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1,729 basic schools in Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions undergo disinfection
In an effort to protect pupils in basic schools against the coronavirus disease, Zoomlion Ghana Limited on Monday, begun disinfecting both public and private basic schools in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions.
The exercise, which will last for about a week, will cover 1,729 basic schools in the three regions.
Speaking to journalists, the Regional Director of Education, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions, Dr Peter Attefuah, urged parents to allay the fears of their children that when they return to school they would contract COVID-19.
He assured that measures were in place to protect the students and pupils against the COVID-19 attack.
With observation of social and physical distancing, he said, each SHS class would accommodate a maximum of 25 students.
In this regard, Dr Attefuah advised parents to provide their children with all that they would need on campus, insisting that “visitors would not be allowed for the period that they will be on campus till they finish writing their exit final paper.”
He also charged parents to buy nose masks in addition to the three the government would be giving to every student.
He, therefore, implored the students to comply with all the COVID-19 safety protocols.
At Nkwabeng, a suburb of Sunyani in the Bono Region, which was the first port of call, a crew of six Zoomlion field officers with knapsack sprayers disinfected the Boanhen Korko A/B Presby Model, a cluster of Presbyterian schools.
And here classrooms from kindergartens (KGs), lower primary and the JHSs were all disinfected.
For his part, the Regional Manager of Presbyterian Schools for the three regions – Mr Eugene Laryea – announced that the schools had already put measures in place to protect their pupils, noting that they had all bought “Veronica buckets, soaps and also alcohol-based hand sanitisers which would be made available to the pupils when they resume.”
According to him, the schools also formed task-forces whose responsibility would be to enforce the COVID-19 protocols amongst the pupils.
He, therefore, urged parents to ensure that they prepare food for their children to bring along when they were coming to school.
The Writer Bureau Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Robert Kwaku Adjei, revealed that the disinfection of about 65 senior high schools (SHSs) in the three regions (Bono, Bono East and Ahafo) would start today.
He said already his outfit had disinfected 30 tertiary institutions in the three regions.
Source: Ghanaian Times
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SEND Ghana engage Gender Minister for strategic dialogue on social protection and gender equality
A delegation from SEND Ghana visited the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to discuss collaboration on gender equality, social protection, and economic empowerment.
SEND Ghana, known for its policy advocacy and equitable development efforts, works closely with farmers and empowers young women aged 18–35 through Mastercard Foundation-supported projects focused on livelihood and agricultural support.
The Minister welcomed SEND Ghana’s initiatives and highlighted the Ministry’s alignment with their priorities.
She reaffirmed that social protection is a top priority under President John Mahama’s government and emphasized ongoing efforts to expand coverage and enhance service delivery through flagship programmes like Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), which remains vital for vulnerable households.
Regarding the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), the Minister noted plans to introduce legislation to ensure its sustainability and improve the nutritional quality of school meals.
She praised civil society’s role in monitoring local implementation.
The Minister also voiced strong support for menstrual hygiene and reproductive health campaigns, stressing education and access to sanitary products for adolescent girls, and encouraged efforts to break menstrual taboos and keep girls in school.
Broader gender issues discussed included reducing unpaid care work, promoting gender-sensitive leave policies (maternity and paternity leave), and boosting women’s economic opportunities.
Both parties agreed on the need to build gender-responsive systems that empower women socially and economically.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to work together for inclusive development, gender equity, and stronger social protection systems in Ghana.
News
3-Day in-country capacity building workshop on Women, Peace and Security Reporting Frame Work held
In 2018, the African Union developed the Continental Results Framework (CRF) to track the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda across Africa.
To support this regional effort, ECOWAS introduced a simplified version of the CRF in 2022 to guide member states in implementation and reporting.
As part of a broader regional effort to build national capacity across member states, the ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorate for Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DHSA), and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and the WPS Regional Steering Group—with technical and financial backing from the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project (EPSG), co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ—organized a three-day in-country capacity-building workshop in Ghana.
Held from June 10 to 12, 2025, the workshop was spearheaded by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the European Union, the German Embassy, and the ECOWAS Commission.
It aimed to enhance the technical capacity of national stakeholders and focal persons to systematically document, monitor, and report on WPS interventions, particularly in relation to Ghana’s National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (GHANAP II).
The training also focused on improving data accuracy, promoting inter-agency collaboration, and ensuring Ghana’s reporting processes align with the ECOWAS Simplified CRF.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Momo Lartey, the Director of the Department of Gender, Madam Faustina Acheampong, described the workshop as “timely and appropriate,” noting its significance in strengthening Ghana’s WPS reporting architecture.
She further stressed the importance of accurate data and coordinated efforts to meet the country’s regional reporting obligations.
She also underscored the critical role of women in peacebuilding, emphasizing the need to amplify women’s voices and ensure their full participation in peace processes to achieve lasting, inclusive peace in Ghana.
Representing the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Mr. Olatunde Olayemi reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to Ghana’s WPS agenda. He highlighted the disproportionate impact of insecurity on women and girls and praised Ghana’s ongoing efforts to advance inclusive peacebuilding as a cornerstone for sustainable development.
Daniel Messina, from the European Union Delegation to Ghana, acknowledged the role of the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations (EPSAO) Programme—funded by the EU and German Government—in promoting peace, security, and gender equity across the region.
Additionally, Pauline Okkens, Political Advisor at the German Embassy, reiterated her government’s continued support for the development and implementation of continental and regional frameworks on Women, Peace and Security.
