Forum, an important part of the CIIE. He expressed hope that more topics relevant to developing countries, particularly African nations, would be included in the forum’s discussions. He also anticipated increased attention and participation from Namibia and other African countries in future editions of the forum.

Representatives from the Namibian government and trade associations said that they will actively mobilize local enterprises to participate in the CIIE to seize the opportunities offered by the Chinese market.

During their time in Namibia, the CIIE working team also visited local institutions and enterprises, including NIPDB
and the Namib Desert Diamonds Ltd, to further encourage their participation in the CIIE.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Chief Teete Owusu-Nortey, the Global President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), has underscored his commitment to promoting business from Ghana globally.

Chief Owusu-Nortey, who is the first African to occupy the highest office in CILT, said this when he paid a courtesy call on Mr. Michael Luguje, the Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours (GPHA), to discuss mutually beneficial issues related to logistics and transport.

He stated that his core interest was to promote business primarily from his home country, Ghana, adding that he needed to strengthen his home base to be able to use Ghana as a case study on the global platform.

‘So I will say that I always whip my country members in line because if I don’t streamline and whip Ghana in line and there are issues that go wrong, I will feel a bit guilty when I am using such an example or I go on a global platform and I am being referred to negative things that are happening to Ghana,’ he stated.

He commended the director
general of the GPHA for continuously supporting the institute in its mission and vision.

Mr. Luguje, on his part, underscored the importance of logistics in the global supply chain, stating that the GPHA contributed to the membership of CILT and always extended assistance to the Institute whenever required.

Source: Ghana News Agency