Day: May 5, 2023

Some female students of John Evans Atta Mills Community Day Senior High School have disclosed that they use handkerchiefs, clothes, socks, and toilet rolls during their menstruation.

The students said they had to depend on using these items because sanitary pads have become expensive.

The students admitted that although the use of these items was unhealthy, they had no other choice.

These revelations came to light when the Founder and Executive Director of Fanthonio Foundation, Felicia Fanthonio, donated over 700 boxes of sanitary pads to Female Students of John Evans Atta Mills Senior High School at Ekumfi Otuam in the Ekumfi District of the Central Region.

Due to a lack of funds, the students prefer to use handkerchiefs, clothes, socks, and T-rolls during their menstruation period.

A student said “I either borrow from my friends or use toilet roll when I am menstruating. When my parents send me money, then I buy sanitary pads”.

Another said, “I cannot come to school when I am menstruating because my friends will laugh at me. I stay home because I cannot come to school while on my period”.

Some other students commended the NGO, saying the donation would go a long way to assist them.

They added that it would prevent absenteeism among adolescent girls, especially during their menstrual period.

In addition, Miss Doreen Dela, the Adolescent Health Coordinator of the J.E.A. Mills Senior High School, lamented that most female students usually stay home during their period due to inadequate money to buy sanitary pads.

She said some men take advantage of some of the girls who do not have the money to buy sanitary pads.

“We keep having problems of truancy occasionally within the girls. Imagine a girl can only afford a pack of sanitary pads for the whole month, but then they need two packs. So they will choose the days in the month to come to school when they are in their cycle. Sometimes as teachers, we can do nothing about that.”

She was optimistic the boxes of sanitary pads would last the beneficiaries months and reduce truancy.

The Executive Director of the NGO, for her part, stated that the donation was made to assist female students, particularly those who cannot afford to purchase sanitary pads.

She said the NGO raises funds to assist girls from deprived communities or homes with sanitary products.

The campaign to donate the sanitary products she revealed began in 2018, and it has since expanded to several regions, including the Eastern, Central, Greater Accra, and Volta Regions.

Source: Ghana Web

The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak has expressed worry over why President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party government are adamant in reviewing the Free Senior High School (FSHS) Education.

This comes on the back of the Methodist Church of Ghana calling on the government to review one of its flagship policies, the FSHS.

According to the Methodist Church, irrespective of how the policy has been welcomed by Ghanaians there is the need to revise it.

Commenting on the call by the Methodist Church, Dr. Clement Apaak indicated that President Akufo-Addo must listen to the many calls for the policy to be relooked at.

“Stakeholders in education, the clergy, unions, parents and well-meaning Ghanaians have all called for and/or supported the call for a review of the FSHS policy, except Akufo-Addo and his NPP government. What is wrong with reviewing a policy to make it better, I don’t get it!” the lawmaker stated in a tweet.

Meanwhile, the Methodist Church of Ghana has also disclosed that the FSHS policy has been saddled with challenges the government must accept and embark on a review.

Source: Ghana Web

Ghanaian midfielder, Michael Baidoo, was a standout performer for Elfsborg as they recorded a 6-1 victory over Halmstad BK in the Swedish Allsvenskan on Wednesday night.

The game started brightly for Halmstad BK, with Viktor Erik Vidar Granath scoring in the 41st minute to give them the lead going into halftime. However, Elfsborg regrouped during the break and came out stronger in the second half.

Baidoo, who played the full 90 minutes, equalized for his team in the 55th minute with a close-range finish after being presented with a good chance.

Source: Ghana Web

Gospel musician, Nana Osei, also known as ‘Nacee’, has disclosed why he is perceived as someone who has a good sense of humor.

Speaking on Cape Coast-based Property FM, Nacee established that watching cartoons inspires him to be jovial.

“You see that in Ghana just as you said I’m a Fante so I’ve got that aspect of comedy naturally so most of us have that sense of humor a bit,” Nacee told Amansan Krakye in an interview MyNewsGh.com monitored

He continued “I’m someone who loves watching cartoons and you know that as for cartoons if you want to laugh the likes of Tom and Jerry and the likes will make you laugh a lot.

“So sometimes when you’re doing something you have to also find a way to chip in one or two things and humility also does a lot of magic.”

Nacee who is a songwriter, singer, instrumentalist, and sound engineer was adjudged the winner of the Gospel Song of the Year in the 2017 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.

He is also a strong supporter of the National Democratic Congress and created their campaign song in 2022.

Source: Ghana Web

Journalists in the country have been urged to help solve emerging societal challenges, instead of concentrating on reporting ills in the society.

Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister who gave the advice said modern journalism required solution-based and problem-solving reporting.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani to mark the 2023 World Press Freedom Day, the Regional Minister said, ‘the media should not only be interested in helping to identify, but also help solve societal problems as well’.

The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day, observed annually to raise awareness about the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article the 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of the Windhoek Declaration of Human Rights.

Mad. Owusu-Banahene underlined the need for an action to renew and push a high sense of responsibility into the Ghanaian media and inspire individual journalists and media practitioners to contribute positively to solving challenges impeding societal progress.

She said the media played a key role in shaping public discourses and opinions as well as influencing political decisions, hence the need for the media to be more responsive in solving social problems and ills in society.

Mad Owusu-Banahene reminded the media journalism and politics were for development, saying ‘we are doing our part as politicians to solve development challenges, the media must also do their part in churning out stories focusing on solution-based approach’.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Second Lady, Mrs Samira Bawumia, on Thursday commended GTS Drilling Ghana, the Rotary Club, and Wheelchair for Kids (WFK) in Australia for the tremendous support given to kids with disabilities.

Speaking during a presentation of medical equipment and consumables at the Orthopedic Training Centre (OTC) at Adoagyiri-Nsawam in the Eastern Region, the Second Lady emphasized the need to identify new approaches to supporting people with disabilities.

According to her, a sizeable proportion of the global population suffers from various forms of disability, and she stressed the need to work together to achieve an equitable society.

‘About 16 percent of the world population experiences disability, and there is a need to identify new approaches to support disabled persons,’ Mrs Samira Bawumia said.

‘I will like to praise GTS Drilling, Wheelchair for Kids, the Australian High Commission in Ghana, and Rotary International for working tirelessly to make this presentation possible,’ she added.

The Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, H. E. Berenice Owen-Jones, called for support for people with disabilities to develop to their full potential.

‘We recognize that given favourable systems, support, and improved services, people with disabilities can make enormous contributions to development. This is why we are so pleased to be able to support this initiative, which aims to improve service delivery and the lives of people with disabilities,’ said H. E. Berenice Owen-Jones.

‘I want to thank Dave Harper and his team at GTS Drilling for their immense effort in making this presentation possible and for their commitment to helping the vulnerable,’ added the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana.

Human Resources Manager for GTS Drilling, Iddi Baah-Kurey, observed that the company, since its inception in Ghana, has been extending various forms of support to the community.

He expressed his company’s privilege of facilitating the transportation of the wheelchairs and orthopedic medical equipment from Australia to support Ghanaian children.

‘We have always been committed to giving back to our community. We recognize that many children with disabilities face significant challenges in accessing suitable equipment, which is why we decided to play our part and make a difference in their lives,’ said Baah-Kurey.

At GTS Drilling, we are committed to continuing our partnership with the Orthopedic Training Center and other organizations that provide support and resources to children with disabilities in Ghana,’ the GTS HR Manager added.

Director at the OTC, Elizabeth Newman, thanked the Australian High Commissioner and the other partners for their support.

She said, ‘This equipment will support the services we are able to provide to children and adults who come to our center for recovery and rehabilitation with our physiotherapy and other services. With about 6,000 Ghanaians attending the OTC each year, in person and at a mobile clinic trek that traverses the rural areas once a year, the demand for the OTC continues to increase.’

GTS Drilling, a local drilling company in Ghana, supported the shipment and delivery of orthopedic medical equipment and consumables donated by Wheelchair for Kids from Australia.

The donation, which filled a 40-foot container, includes a range of equipment, from hospital beds to blood pressure monitoring devices, examination tables, and 25 specially designed wheelchairs for the children.

Source: Ghana News Agency