Day: June 8, 2024

Madam Arian Simeone, the Founder of Fearless Foundation, says lack of resources, including education, network and mentorship poses a significant challenge for startups in the ecosystem.

The Fearless Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides capital, community, mentorship, and education to women entrepreneurs. 

She said without access to quality educational resources tailored for entrepreneurship and business management, founders may lack the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complexities of starting and growing a business, hence the need for education.

‘This includes understanding market dynamics, financial management, marketing strategies, and legal compliance,’ she said.

‘In regions where entrepreneurship education is lacking, aspiring founders may struggle to develop viable business models and effectively execute their ideas.’

Madam Simeone was speaking to the Ghana News Agency at an engagement in Accra with entrepreneurs from MESTAfrica.

MEST Africa are providers of critical sk
ills training, funding, and support in software development, business, and communications to Africa’s tech entrepreneurs.

Her engagement with the organization has resulted in GHS 20,000.00 grant to be given to one local entrepreneur whose creativity resonates with Arian Simeone’s mission.

She said building a strong network of contacts within the industry was crucial for startups to access opportunities for partnerships, collaborations, and customer acquisition.

Mentorship played a pivotal role in guiding startup founders through the various stages of growth, providing practical advice, feedback, and encouragement based on the mentor’s own experiences.

‘Without access to experienced mentors who can offer guidance on strategy, decision-making, and problem-solving, founders may struggle to navigate uncertainties and make informed choices,’ Madam Simeone said.

She said the startup space in Ghana was more than expected, looking at the varieties of talents on the African continent, producing great tech entrepr
eneurs.

A-good brand story, strong team and how much traction one had were initial indicators that contributed to the success of startup businesses.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service, has successfully completed an impactful 10-day tour of the five Northern Regions with a call for peaceful collaboration with residents to safeguard the country’s borders.

The Comptroller-General reassured the officers’ selfless dedication to the safety and security of the country.

The team began the tour from the North, traversing through the North East, continuing to the captivating landscapes of the Upper East, venturing towards the picturesque West, and culminating in the enchanting Savannah. 

This was in a statement from the Immigration Public Affairs Department copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

Mr Takyi appealed to the residents not to harbour illegal individuals within their homes to undermine national security, emphasising the crucial role of every citizen in upholding these vital standards.

The tour served as an opportunity for the Comptroller-General to connect with his dedicated staff, gain crucial insights
into regional activities, and uplift their spirits in the face of daunting weather and working conditions.

It also aimed to comprehensively assess the security landscape at the various borders and unapproved routes, with a particular focus on empowering officers to effectively safeguard against potential terrorist threats and prevent the illegal entry of migrants.

Mr Takyi embarked on a series of courtesy calls, paying respects to Regional Ministers, District Coordinators, and Chiefs such as the Northern and Upper East Regions, Ya-Naa, Mion paramountcy, the Overlord of Mamprugu, and the traditional authorities of Waala, Telansi, Pagapio, and the Bola Wura.

These engagements, the statement said, were emblematic of a unifying spirit, demonstrating the collaborative effort required to ensure the safety and prosperity of the regions and the nation as a whole.

The Overlord of Waala Traditional Area, Naa Fuseani Seidu Pelpuo IV, and his Council of Elders donated 100 acres of land to the Service. 

The gesture w
ill serve as the foundation for a future training school, residence, and regional headquarters embodying the spirit of progress and cooperation.

Mr Takyi was accompanied by the Chief Staff Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Immigration Emmanuel Ashley, Deputy Superintendent of Immigration (DSI) Barbara Sam, and DSI Osei Kwakye of the Public Affairs Department, along with other officers from the National Headquarters.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ningo Prampram District Assembly (NiPDA) in the Greater Accra Region has participated in the 2024 National Tree Planting exercise with 2000 seedlings of different species across communities in the area.

The exercise commenced with a short ceremony at the Prampram Senior High School, where stakeholders, including Mr Tetteh Al Latif Amanor, the District Chief Executive (DCE), planted some of the trees within the institution’s premises.

Mr Amanor, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the tree planting exercise had come to stay and urged Ghanaians to embrace the move and plant trees to safeguard the environment.

He said most countries, including Ghana, were battling with the issue of climate change, and the one surest way to win the battle was to plant trees to restore what had been lost over the years through human activities.

The DCE stated that discussing ways to combat climate change was more theoretical while planting trees demonstrated the practical aspect of how the fight could be
won.

He said Ningo-Prampram had arable land, and it was the duty of the residents within the district to protect the environment and make it friendly for generations.

Mr Amanor indicated that illegal sand winning was a challenge confronting the district and advised that people involved in such illegalities must desist from such acts.

Mr Peter Djan, the Headmaster of Prampram Senior High School, expressed gratitude to the District Assembly for planting trees in the school. 

He said this would contribute to sustaining and maintaining green environments, and it would be prudent for citizens to become environmental stewards.

He appealed to the authorities to consider planting trees at the various institutions dotted across the district to beautify and enhance their environment.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Bui Power Authority (BPA), the managers of the Bui Generating Station (BGS) has cultivated and nurtured 1,400 acres of trees since the government’s Green Ghana Initiatives was launched in 2021.

Mr Samuel Kofi Ahiave Dzamesi, the Chief Executive Officer has said.

He said the authority had contracted and some of the BGS’s Project Affected Persons (PAPs) were nurturing the trees, which were all doing well.

Mr Dzamesi said this in a speech read on his behalf by Mr Samuel Nimako-Boateng, the Director, Power Operations Department, BPA, during a tree planting exercise organised by the authority at Bui in the Banda District of the Bono Region to mark this year’s Green Ghana Day.

Personnel of the BPA and the Ghana Armed Forces deployed to protect the Dam participated in the tree planting exercise.

Mr Dzamesi said the Authority would plant 16,000 tree seedlings around the dam’s enclave this year, saying it cultivated and nurtured 11,813 different species of trees in 2023.

Additionally, he explained the Board
of Directors of the Authority had approved a policy on the conservation and protection of 26 different economic indigenous and domesticated tree species at the dam site.

Currently, the authority is tagging the identified tree species for easy identification, Mr Dzamesi stated, saying with assistance from the Wildlife Division (Bui National Park) of the Forestry Commission, the authority was sensitizing local communities on the need to preserve the trees.

He expressed worry that impacts of climate change were being felt and underlined the need for the BPA to complement efforts towards global fight against the adverse effects and mitigating the impact of climate change in the country.

Climate change, he added, was contributing to erratic rainfall patterns, rising temperatures, food insecurity and increasing poverty levels.

Mr Dzamesi said a strong political will with an increased investment response ‘by the Emergency Response Team attributable to our collective efforts for the acquisition and deployment of
additional two State-of-the-art multi-purpose fire tenders in operations at the BGS here’.

‘Aside protecting our installations and our forest, cashew farms within the catchment area were protected thereby enhancing biodiversity conservation’, he stated.

Mr Chrisentus Kuunifaa, the Director, Occupational Health, Safety, Security and Environment of the BPA, stressed the authority’s commitment tree plantation was preserved for the nation to derive the optimum benefit

Source: Ghana News Agency

Malam Abdul Rakib Abubakar, an Imam at the Ashaiman Newtown Junction Mosque, has urged Muslims to celebrate the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha festival within their means, especially within the present challenging economic period. 

Imam Abubakar, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said this was to practice restraint and avoid excessive expenditure as aligned with the principles of Islam, which advocated for balanced living and consideration for others’ welfare.

Imam Abubakar said the call to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha within budget served not only as a practical directive but also as a spiritual reminder to prioritise gratitude, generosity, and solidarity amidst challenging economic circumstances.

He said Eid-ul-Adha traditionally observed with the symbolic sacrifice of animals such as a lamb, goat, cow, or camel, could be celebrated modestly. 

He stated that the sacrifice symbolised devotion and obedience to Allah with the meat often distributed among family, friends, and the less privileged, as a gestur
e of generosity and communal unity. 

He encouraged Muslims to uphold the values of humility, generosity, and social responsibility, enriching the essence of Eid-ul-Adha for themselves and their communities.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Discarded exercise books, tissue, and abandoned pieces of clothes sourced from dressmakers are precious products for many underprivileged girls in rural communities for maintaining a degree of menstrual hygiene.

In the absence of disposable sanitary pads, which is expensive for rural girls whose parents’ daily income cannot afford the ‘luxurious’ product, resorting to unhygienic methods is not an option but necessity.

These were some of the accounts that emerged from focused group discussions with girls, parents, and pupils in underserved communities in the Central, Ashanti, Eastern, and Greater Accra regions as part of menstrual hygiene advocacy campaign championed by the AABRYT Foundation.

‘I wish I was like my brothers who are able to go to school every day of the month. I feel very uncomfortable during my period and ashamed to sit in class at that time of the month,’ notes from some of the discussions indicated.

Ms Akosua Adutwumwaa Britwum, a seasoned broadcast journalist, who is leading the project
to distribute free sanitary pads to selected schools, described her experience of the situation on the ground as chilling.

‘The situation is serious than we discuss in the media. Our girls in the rural areas and even some communities within Accra are really suffering. Aside missing school, these girls are also exposing themselves to health complications by using inappropriate methods,’ she told the Ghana News Agency.

‘I was traumatised when some of the girls revealed to us that they sometimes use cement papers when they do not get tissue. That was the lowest point they could go and they have no other option,’ she added.

Menstruation or period is a biological phenomenon naturally occurring in females. It basically involves vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman’s cycle.

According to the UNFPA Ghana, women in societies with extreme poverty levels and harmful cultural beliefs and practices suffer discrimination and ill-treatment – and the situation gets worse due to the inability of those women to a
ccess products like sanitary pads to observe personal hygiene when menstruating.

Sanitary pads are largely imported in Ghana, with a 20 per cent import tax. The tax, coupled with the depreciation of the Cedi against the Dollar, makes the product expensive.

Although the Government has scrapped taxes on local production of sanitary pads, the local production is unable to meet demand, paving way for excessive reliance on the imported products.

Between January 2022 and February 2023 alone, the cost of imported sanitary pad increased from about GHS5 to GHS17 due to inflation.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), one in 10 girls in sub-saharan Africa misses school during their menstrual period, an equivalent of about 20 per cent in a given school year.

Touched by the chilling experiences of rural girls in their menstrual journey, Ms Britwum, with the support of benevolent contributors, commenced the sanitary pad distribution and advocacy project in October
2023.

She told the GNA that the project had thus far distributed more than 6,000 pieces of sanitary pads to the beneficiaries, adding that the team had also adopted some schools that received sanitary pads to support girls with severe conditions.

‘The girls need more than the pads. Their teachers are doing their best but the education is not enough. Some of these communities have strong traditional belief systems and as such may conflict with the use of sanitary pads since education on such is inadequate in the said communities,’ she said.

‘One of the key challenges we faced is the poor road network. Some of the roads to the communities are not motorable and that hampers our ability to broaden advocacy to many more communities,’ Ms Britwum added.

The Foundation appeals to authorities to roll out a policy that would target the distribution of free sanitary pads to girls in schools in underserved communities to enhance the observance of menstrual hygiene in those communities.

It also reiterated the need to
scrap taxes on sanitary pads and encourage mass local production to make the product affordable.

‘If we educate the girls on the need to use sanitary pads and they cannot afford it, the education would be meaningless. Their ability to afford the product also reduces their reliance on men, some of whom would take advantage of them,’ she said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The South West Business District of the MTN Ghana, has launched this year’s ‘Y’ello Care 2024’ with a community project in Diabene Senior High School in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.

The 30 Days of Y’ello Care initiative, would be on the theme ‘Education for Rural and Remote Communities – Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow.’

The students were taken through Digital Literacy Education.

Mr. David Woase, Area Sales Manager, Southwest of MTN Ghana explained that the 21 Days of Y’ello Care, was an annual staff volunteer programme instituted 17 years ago, to allow MTN staff to volunteer their skills and services freely for the benefit of the community , while investing in identified community improvement projects in rural areas.

This year’s edition is called ’30 Days of Y’ello Care’ started on June 1st and would end on June 30th, 2024.

He said, ‘We are delighted to be able to provide hands-on support to these remote areas through unique and innovative community improvement programmes, that address critical needs in
those communities.’

Mr Woase noted the important role education played in transforming the communities, strengthening socio-economic growth and prosperity, as well as preparing the youth with the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources for the future.

‘With the 2024 edition of 30 Days of Y’ello Care campaign, we seek to provide modern amenities and educational facilities in line with our digital focus to bring innovation to the doorstep of these deprived schools to demonstrate the limitless boundaries of technology and the opportunities it presents.’

The Business was also implementing a specialised programme dubbed ‘Quench and Connect’ targeted at drilling mechanised boreholes in some schools facing water crises.

Mr. Woase expressed gratitude to all MTN employees for their contributions to the success of Y’ello Care over the years and encouraged every single employee volunteer, to participate.

Mr. Woase noted that by incorporating digital literacy education into your learning journey, to become confid
ent, competent, and responsible digital citizens, better equipped to succeed in an increasingly digital world.

Reverend Peter Bontha Kisseih, Headmaster of the school, was delighted MTN chose to celebrate the Yello Care with the School.

Academically, the Diabene SHS now records 98 percent quality passes and thus must be resourced to do more.

Th Chief Executive Officer of Duapa Werkspace, Erasmus Mensah- Ackon, enlightened the students on the emerging field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it was transforming various sectors.

He encouraged them to take advantage of the ICT space, pursue courses in the area to become self-employed even before leaving school.

MTN presented colour coded litter bins for proper waste management as well as to help in waste segregation in the school.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Network For Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) has launched the Women in Finance (WIF) platform to provide an opportunity for dialogue among women working in the banking, insurance, and Fintech sectors.

The platform sought to build the confidence of women and consolidate their voices in these sectors and the needed skills to exercise their Agency and representation to advance women’s financial inclusion.

The launch forms part of NETRIGHT’s partnership with the Graca Machel Trust (GMT) to implement a project titled ‘Women’s Leadership for Financial Inclusion and Economic Recovery Initiative’ (WLFI).

The WLFI aims to build and institutionalise a collective of African Women leaders and leading women’s networks to influence policy actions which promotes inclusive economic recovery in Africa through women’s financial inclusion.

This is against the backdrop, that despite women constituting 50.9% of the population in Ghana, they were underrepresented in Leadership roles in all sectors and according to Pricew
aterhouseCoopers report half of women in banking are at entry level with only 27% in management.

Madam Patricia Blankson Akakpo, Head of NETRIGHT Secretariat, said the women’s financial inclusion was focused on addressing the systematic barriers that hinder women’s access to financial services, resources and opportunities and this includes advocating for gender-responsive policies and legislation to address specific challenges faced women in participating in the financial sector.

She noted that during the mapping of Women groups under the WLFI project, it was realised that although financial institutions had women groups, they were strictly organizational based and had no common platform to facilitate collaboration.

Ms Eva Esselba Mends, Chief Director of the Ministry of Finance, lauded the initiative and added that there was enough evidence to show that women’s inclusion in all spheres of leadership proved to be impactful and ‘makes a lot of sense’

She said women were quite represented at all levels at t
he Finance ministry, yet there was more work to be done to enhance and sustain women’s representation across the financial sectors and pledged support of the ministry to achieve the platforms objectives.

Dr Yaa Afi Osei, Assistant Director, supervision at the Bank of Ghana (BOG) who spoke on behalf of Mrs Elsie Addo-Awadzi, Second Deputy Governor, BOG said there must be intentional programmes to address barriers to women’s financial inclusion and gender inequalities.

She said a lot had been done to enhance women’s financial inclusion, however much remained to close the gender gap of women’s representation and financial inclusion through implementation of effective policies and programmes such as mentorship.

Pursuant to that, she disclosed that the BOG was implementing seven principles which includes financial inclusion and gender equality programmes ensuring that banks were committed to the objectives of promoting gender equality in the financial sector.

NETRIGHT is an economic justice and Advocacy networ
k made up of civil society organizations and individuals working together to bring gender perspectives into national policies and programmes to strengthen women’s rights.

Whiles the Graca Machel Trust, is a Pan-African institution with the mission to amplify women’s movements, influence governance and promote women’s leadership in the social and political development of Africa.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Volta River Authority (VRA) has marked the Green Ghana Day at Akosombo in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region, where its personnel planted 2,500 trees.

The trees, including cedrela, teak, neem, mahogany and ofram, were planted opposite the Akosombo Textile Company.

The exercise was on the theme: ‘Growing for a Greener Tomorrow.’

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Benjamin Sackey, the VRA’s Director of Environment and Sustainable Development, noted that planting trees was critical to combating global warming and climate change in the country.

He also stated that sustainability and climate change were critical considerations when discussing the Sustainable Development Goals.

‘VRA has a key interest in ensuring that the environment is protected, and planting trees and moving vegetation throughout is one of the key things we need to do as a country,’ he said.

He noted that due to their crucial role in tree planting, all VRA operational towns, including Akosombo, Akuse, an
d Aboadze, which are densely forested, were being targeted to ensure that people managed the environment sustainably.

‘Over the last three years, we have planted over 5,600 seedlings, with a 92 per cent survival rate,’ he added.

Mr. Ulysses Ocran-Hammond, VRA Manager for Environment in Akosombo, explained that the VRA was involved in tree planting initiatives prior to the introduction of the ‘Green Ghana’ campaign, as it was crucial for both vegetation, water, and human life.

He also emphasized that tree planting was crucial for the VRA due to its hydroelectric plant.

Moreover, he noted that trees surrounding water bodies served as essential buffer zones, providing necessary protection for water sources.

‘It is critical for us at VRA to plant trees because they protect the lake from receiving dirty rainwater by absorbing it, preventing sand and other pollutants from entering the lake and ensuring we have fresh water to generate power for Mother Ghana,’ he added.

He urged organisations, associations, tow
ns, and individuals to work together to plant trees and protect the environment and vegetation from destruction.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A research conducted by the Central Region Office of the National Youth Authority (NYA) has shown that perpetrators of teen pregnancy, child marriage and sexual and gender based violence (sgbv) are mostly tricycle and motorcycle riders.

The research was conducted based on reports that the incidents of (sgbv) and sexually transmitted infections (STI) were on the rise in the Region.

Mrs Anita Nana Seguah Ansah, Central Regional Director of the NYA, made this known at a day’s training of trainers workshop for tricycle and motorcycle riders to educate them on the negative effects of teen pregnancy, child marriage and other harmful practices.

It was organised by NYA in collaboration with the Central Regional Coordinating Council and sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to help reduce the incidents of teen pregnancy and child marriage in the Region.

The participants were drawn from Komenda-Edina-Eguafo- Abrem, Cape Coast, Assin Fosu, Awutu Senya East (Kasoa), Gomoa East, Agona East and Agona
West.

Mrs Ansah said based on the report, the NYA conducted a research, which mostly implicated tricycle and motorcycle riders.

The Regional Director expressed the hope that the riders would go back to their various destinations to be good ambassadors to disseminate the information to others to ensure reduction of sgbv, child marriage and teen pregnancy cases.

Similar workshops had been held in the Gomoa West, Cape Coast and other districts and feedback the NYA got was that the situation was getting better.

The Director said the NYA was doing everything possible to replicate the workshop to cover every district in the Region to reduce sgbv, child marriage and sexually transmitted infections among the youth.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mrs Vida Yankey, Agona Swedru District Commander, who spoke on sgbv, causes, effects and punishments, expressed concern about the alarming rate of defilement and teen pregnancy cases in the Swedru Municipality.

ASP Yankey, who is also the Agona Swedru Divisio
nal Coordinator of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, cautioned tricycle and motorcycle riders to stop engaging in such crimes because they could be jailed for not less than 15 years when caught.

The DOVVSU Divisional Coordinator further explained the punishment attached to rape, defilement, incest, sexual harassment and other related domestic violence issues and warned riders to put a stop to it to ensure peace.

Ms Abigail Appiah, peer Educator of Plan Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), who spoke on STI cautioned the riders about the dangers and urged them to use condoms to avoid contracting infections.

She warned them against self- medication, resulting in the excessive intake of antibiotics when they had STI and urged them to report to a health facility to seek proper treatment.

Mrs Docas Sam-Mensah, Public Health Nurse at Agona West Municipal Health Directorate, urged the riders to be responsible and take their health matters seriously to avoid com
plications.

She expressed concern about the numerous teenage pregnancy cases being recorded in the Municipality and attributed them to poverty, lack of education and good parental care and control.

Source: Ghana News Agency