Ashaiman Flooding: A Year After
Posted on May 28, 2011
BY Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
Almost a year ago on June 20, 2010, a heavy downpour lasting over 12 hours caused severe flooding in the Ashaiman municipality and its surrounding areas resulting in over 17 deaths and the displacement of over 9,000 people.
Amid concerns that a similar incident may re-occur, stakeholders and members of the Ashaiman community, a suburb of Tema are taking preventive measures to stop flooding and ensure minimal damage and injuries during this year’s rainy season.
Last year’s heavy downpour caused the overflow of the Gbemi and Amatsuru streams, which meet at a confluence and flow through the Ashaiman township. The water engulfed the surrounding communities and destroyed people’s property and other possessions.
The deceased ranging between the ages of three and 65 were both men and women. A total of 547 people were injured, while 9,314 people belonging to 1,318 families were displaced.
Some of the victims drowned as a result of rising waters in their homes, while others died trying to swim across the stream to safety or to save relatives.
Motorists and commuters were not left out as some were washed away in the torrential rain.
Some homes along the stream’s banks and waterways were almost completely submerged with waters rising as high as the roof. The displaced sought temporary shelter in schools, mosques and with relatives in the municipality. Others left the area to start their lives over elsewhere.
The communities most affected by the flood disaster were Jericho, Roman Down, Market Square, Valco Flat, Asensu, Community 22, New Town, the community along the motorway, the Ashaiman Dam Site and Mamomo. The incident has left an indelible print in the minds of everyone in the community, and has raised serious concerns about flood and disaster preparations.
Relief Items
Following the floods, the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly compensated the families of the deceased with GH¢500 each to cover funeral and burial rites expenses. With the support of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), the Assembly also provided various relief items such as food, clothing, drinking water, blankets and mosquito nets.
Compassionate individuals with giving hearts would not be left out and offered their support as well. Such people included the Assin North MP and humanitarian par excellence, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings as well as the Catholic Church and other organizations.
The Ministry of Health visited the community and organized a programme about post-disaster health risks. According to the Assembly, although there were concerns about an outbreak of cholera and other diseases, the intervention of the health directorate relieved any serious widespread dangers.
In the following months, a Municipal Flood Committee was set up to coordinate the relief effort, and a GH¢40,000 Fund was put together to procure more relief items for victims. The estimated costs of extracting the flood waters amounted to approximately GH¢260,000.
Almost a year later, families continue to struggle to rebuild their lives. Businesses and livelihoods were either seriously disrupted or permanently destroyed.
What Caused The Flood?
There are different reports as to what exactly caused the flooding. The official reaction and community reaction do not provide the same account about what caused the Gbemi and Amatsuru streams to overflow.
The Assembly states that the 12-hour rainfall on June 20, 2010 accumulated and flooded the area. Kwasi Adu Gyamfi, Public Relations Officer of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly, states that the Assembly took preventive measures to tear down illegal homes along the banks of the Gbemi and Amatsuru to minimize deaths in case of a flood.
“We undertook a demolition exercise along the Gbemi and Amatsuru steams which meet at a confluence at Jeri fish pond where they form a bigger stream and then move into the houses when they overflow,” he said.
The Assembly maintained that the illegal homes increased the chance of floods and would have led to many more causalities had they been allowed to remain along the bank. “If the Assembly had not demolished those structures, the disaster would have been worse. The death tolls would have been in the hundreds,” said Gyamfi.
The evicted residents were not compensated for their structures because according to the Assembly, they were illegal to begin with. “I know that the people will say the assembly demolished their buildings without any compensation,” Gyamfi stated “Then tell them that if they have genuine permits, they should come to the assembly for compensation.”
The effort was part of a move to standardize property construction in the area. All structures without permits were demolished, although as Gyamfi readily admits, very few homes in the municipality have ever been issued with permits. “I can tell you that about 70 to 80 percent of the buildings in this municipality do not have building permits,” he said.
“The assembly is now trying to regularize its operations by giving out building permits.”
Victims’ Testimonies
The community’s account of the incident is a different story. Residents state that the building materials that fell into the streams after the destruction of homes along the banks choked the waterways and caused the floods.
Awal Osman, a butcher and resident of “Roman down”, who has lived along the streams since 1994 said the area had never experienced flooding until the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly undertook the demolition exercise which affected his home. Osman’s statement was corroborated by numerous residents of Ashaiman who spoke to DAILY GUIDE and collectively insisted that they had never experienced flooding close to that magnitude until the Assembly had undertaken the demolition exercise.
“The reasons why we were affected by last year’s floods is because they came and demolished our houses and the debris all fell and filled the gutter,” Osman said.
He elaborated, “The blocks they broke all went into the gutter so there is no way for the rain water to flow. So it came into the rest of the houses.”
He said that his home was demolished without any prior notice: “All we saw was ‘IN DANGER’ written on our houses then they broke down our homes. The water also took all our belongings away.”
Osman confirmed the Assembly’s assertion that very few home owners in Ashaiman possess permits. He did not understand why the houses along the banks were targeted, especially since the debris from the destruction caused the flooding.
Although the Assembly promised to build a functioning drainage along the bank, the community has not seen any work done to prevent further flooding. The Assembly is instead constructing two bridges across the streams, and is planning to build a third, he lamented.
Osman does not understand why they are not digging the gutters which are urgently needed with the rainy season underway. “They brought in heaps of sand in place of the buildings they destroyed and said they were going to build the gutter but we have not seen any work being done here.”
Isaac Quanpah, another Ashaiman resident who has lived in the area since 1992 offered his perspective. “It is the demolition of the buildings that caused the flooding. When they did the demolition they did not take care of the wreckage,” said Quanpah.
Quanpah continued, “The gutter is being chocked with mud so they have to desilt it. That wasn’t done so any rain and the gutter overflows.”
Another resident and shepherd, Alhaji Ibrahim Issah, lost three of his four children to the flood. Fifty seven of his sheep also perished. Issah recounted the details of that fateful day to DAILY GUIDE saying “my family was in the room when it was submerged in water.
We were all struggling to come out. Three of our four children had drowned in the room.
Those of us that survived had to stay on the roof for the water to subside.”
Issah was reluctant to state that the destruction of homes along the bank caused the flood.
Instead he accepted the loss of his children by saying “For us we were here when the floods came so whatever God wishes he does it. So we can’t say whether it was the demolition that caused the flooding or not.” Issah hopes the gutter will be reconstructed so that last year’s tragic event will not repeat itself.
Preventing Future Disasters
There has been no concerted effort on the part of the community to officially inquire about the actions of the Municipal Assembly. There is no clear leader and residents are confused about who to hold accountable and how. “We did not take any action against them because our local leaders did not tell us anything. We even went on demonstration about three to four months ago because of the demolition of the houses but we did not see any results,” said Awal Osman.
Quanpah questioned the priorities of the Assembly. “What I want the assembly to do is to drain the gutter so that when it rains, the water can flow and not enter our homes,” he said. “What they have been able to do is to extend the bridge. We are hearing that they will build the gutter but we have not seen anything.”
He demanded immediate action from the MCE. “What we want the government to do is to come and make the gutter fine for us and grow green grass around it so that it will prevent erosion,” said Quanpah.
Ashaiman Municipal PRO, Kwasi Adu Gyamfi said the Municipal Assembly is taking measures to prevent a recurrence of last year’s disaster. He stated that the assembly was in the process of rebuilding the bridges that were demolished by the flood. “We have been able to finish one out of the three bridges which is the Valco Flat, the Ashaiman Lebanon is under construction as well as the Roman down bridge,” he said.
Mr. Gyamfi however noted that the construction of the drain through which the stream flows was a capital intensive venture. He said because of this, advancement of the project has been slow even though government and donors like the World Bank have promised the start of the project in June 2011.
“The cost of constructing the drains from community 22 to Jericho has not been estimated yet but it will run into hundreds of Ghana Cedis,” he says.
In spite of the delay, Gyamfi stated the Municipal Assembly is putting measures in place to avoid a situation like last year’s.
“Yes we have been taking a lot of measures, one is educating the people to stop throwing rubbish in the stream which ends up choking it; we also do community interface and sensitization programs,” he said.
He continued: “we are also opening up the gutters with the help of government because we do not want a situation where what happened last year will reoccur.”
On behalf of the community Gyamfi called on government, humanitarian organizations and micro finance lending agencies to assist the victims with small credit loans to rebuild their lost businesses.
“They need help so that they can expand their businesses, cater for their children and develop sustainable livelihoods,” said Gyamfi.
With the onset of the rainy season, frustrated residents in Ashaiman are anxiously waiting for the MCE and central government to act and act fast.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sex Scandals In The Church
Posted on June 11, 2011
BY Jamila Akweley Okertchiri and Ruth Oppong–Nyarko
Pastor Addy arrested for allegedly licking the vagina of a 32-year-old woman and Prophet Nicholas Osei aka Kumchacha, leader of Heaven Gate Ministries, was arrested for allegedly attempting to use his sex organ to remove an evil spirit which he claimed was hiding in the private parts of a married woman, Gifty Acheampong, in Kumasi
Pastor Arrested For Fondling Woman’s Breasts’, ‘Pastor Arrested For Licking Woman’s Private Part’, ‘Pastor Jailed 10 Years for Defilement’, ‘Pastor Jailed 19 Years’, ‘Pastor Jailed’, ‘Evangelist Jailed 20 years’, ‘Pastor Nabbed Naked’- these are just a few recent headlines of newspapers and bulletins.
It seems that a month does not pass without a news item on a self-styled ‘man of God’ getting involved in a sexual escapade with a female member of his church.
These scandals have raised several concerns in our society and have the public wondering if church members know what is going on or perhaps are ignorant of the prevailing situation, as one scandal follows the other.
Pastors who engage in this activity convince their victims through false prophecy.
One infamous victim testimony went as follows: “Pastor Addy came to my house, asked me to pray with him and that he had some bad revelations about me. While we were praying, he undressed me and started licking my vagina.”
Evangelist Okpala Ogugua was arrested for inflicting multiples wounds on his victim with a broken bottle
These are the words of a 32-year-old woman who alleged that she was sexually assaulted by a pastor at Omanjor near Sowutuom, a suburb of Accra.
Other abusive pastors who are not considered good at prophesying or perhaps don’t have a permanent church go for other alternatives.
Another victim testified about her experience, saying: “He hired me for a short time at a cost of GH¢10. I told him to pay additional money before I would allow him [to continue].
In the process of our struggle, he attempted to stab me.”
The 19-year-old commercial sex worker was nearly stabbed with a broken bottle by a self-styled evangelist client in their hotel room.
These kinds of situations are becoming more frequent and alarming, and are dragging the name of true men of God in the mud, and tarnishing the word of God.
Speaking on the issue, the chairman of the Christian Council, Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, expressed worry over the issue of people being referred to as ‘men of God’ when they do not qualify for that title.
“I believe that in our days, when we say man of God, we use it loosely to refer to somebody who calls himself a pastor or an evangelist; so a man of God, in that sense to most people, is anybody who carries the bible and is preaching the word,” he said.
The Director of the Methodist Development and Relief Service, Rev Kofi Asare Bediako, also expressed worry over the upsurge in these sex scandals, saying that “it is regrettable that such things are going on”.
Evangelist Akwasi Oppong was allegedly caught red-handed by a policeman trying to rape a victim
He added that the problem with most church members is that they no longer depend on God for interventions in their problems, but rather, “Members have become miracle crazed and instead of them waiting on God to intervene in their problems, they run up to their pastors to seek immediate help.”
This was confirmed in a particular case described by an Agogo District Police Commander, Ekow Yawson, who said, “The complainant heard the prophet preaching on radio where he said he had powers to solve problems faced by people; so those in tribulations should come to him for help.”
“The lady then visited the pastor for the prayers and was later invited to his home for further prayers. When she reached his house, the pastor then invited her into his room where he is said to have touched the woman’s breasts and forced her into having sex,” Mr. Yawson observed.
Rev. Asare further stated that most people, because of the situation they are in, do not realise that counseling should be done in the office of the pastors.
“Christianity is dependant on God and church members should put on their thinking caps when such invitations to hotels by pastors are extended,” Asare noted.
He was however quick to note that the problem is societal, and that members should see pastors as humans just like themselves and are “thus bound to fall at a point in time.”
In another interview with Rev. Atta Aggrey, a Senior Associate Pastor of Royalhouse Chapel, he lauded the media for bringing such issues to the limelight as these things have been happening since time immemorial.
Prophet Nana Yirenkyi is serving a 10-year jail term for defiling his 10-year-old daughter
“The extent to which the media is searching for information and broadcasting, it is why it is coming out so loudly but it is something that has been in existence for long,” he explained.
He added that the Bible has already sounded this warning that in these last days the enemy will intensify his activities, “His agents will now move into certain areas that if we do not stand well the many good things we have built over the years will be shattered within days.”
He however noted that pastors, especially the young ones who desire to get into the ministry, should first seek God and find out what the Bible expects of them.
POTENTIAL CAUSES
Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante said in a country where there is freedom of expression and association, one cannot put a finger on the main causes of indecent acts by some pastors.
He was however quick to note that “Ghanaians are gullible when it comes to religious matters. We are hesitant to confront people who claim to be ‘men of God’. They use this as an advantage and exploit people’s situation and problems when they go for help”.
“This is why I believe that we need to educate people to understand that in spite of their problems, they should take your sense along,” he added.
He further stated that there are some tempters who are also being used as tools of the enemy to destroy the work of God.
Asante added, “That is why we pray to the lord that He will not lead us into temptation. If you leave yourself unguarded, you will be tempted and you will disgrace yourself, your church, your Lord and your family.”
He noted that if one calls himself a man of God, then he bears the name of the Lord and must therefore seek to honor the Lord in the way he conducts his life.
He further stressed that the religious world is a dangerous world because a lot of people are using the word of God for their own ends.
“That is why it is important for the true men and women of God to teach and open the minds and eyes of their people by emphasizing the word of God,” the Most Rev. said.
INTERVENTIONS
In response to the alarming rate of incidences, government released a statement on 2nd June, instructing the police to, as a matter of urgency, set up special desks to deal with the alarming reports of sexual misconduct perpetrated by pastors.
The government further asked the Media Commission and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to agree on guidelines for religious broadcasts in a bid to end the exploitation and misdirection of those who seek help from the pastors.
Government’s action to deal with pastors who take undue advantage of their members has also received approval from the Christian Council of Ghana and other media organizations.
Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante also emphasized the need for laws to be enforced when people commit such criminal offences.
He elaborates, “If somebody rapes a woman or sexually assaults her, it is a criminal offence and the law enforcement agencies must deal with that person.”
Also, the General Secretary of the council, Rev. Fred Deegbe, in an interview with a radio station in Accra, said the council will disown any pastor who is found culpable.
“The actions of these pastors are crimes against the state and the state should deal with them according to the laws,” Rev. Deegbe emphasized.
Most Rev. Prof. Asante expressed concern over the conduct of self-styled men of God who do not belong to any Christian organization.
“Members of the council will be dealt with if they flout its constitution, but if the culprit does not belong to any Christian organization, who disciplines them?” Asante quizzed.
He stressed that it is important for the legislature to come up with a law that will mandate pastors to belong to a Christian body which is registered with a code of conduct.
“When such a thing is put in our hands, we will be strengthened to deal with perpetuators,” he said.
Mr. Asante, who doubles as the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, also noted that within the Methodist church, one has to undergo thorough interviews, even after extensive theological training, before being ordained as a minister.
A church auditorium
“But because we are living in a nation where there is freedom of expression and association, we cannot stop people who legally acquire a property and use it as a church or start what they now call ‘ministry’. We are not in the position to stop that person,” he noted.
The Director of the Methodist Development and Relief Service, Rev. Kofi Asare Bediako, also entreated church members to put on their thinking caps when they encounter such problems with their pastors.
“It is high time members are taught to have a personal relationship with God instead of expecting everything to be done by the church leaders,” Reverend Bediako stated.
Rev. Atta Aggrey, Senior Associate Pastors of Royalhouse Chapel, also admonished pastors to imitate Christ and learn from Christian leaders who have passed the test of time in their calling as men of God.
He however appealed to his fellow men in the clergy to always be alert since the enemy is seeking the people of God to devour.
He stressed the need to monitor these incidents and preempt them before they take place.
“I think it is becoming clearer for people to know that these teachings we have been hammering on are the areas they need to be watchful and mindful of,” Rev Aggrey said.
Posted on June 11, 2011
BY Jamila Akweley Okertchiri and Ruth Oppong–Nyarko
Pastor Addy arrested for allegedly licking the vagina of a 32-year-old woman and Prophet Nicholas Osei aka Kumchacha, leader of Heaven Gate Ministries, was arrested for allegedly attempting to use his sex organ to remove an evil spirit which he claimed was hiding in the private parts of a married woman, Gifty Acheampong, in Kumasi
Pastor Arrested For Fondling Woman’s Breasts’, ‘Pastor Arrested For Licking Woman’s Private Part’, ‘Pastor Jailed 10 Years for Defilement’, ‘Pastor Jailed 19 Years’, ‘Pastor Jailed’, ‘Evangelist Jailed 20 years’, ‘Pastor Nabbed Naked’- these are just a few recent headlines of newspapers and bulletins.
It seems that a month does not pass without a news item on a self-styled ‘man of God’ getting involved in a sexual escapade with a female member of his church.
These scandals have raised several concerns in our society and have the public wondering if church members know what is going on or perhaps are ignorant of the prevailing situation, as one scandal follows the other.
Pastors who engage in this activity convince their victims through false prophecy.
One infamous victim testimony went as follows: “Pastor Addy came to my house, asked me to pray with him and that he had some bad revelations about me. While we were praying, he undressed me and started licking my vagina.”
Evangelist Okpala Ogugua was arrested for inflicting multiples wounds on his victim with a broken bottle
These are the words of a 32-year-old woman who alleged that she was sexually assaulted by a pastor at Omanjor near Sowutuom, a suburb of Accra.
Other abusive pastors who are not considered good at prophesying or perhaps don’t have a permanent church go for other alternatives.
Another victim testified about her experience, saying: “He hired me for a short time at a cost of GH¢10. I told him to pay additional money before I would allow him [to continue].
In the process of our struggle, he attempted to stab me.”
The 19-year-old commercial sex worker was nearly stabbed with a broken bottle by a self-styled evangelist client in their hotel room.
These kinds of situations are becoming more frequent and alarming, and are dragging the name of true men of God in the mud, and tarnishing the word of God.
Speaking on the issue, the chairman of the Christian Council, Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, expressed worry over the issue of people being referred to as ‘men of God’ when they do not qualify for that title.
“I believe that in our days, when we say man of God, we use it loosely to refer to somebody who calls himself a pastor or an evangelist; so a man of God, in that sense to most people, is anybody who carries the bible and is preaching the word,” he said.
The Director of the Methodist Development and Relief Service, Rev Kofi Asare Bediako, also expressed worry over the upsurge in these sex scandals, saying that “it is regrettable that such things are going on”.
Evangelist Akwasi Oppong was allegedly caught red-handed by a policeman trying to rape a victim
He added that the problem with most church members is that they no longer depend on God for interventions in their problems, but rather, “Members have become miracle crazed and instead of them waiting on God to intervene in their problems, they run up to their pastors to seek immediate help.”
This was confirmed in a particular case described by an Agogo District Police Commander, Ekow Yawson, who said, “The complainant heard the prophet preaching on radio where he said he had powers to solve problems faced by people; so those in tribulations should come to him for help.”
“The lady then visited the pastor for the prayers and was later invited to his home for further prayers. When she reached his house, the pastor then invited her into his room where he is said to have touched the woman’s breasts and forced her into having sex,” Mr. Yawson observed.
Rev. Asare further stated that most people, because of the situation they are in, do not realise that counseling should be done in the office of the pastors.
“Christianity is dependant on God and church members should put on their thinking caps when such invitations to hotels by pastors are extended,” Asare noted.
He was however quick to note that the problem is societal, and that members should see pastors as humans just like themselves and are “thus bound to fall at a point in time.”
In another interview with Rev. Atta Aggrey, a Senior Associate Pastor of Royalhouse Chapel, he lauded the media for bringing such issues to the limelight as these things have been happening since time immemorial.
Prophet Nana Yirenkyi is serving a 10-year jail term for defiling his 10-year-old daughter
“The extent to which the media is searching for information and broadcasting, it is why it is coming out so loudly but it is something that has been in existence for long,” he explained.
He added that the Bible has already sounded this warning that in these last days the enemy will intensify his activities, “His agents will now move into certain areas that if we do not stand well the many good things we have built over the years will be shattered within days.”
He however noted that pastors, especially the young ones who desire to get into the ministry, should first seek God and find out what the Bible expects of them.
POTENTIAL CAUSES
Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante said in a country where there is freedom of expression and association, one cannot put a finger on the main causes of indecent acts by some pastors.
He was however quick to note that “Ghanaians are gullible when it comes to religious matters. We are hesitant to confront people who claim to be ‘men of God’. They use this as an advantage and exploit people’s situation and problems when they go for help”.
“This is why I believe that we need to educate people to understand that in spite of their problems, they should take your sense along,” he added.
He further stated that there are some tempters who are also being used as tools of the enemy to destroy the work of God.
Asante added, “That is why we pray to the lord that He will not lead us into temptation. If you leave yourself unguarded, you will be tempted and you will disgrace yourself, your church, your Lord and your family.”
He noted that if one calls himself a man of God, then he bears the name of the Lord and must therefore seek to honor the Lord in the way he conducts his life.
He further stressed that the religious world is a dangerous world because a lot of people are using the word of God for their own ends.
“That is why it is important for the true men and women of God to teach and open the minds and eyes of their people by emphasizing the word of God,” the Most Rev. said.
INTERVENTIONS
In response to the alarming rate of incidences, government released a statement on 2nd June, instructing the police to, as a matter of urgency, set up special desks to deal with the alarming reports of sexual misconduct perpetrated by pastors.
The government further asked the Media Commission and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to agree on guidelines for religious broadcasts in a bid to end the exploitation and misdirection of those who seek help from the pastors.
Government’s action to deal with pastors who take undue advantage of their members has also received approval from the Christian Council of Ghana and other media organizations.
Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante also emphasized the need for laws to be enforced when people commit such criminal offences.
He elaborates, “If somebody rapes a woman or sexually assaults her, it is a criminal offence and the law enforcement agencies must deal with that person.”
Also, the General Secretary of the council, Rev. Fred Deegbe, in an interview with a radio station in Accra, said the council will disown any pastor who is found culpable.
“The actions of these pastors are crimes against the state and the state should deal with them according to the laws,” Rev. Deegbe emphasized.
Most Rev. Prof. Asante expressed concern over the conduct of self-styled men of God who do not belong to any Christian organization.
“Members of the council will be dealt with if they flout its constitution, but if the culprit does not belong to any Christian organization, who disciplines them?” Asante quizzed.
He stressed that it is important for the legislature to come up with a law that will mandate pastors to belong to a Christian body which is registered with a code of conduct.
“When such a thing is put in our hands, we will be strengthened to deal with perpetuators,” he said.
Mr. Asante, who doubles as the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, also noted that within the Methodist church, one has to undergo thorough interviews, even after extensive theological training, before being ordained as a minister.
A church auditorium
“But because we are living in a nation where there is freedom of expression and association, we cannot stop people who legally acquire a property and use it as a church or start what they now call ‘ministry’. We are not in the position to stop that person,” he noted.
The Director of the Methodist Development and Relief Service, Rev. Kofi Asare Bediako, also entreated church members to put on their thinking caps when they encounter such problems with their pastors.
“It is high time members are taught to have a personal relationship with God instead of expecting everything to be done by the church leaders,” Reverend Bediako stated.
Rev. Atta Aggrey, Senior Associate Pastors of Royalhouse Chapel, also admonished pastors to imitate Christ and learn from Christian leaders who have passed the test of time in their calling as men of God.
He however appealed to his fellow men in the clergy to always be alert since the enemy is seeking the people of God to devour.
He stressed the need to monitor these incidents and preempt them before they take place.
“I think it is becoming clearer for people to know that these teachings we have been hammering on are the areas they need to be watchful and mindful of,” Rev Aggrey said.
Monday, March 28, 2011
The Invisible Army
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
SCOPE AND CONCEPT OF CHILD LABOUR
An army is growing in Ghana today, and though invisible, is larger than any other force and more pervasive.
Instead of guns and ammo, it is armed with weapons of farming tools, shoe-shine boxes, fishing nets, sledge hammers, “go-to-hells” and head pans.
These unseen soldiers form the army of child laborers in Ghana, and they are growing.
Soldiers of this army use their weapons to fight for themselves and their families. They go to the battle fields as early as dawn and return late at night often tired, exhausted, worn out and even hurt and bruised from the day’s battle.
Children are deprived of their basic rights as human beings and are subjected to activities that are detrimental to their health and well being. Their engagement dispossesses them from the opportunity to experience a normal life and develop as a child.
Esther Kutorkor Kotey, an eleven year old child labourer at Chorkor says she doesn’t go to school because the family can’t afford it. She spends her days at the beach helping the fishermen haul fish in order to get money for food.
“When I am hungry I carry the fish of the fish mongers to the road side to get money for food” she says “At times I go and cry for my mother to give me money when I am hungry.”
Children are involved in labour in different sectors – mining, quarrying, farming, cocoa, fishing, domestic servitude and street vending.
A recent report by the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare clearly indicated that almost 10 per cent of the child population in Ghana is engaged in child labour.
With 54 per cent of Ghana’s entire population of 24 million being children, that is a considerably high figure.
“The problem seems to be quite huge, in terms of the number of children who are engaged in illegal work” says Bright Appiah, Executive Director of Child’s Rights International, one of the prominent children’s rights organizations in Ghana.
Children carry out domestic chores assigned to them by their parents or guardians as a way of training and integrating them into the society’s norms and culture. Nevertheless, some children go beyond these tasks of integration to undergo work that is suited for older people.
In the fishing community of Chorkor, young Kutorkor Kotey engages in unsuitable work for a child. “I go and help the fishermen to pull the net from the sea” she says, “I sit and help with the rope as the fishermen pull the net from the water.”
According to the ILO, the majority of children in child labour come from large, poorly educated families of more than five children living in rural areas with little to no access to basic amenities such as schools and hospitals.
These activities are an affront to the fundamental human rights of children and a serious threat to the socio-economic development of the country. It deprives them of the right to develop and experience the joy of being educated.
CAUSES AND CONCEQUENCES
There are difference factors contributing to the prevalence of child labour in Ghana.
They can be traced to rooted traditional beliefs, cultural practices, customs, economic conditions, increasing break-up of traditional family structures and the death of a parent.
According to Festus Longmatey, Field Coordinator at Child’s Rights International, poverty is the underlining factor.
“If they have the means to employ labour, they wouldn’t use their children” he says, “because the means are not there, they are forced to use their kids. It all boils down to poverty.”
Madam Elizabeth Danquah, Executive Director of Parent & Child foundation, an organization responsible for the implementation of International Labour Organization (ILO) activities to eradicate the use of child laborers in the Volta region, feels that the lack of parental care and social amenities are the major causes of child labour in the country.
“Parents of children involved in child labour have the belief that the act is to help integrate the children into the community and make them independent in future” she says.
Nii Kukrudu II, Chief Fisherman at Chorkor said it is the tradition of the area to train the first son in the trade of their father. Fishermen train their children how to fish so they can one day take over from their parents. “When the children are 10 years we start to train and teach them how to fish” he says, “some times they go to school and fish on weekends.”
These children sometimes skip school to accompany their parents to their work sites.
One of the principal causes is the traditional perception about who children are and who owns them.
“People believe that children are their property”, says Appiah of Child’s Rights. “Parents tend to look at their children from that angle, without granting them their fundamental human rights.”
Some cultural practices such as higher income families hiring children from poor families place children in an environment where they are vulnerable to exploitation. Families do this without considering the consequences or considering the price to be paid in the future.
Children perform domestic duties, working long hours and sometimes suffering abuse at the hands of their employers. They earn a small amount of money for food and other services, such as accommodation and clothing.
One of the gravest abuses against children is neglect. Many children fall through social safety nets which fail to provide the necessary care and services, and children find themselves in some form of labour to support themselves and their families.
In Chorkor, Kutorkor has to find ways to manage when she doesn’t receive care from her parents. “ I told my daddy to take me to school, but he told me to shut up. When I got to class one my mother asked me to stop.”
They engage in economic activity and become innovative and entrepreneurial to support their own well being.
Farming families are often poor and therefore use the children as laborers to cut down cost of hiring older people to do the work.
Other children are sometimes taken from their families by business people and transported from rural areas to urban centers with the assurance of being educated and catered for.
They get to their various destinations to work under conditions that are harmful to their health and well-being.
It has also been observed that some parents give away their children out of greed and self-fulfillment.
“Parents think that it is the responsibility of the children to help them” says Longmatey of Child Rights, “Most of the parents are not really educated or sensitized.”
Madam Danquah added that some parents are accustomed to certain traditions which are very difficult to change.
“A lot of children look after themselves even though they have parents” says Danquah, “These children go to the market places to find a few Cedis for themselves” she said.
They send their children during school hours to hawk on the streets and work in order to afford a better standard of living for the whole family.
FAILURES
The government of Ghana has lent its support to the International Conventions and Declarations on the Elimination of (the Worst Forms of) Child Labour and the Rights of the Child. The country faces a huge challenge of meeting its national plan of action for achieve the goals of the Convention.
There is inefficiency in the traditional system in terms of responding to the social demands of children. Customarily if a child is orphaned due to death of a parent or other circumstances, the next of kin assumes responsibility for the child. However, because of the breakdown of these traditional structures, many children are left without a guardian or proper care.
The Children’s Act, drafted in 1998, enshrines the basic rights of children and the responsibilities of duty bearers. However, government has failed to fully enforcing this Act and other international child related conventions it has signed.
Bright Appiah adds, “The breakdown of the social structure and the failure of government to strengthen the child protection system, to be able to care for people who fall [through the cracks], contributes to the prevalence of child labour in Ghana. It’s both ways.”
The right of children is often seen as an alien culture.
“The society is not fully embracing that children have rights” says Appiah, “people feel that we are training children to become deviants and to resist traditional structures.”
The media, which has a crucial responsibility in educating the public, has been unsuccessful in covering children’s issues and human rights content in general. Human rights issues are generally seen as not being attractive enough to readers.
“Though there are some instances where you see the media reporting issues about children” says Appiah, “When you study and watch the trend of discussions, it’s more of the political issues that get coverage rather than looking at the social issues that affect children.”
The humanitarian community in general has grievances about the way human rights are reported, often stating that issues are only superficially glanced over or that the coverage is often aligned with a political motive.
Appiah adds “The information and the necessary steps you have to take in terms of reporting on children has not been the best.”
INTERVENTIONS
According to article 28 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana, “Every child has the right to be protected from engaging in work that constitutes a threat to his or her health, education or development.”
The law also sets a minimum employment age of 15 years and prohibits night work and certain types of hazardous labor for those less than 18 years of age. It levies fines and sentences violators to prison.
Since Ghana ratified ILO convention on the worst forms of Child Labour (ILO Convention 182) in 2000, the country has been making strenuous efforts to address the issue. There is a national policy on child labour and cabinet has endorsed a national plan of action (NPA) for the elimination of worst forms of child labour.
Ghana has partnered with various organizations both locally and internationally, such as the ILO and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to help curb the cancer of child labour.
Francesco d’Ovidio, Chief Technical Advisor of ILO, said their organization has partnered with others like the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) and the Ghana Journalist’s Association (GJA) to help reduce the prevalence of child labour.
Recently, the government introduced a full program to examine how to eliminate the use of child labour in the cocoa sector.
“That is only one sector” says Appiah, “but this is bold in terms of formulating policy and addressing the problem. It sends out the signal that we are all recognizing the fact that child labour is an issue that we will have to address.”
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
SCOPE AND CONCEPT OF CHILD LABOUR
An army is growing in Ghana today, and though invisible, is larger than any other force and more pervasive.
Instead of guns and ammo, it is armed with weapons of farming tools, shoe-shine boxes, fishing nets, sledge hammers, “go-to-hells” and head pans.
These unseen soldiers form the army of child laborers in Ghana, and they are growing.
Soldiers of this army use their weapons to fight for themselves and their families. They go to the battle fields as early as dawn and return late at night often tired, exhausted, worn out and even hurt and bruised from the day’s battle.
Children are deprived of their basic rights as human beings and are subjected to activities that are detrimental to their health and well being. Their engagement dispossesses them from the opportunity to experience a normal life and develop as a child.
Esther Kutorkor Kotey, an eleven year old child labourer at Chorkor says she doesn’t go to school because the family can’t afford it. She spends her days at the beach helping the fishermen haul fish in order to get money for food.
“When I am hungry I carry the fish of the fish mongers to the road side to get money for food” she says “At times I go and cry for my mother to give me money when I am hungry.”
Children are involved in labour in different sectors – mining, quarrying, farming, cocoa, fishing, domestic servitude and street vending.
A recent report by the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare clearly indicated that almost 10 per cent of the child population in Ghana is engaged in child labour.
With 54 per cent of Ghana’s entire population of 24 million being children, that is a considerably high figure.
“The problem seems to be quite huge, in terms of the number of children who are engaged in illegal work” says Bright Appiah, Executive Director of Child’s Rights International, one of the prominent children’s rights organizations in Ghana.
Children carry out domestic chores assigned to them by their parents or guardians as a way of training and integrating them into the society’s norms and culture. Nevertheless, some children go beyond these tasks of integration to undergo work that is suited for older people.
In the fishing community of Chorkor, young Kutorkor Kotey engages in unsuitable work for a child. “I go and help the fishermen to pull the net from the sea” she says, “I sit and help with the rope as the fishermen pull the net from the water.”
According to the ILO, the majority of children in child labour come from large, poorly educated families of more than five children living in rural areas with little to no access to basic amenities such as schools and hospitals.
These activities are an affront to the fundamental human rights of children and a serious threat to the socio-economic development of the country. It deprives them of the right to develop and experience the joy of being educated.
CAUSES AND CONCEQUENCES
There are difference factors contributing to the prevalence of child labour in Ghana.
They can be traced to rooted traditional beliefs, cultural practices, customs, economic conditions, increasing break-up of traditional family structures and the death of a parent.
According to Festus Longmatey, Field Coordinator at Child’s Rights International, poverty is the underlining factor.
“If they have the means to employ labour, they wouldn’t use their children” he says, “because the means are not there, they are forced to use their kids. It all boils down to poverty.”
Madam Elizabeth Danquah, Executive Director of Parent & Child foundation, an organization responsible for the implementation of International Labour Organization (ILO) activities to eradicate the use of child laborers in the Volta region, feels that the lack of parental care and social amenities are the major causes of child labour in the country.
“Parents of children involved in child labour have the belief that the act is to help integrate the children into the community and make them independent in future” she says.
Nii Kukrudu II, Chief Fisherman at Chorkor said it is the tradition of the area to train the first son in the trade of their father. Fishermen train their children how to fish so they can one day take over from their parents. “When the children are 10 years we start to train and teach them how to fish” he says, “some times they go to school and fish on weekends.”
These children sometimes skip school to accompany their parents to their work sites.
One of the principal causes is the traditional perception about who children are and who owns them.
“People believe that children are their property”, says Appiah of Child’s Rights. “Parents tend to look at their children from that angle, without granting them their fundamental human rights.”
Some cultural practices such as higher income families hiring children from poor families place children in an environment where they are vulnerable to exploitation. Families do this without considering the consequences or considering the price to be paid in the future.
Children perform domestic duties, working long hours and sometimes suffering abuse at the hands of their employers. They earn a small amount of money for food and other services, such as accommodation and clothing.
One of the gravest abuses against children is neglect. Many children fall through social safety nets which fail to provide the necessary care and services, and children find themselves in some form of labour to support themselves and their families.
In Chorkor, Kutorkor has to find ways to manage when she doesn’t receive care from her parents. “ I told my daddy to take me to school, but he told me to shut up. When I got to class one my mother asked me to stop.”
They engage in economic activity and become innovative and entrepreneurial to support their own well being.
Farming families are often poor and therefore use the children as laborers to cut down cost of hiring older people to do the work.
Other children are sometimes taken from their families by business people and transported from rural areas to urban centers with the assurance of being educated and catered for.
They get to their various destinations to work under conditions that are harmful to their health and well-being.
It has also been observed that some parents give away their children out of greed and self-fulfillment.
“Parents think that it is the responsibility of the children to help them” says Longmatey of Child Rights, “Most of the parents are not really educated or sensitized.”
Madam Danquah added that some parents are accustomed to certain traditions which are very difficult to change.
“A lot of children look after themselves even though they have parents” says Danquah, “These children go to the market places to find a few Cedis for themselves” she said.
They send their children during school hours to hawk on the streets and work in order to afford a better standard of living for the whole family.
FAILURES
The government of Ghana has lent its support to the International Conventions and Declarations on the Elimination of (the Worst Forms of) Child Labour and the Rights of the Child. The country faces a huge challenge of meeting its national plan of action for achieve the goals of the Convention.
There is inefficiency in the traditional system in terms of responding to the social demands of children. Customarily if a child is orphaned due to death of a parent or other circumstances, the next of kin assumes responsibility for the child. However, because of the breakdown of these traditional structures, many children are left without a guardian or proper care.
The Children’s Act, drafted in 1998, enshrines the basic rights of children and the responsibilities of duty bearers. However, government has failed to fully enforcing this Act and other international child related conventions it has signed.
Bright Appiah adds, “The breakdown of the social structure and the failure of government to strengthen the child protection system, to be able to care for people who fall [through the cracks], contributes to the prevalence of child labour in Ghana. It’s both ways.”
The right of children is often seen as an alien culture.
“The society is not fully embracing that children have rights” says Appiah, “people feel that we are training children to become deviants and to resist traditional structures.”
The media, which has a crucial responsibility in educating the public, has been unsuccessful in covering children’s issues and human rights content in general. Human rights issues are generally seen as not being attractive enough to readers.
“Though there are some instances where you see the media reporting issues about children” says Appiah, “When you study and watch the trend of discussions, it’s more of the political issues that get coverage rather than looking at the social issues that affect children.”
The humanitarian community in general has grievances about the way human rights are reported, often stating that issues are only superficially glanced over or that the coverage is often aligned with a political motive.
Appiah adds “The information and the necessary steps you have to take in terms of reporting on children has not been the best.”
INTERVENTIONS
According to article 28 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana, “Every child has the right to be protected from engaging in work that constitutes a threat to his or her health, education or development.”
The law also sets a minimum employment age of 15 years and prohibits night work and certain types of hazardous labor for those less than 18 years of age. It levies fines and sentences violators to prison.
Since Ghana ratified ILO convention on the worst forms of Child Labour (ILO Convention 182) in 2000, the country has been making strenuous efforts to address the issue. There is a national policy on child labour and cabinet has endorsed a national plan of action (NPA) for the elimination of worst forms of child labour.
Ghana has partnered with various organizations both locally and internationally, such as the ILO and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to help curb the cancer of child labour.
Francesco d’Ovidio, Chief Technical Advisor of ILO, said their organization has partnered with others like the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) and the Ghana Journalist’s Association (GJA) to help reduce the prevalence of child labour.
Recently, the government introduced a full program to examine how to eliminate the use of child labour in the cocoa sector.
“That is only one sector” says Appiah, “but this is bold in terms of formulating policy and addressing the problem. It sends out the signal that we are all recognizing the fact that child labour is an issue that we will have to address.”
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
GJA UNIONISED
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has charged its president Ransford Tetteh to take the necessary actions to transform the association into a union.
By a majority vote, delegates at the GJA’s emergency general meeting held in Accra on Friday authorized the president of association to initiate steps to transform the body into a union.
The meeting, which was held due to the inability of the association to organize the annual general meeting in the first quarter of this year, was used to discuss the welfare of the members.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Tetteh, who is also the editor of Daily Graphic, said the association had received a number of complaints about the welfare of its members, who believe that it is high time GJA becomes a union to be able to champion greater authority in the course of the journalist work, especially with regards to their remunerations.
Mr Tetteh said that better remuneration and improved conditions of service could make a lot of difference in facilitating and promoting professionalism among journalists.
He said there was no basis for any employer to task a journalist to work effectively and efficiently without being provided with the basic requisite tools and equipment.
He further stated that a number of processes would be undertaken in order to deal with the issues, hence the holding of an emergency meeting to enlighten the members of the benefits and challenges.
“In this time and age, how can a journalist be worth a
professional image if he or she has no access to a computer and cannot use such a facility,” Mr Tetteh asked.
“As part of the welfare package, we are in negotiations with dealers to make it possible for every member who so wish to acquire a good lap-top at an affordable price and terms. We believe the lap-top is the engine room for
every journalist."
Mr Tetteh asked members to abide by the GJA code of ethics to reduce the infractions that undermine public trust and confidence in journalists.
The meeting was chaired by Prof Kwame Karikari, Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), who asked journalists to abide by the ethics of the profession.
He said journalists have a duty to improve the professional standards in the prevailing media environment in the country, which is one of the best on the continent.
Prof Karikari also endorsed the unionization of the association.
Speaking about the unionization of GJA, Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), said that the GJA can do more in terms of promoting the welfare of its members and that the constitution of Ghana gives every worker the right to join any union of his or her choice in view of the promotion of his or her economic, social and religious welfare.
He also stated that there was no need for the members to think that there will be confusion over journalists who have now become employers when the association becomes a union since both employers and workers would all work together.
Mr. Asamoah continued that if GJA joins the trade union it would be issued with a bargaining certificate which would enable members of the association to negotiate with their employers regarding their working conditions.
“The bargaining certificate will enable the members to negotiate for standard working conditions with their employers,” he said.
He further stated that the GJA would be able to protect the rights of its members at workplaces and also ensure that their rights are not trampled upon.
He encouraged the journalists to ensure that their rights are not trampled upon at their work places.
The chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Kabral Blay-Amihere, in a speech delivered on his behalf, tasked the journalists to improve their reportage and also urged the association to initiate programmes to meet the challenges of the media.
In his assessment of the Association's activities for 2009, Bright Blewu, General Secretary of the GJA, said he was content that the leadership of the association had demonstrated the determination to promote responsible
journalism and to defend press freedom.
“We wish to refer to events during the Brong Ahafo at 50 celebrations,
where we stood by our colleagues in the region to have their concerns of press freedom violations addressed,” he said.
Mr Blewu said the association defended press freedom by amicably addressing the case involving Joy FM's Ato Kwamena Dadzie and that of the Ghanaian Times' newspaper publication on the residential accommodation for police personnel in the Central
Region.
He chastised some unscrupulous individual practitioners who wanted to drag the image of the profession into the mud by resorting to mischievous tactics to polarize the country, especially during the 2008 general elections.
“Radio stations that engaged in those dangerous acts may have been few but we are of the view that if we, as a family, do not honestly advocate corrective measures before the next election in 2012, we may be endorsing
any poor standards of operation and retaliation that others may be contemplating,” Mr Blewu said.
Linda Asante-Agyei, National Treasurer of the GJA, appealed to members to pay their dues regularly and promptly to sustain the association.
Pix saved in newdaily as GJA president.
Caption: Mr Ransford Tetteh GJA President.
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has charged its president Ransford Tetteh to take the necessary actions to transform the association into a union.
By a majority vote, delegates at the GJA’s emergency general meeting held in Accra on Friday authorized the president of association to initiate steps to transform the body into a union.
The meeting, which was held due to the inability of the association to organize the annual general meeting in the first quarter of this year, was used to discuss the welfare of the members.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Tetteh, who is also the editor of Daily Graphic, said the association had received a number of complaints about the welfare of its members, who believe that it is high time GJA becomes a union to be able to champion greater authority in the course of the journalist work, especially with regards to their remunerations.
Mr Tetteh said that better remuneration and improved conditions of service could make a lot of difference in facilitating and promoting professionalism among journalists.
He said there was no basis for any employer to task a journalist to work effectively and efficiently without being provided with the basic requisite tools and equipment.
He further stated that a number of processes would be undertaken in order to deal with the issues, hence the holding of an emergency meeting to enlighten the members of the benefits and challenges.
“In this time and age, how can a journalist be worth a
professional image if he or she has no access to a computer and cannot use such a facility,” Mr Tetteh asked.
“As part of the welfare package, we are in negotiations with dealers to make it possible for every member who so wish to acquire a good lap-top at an affordable price and terms. We believe the lap-top is the engine room for
every journalist."
Mr Tetteh asked members to abide by the GJA code of ethics to reduce the infractions that undermine public trust and confidence in journalists.
The meeting was chaired by Prof Kwame Karikari, Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), who asked journalists to abide by the ethics of the profession.
He said journalists have a duty to improve the professional standards in the prevailing media environment in the country, which is one of the best on the continent.
Prof Karikari also endorsed the unionization of the association.
Speaking about the unionization of GJA, Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), said that the GJA can do more in terms of promoting the welfare of its members and that the constitution of Ghana gives every worker the right to join any union of his or her choice in view of the promotion of his or her economic, social and religious welfare.
He also stated that there was no need for the members to think that there will be confusion over journalists who have now become employers when the association becomes a union since both employers and workers would all work together.
Mr. Asamoah continued that if GJA joins the trade union it would be issued with a bargaining certificate which would enable members of the association to negotiate with their employers regarding their working conditions.
“The bargaining certificate will enable the members to negotiate for standard working conditions with their employers,” he said.
He further stated that the GJA would be able to protect the rights of its members at workplaces and also ensure that their rights are not trampled upon.
He encouraged the journalists to ensure that their rights are not trampled upon at their work places.
The chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Kabral Blay-Amihere, in a speech delivered on his behalf, tasked the journalists to improve their reportage and also urged the association to initiate programmes to meet the challenges of the media.
In his assessment of the Association's activities for 2009, Bright Blewu, General Secretary of the GJA, said he was content that the leadership of the association had demonstrated the determination to promote responsible
journalism and to defend press freedom.
“We wish to refer to events during the Brong Ahafo at 50 celebrations,
where we stood by our colleagues in the region to have their concerns of press freedom violations addressed,” he said.
Mr Blewu said the association defended press freedom by amicably addressing the case involving Joy FM's Ato Kwamena Dadzie and that of the Ghanaian Times' newspaper publication on the residential accommodation for police personnel in the Central
Region.
He chastised some unscrupulous individual practitioners who wanted to drag the image of the profession into the mud by resorting to mischievous tactics to polarize the country, especially during the 2008 general elections.
“Radio stations that engaged in those dangerous acts may have been few but we are of the view that if we, as a family, do not honestly advocate corrective measures before the next election in 2012, we may be endorsing
any poor standards of operation and retaliation that others may be contemplating,” Mr Blewu said.
Linda Asante-Agyei, National Treasurer of the GJA, appealed to members to pay their dues regularly and promptly to sustain the association.
Pix saved in newdaily as GJA president.
Caption: Mr Ransford Tetteh GJA President.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
‘Good Life, Live It Well’
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
The Ghana Health Service in collaboration with USAID and other partners have launched the ‘Good Life, Live It Well’ campaign in Accra.
The campaign which is intended to trigger health awareness, healthy living and good life among Ghanaians is a new health promotion which involves an over arching communication strategy which is to bond the benefits of good health to the attainment of good life.
Presenting the good life campaign materials Mr. Ian Tweedie Chief of party BCS Project stated that the campaign consists of three stages.
The first stage which he said ended on the 26th of November2010 saw good life community volunteers going through Takoradi, Cape Coast and the Greater Accra Region to create awareness of the campaign by asking the members of the community “what is your good life?” as well as giving them good life polo shirts and fliers.
The second stage which he said begins from 26th November to January 2010 will consist of radio talk shows, television programs, press adverts, posters, songs, fliers and signboards about good health practices. He said “the second stage is to encourage the general public to seek good health practices in order to enjoy their good life”.
The third stage which begins form January and beyond is to provide specific health messages to various health issues, broaden the specification of organizations in the public and private sector interested in the good health program and to strengthen the good life campaign and agility through on going activities. He said “the activities to strengthen the good life campaign will include the good life quiz show, good life television game show and good life radio and magazine shows.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Elias Sory Director General of the Ghana Health Service said that motivating people to take up preventive measures to avoid disease and creating a unifying theme under which the Ghana health service can address a broad range of health topics are the challenges the campaign will be addressing.
He further stated that as a start the campaign will introduce a core set of things that can be done to dramatically reduce the risk of contracting some top causes of diseases and death in Ghana.
In conclusion he urged Ghanaians to start with good health practices that are most relevant to their lifestyle and their stage in life and then build on them over time, this he said will help Ghanaians to achieve and enjoy the things that they want in life: their good life.
Pix saved in new daily as Good Life.
Pix 2 saved in new daily as Good Life 2 (Insert)
Caption: from left Dr. Elias Sory, Dr. Gloria Quansah-Asare, and Dr. Cherl Anderson (country director of USAID). (Insert Mr. Ian Tweedie)
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
The Ghana Health Service in collaboration with USAID and other partners have launched the ‘Good Life, Live It Well’ campaign in Accra.
The campaign which is intended to trigger health awareness, healthy living and good life among Ghanaians is a new health promotion which involves an over arching communication strategy which is to bond the benefits of good health to the attainment of good life.
Presenting the good life campaign materials Mr. Ian Tweedie Chief of party BCS Project stated that the campaign consists of three stages.
The first stage which he said ended on the 26th of November2010 saw good life community volunteers going through Takoradi, Cape Coast and the Greater Accra Region to create awareness of the campaign by asking the members of the community “what is your good life?” as well as giving them good life polo shirts and fliers.
The second stage which he said begins from 26th November to January 2010 will consist of radio talk shows, television programs, press adverts, posters, songs, fliers and signboards about good health practices. He said “the second stage is to encourage the general public to seek good health practices in order to enjoy their good life”.
The third stage which begins form January and beyond is to provide specific health messages to various health issues, broaden the specification of organizations in the public and private sector interested in the good health program and to strengthen the good life campaign and agility through on going activities. He said “the activities to strengthen the good life campaign will include the good life quiz show, good life television game show and good life radio and magazine shows.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Elias Sory Director General of the Ghana Health Service said that motivating people to take up preventive measures to avoid disease and creating a unifying theme under which the Ghana health service can address a broad range of health topics are the challenges the campaign will be addressing.
He further stated that as a start the campaign will introduce a core set of things that can be done to dramatically reduce the risk of contracting some top causes of diseases and death in Ghana.
In conclusion he urged Ghanaians to start with good health practices that are most relevant to their lifestyle and their stage in life and then build on them over time, this he said will help Ghanaians to achieve and enjoy the things that they want in life: their good life.
Pix saved in new daily as Good Life.
Pix 2 saved in new daily as Good Life 2 (Insert)
Caption: from left Dr. Elias Sory, Dr. Gloria Quansah-Asare, and Dr. Cherl Anderson (country director of USAID). (Insert Mr. Ian Tweedie)
I am Jamila Akweley Okertchiri born on the 9th day of May 1989 in Accra Ghana. I live with my parents in La Accra.
I had my primary school at Burma Camp Basic School at Burma Camp.I continued to the Catholic Social Advance Institute for my Senior High School education and then moved to the Ghana Institute of Journalism for my tertiary education.
I completed my two years diploma in journalism course in July 2010 and currently doing my national service with Western Publication, publishers of Daily Guide, Business Guide and Young Blazers as well as The Mail.
My email address is joakert@gmail.com and my mobile number is 0274125921.
I had my primary school at Burma Camp Basic School at Burma Camp.I continued to the Catholic Social Advance Institute for my Senior High School education and then moved to the Ghana Institute of Journalism for my tertiary education.
I completed my two years diploma in journalism course in July 2010 and currently doing my national service with Western Publication, publishers of Daily Guide, Business Guide and Young Blazers as well as The Mail.
My email address is joakert@gmail.com and my mobile number is 0274125921.
Friday, November 26, 2010
its been a while since I wrote on my blog but thanks to a reminder of a friend am back to write on my blog. hope you didn't miss me too much. well the Lord has been good and am just living in his presence.am done with my Diploma and am currently doing my national service.You know what, stay with God no matter the situation AND hE WILL BE with you no matter what. stay BLESSED.
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