News
‘Dorcas Project’ receives skills training support
Eleven widows who belonged to a group known as “The Dorcas Project” from the Lapaz District of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, have received skills training in bread baking, pastries, soap and beads preparation in Accra.
The skills training which was held at the River Rose School, Tantra Hill, Accra, was aimed at empowering the beneficiaries, who belonged to the “The Dorcas Project” to become economically independent, concentrate on caring for their children, and stop thinking about the loss of their husbands.
Rev Mrs Nyuieme Adiepena, the National Women’s Programme Officer of the West Volta Women’s Fellowship (WVWF), who was In- charge of the programme, said in an interview with The Spectator that the training was facilitated by the All African Conference of Churches( AACC), Widows Fund .
She said the AACC was glad to sponsor the ” The Dorcas Project”, having considered the economic hardship members were going through.
Rev Adiepena said the sponsorship package included the equipment the trainees would work with, to eradicate the difficulty of mobilising capital to start on their own.
She was of the hope that the beneficiaries would take keen interest in the various skills they were taught and make maximum benefits out of them.
Rev Adiepena lauded the initiative of the stakeholders of ” The Dorcas Project,” adding that it would ease the burden of the beneficiaries.
The President of the West Volta Women’s Fellowship, Presbyter Mrs Naomi Jiagge, described the training as good since it would ease the burden of the women involved and assured that the fellowship would continue to pray for their success.
Ms Doris Ofori, one of the trainees said she and some of her colleagues had started preparing liquid soap for sale.
She intimated that they had planned to come together to bake bread for sale at affordable prices to school children when school re-opens, adding that they remained grateful to the facilitators of the programme.
History
“The Dorcas Project” was established in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in the Lapaz District of Accra by a group of stakeholders, led by Rev (Mrs) Davida Matti- Atakpah in June 2019.
It commenced with 10 widows and four widowers, with the aim of helping them to ease emotional and psychological pains endured , and stigmatisation they encountered as a result of some socio- cultural practices.
Rev Matti-Atakpah said she later discovered that some of them needed financial support to enable them to cater for their families and perform other social duties, hence the need to provide them with employable skills.
She was grateful to Rev Adiepena through whose initiative the group had acquired the support from the (AACC) Widow’s Fund .
By GhanaianTimes
News
National Service Authority gets new Director-General
The National Service Authority (NSA) has officially welcomed a new Director-General, Ms. Ruth Dela Seddoh, following a brief handing-over ceremony at its headquarters on Tuesday.
The event marked the formal transfer of leadership from the outgoing Director-General, Mr. Felix Gyamfi, to Ms. Seddoh. Management and staff of the Authority attended the ceremony.
Mr. Gyamfi used the occasion to thank staff for their support during his tenure.
He encouraged them to give the same cooperation to Ms. Seddoh to ensure the continued growth and impact of the Authority.
Ms. Seddoh expressed appreciation to government for the confidence placed in her.
She promised to build on the achievements of her predecessor and called for teamwork, dedication and innovation to help the NSA deliver on its mandate to support national development.
Management of the Authority pledged their full support to the new leadership as the organisation enters its next phase.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
NSA board sets up committee to supervise digital reforms
The Governing Board of the National Service Authority (NSA) has announced the inauguration of a Transition and Implementation Steering Committee (TISC) to oversee the Authority’s digital transformation agenda.
According to the Board, the move follows a letter dated 17 June 2025 from the Office of the President to the Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment directing the suspension of the existing deployment system, calling for an audit of its operations and instructing the design and deployment of a new digital platform.
The Board explained that the audit had been completed and had found the existing system unsatisfactory.
It indicated that the Minister had written to the Board to begin the necessary legal processes to ensure the contract for the audited system, which expired in August 2025, would not be renewed, and to take further steps toward designing and deploying a new digital platform that would guarantee transparency, security and real-time verification of service personnel postings.
It stressed that the TISC had been established to ensure a smooth and orderly transition from the current National Service Scheme digital platform to a new ICT-led system aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and service delivery.
The Authority outlined the Committee’s mandate as overseeing the phased migration from the legacy system, directing the design and deployment of a modern digital platform, and supervising its operationalisation across core functions including personnel enrolment, postings, payroll, allowances and scheme administration.
It further noted that acting under the directives of the Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment and deriving authority from the NSA Board, the TISC has the power to issue instructions to NSA departments and engage external partners necessary to achieve its mandate through the Governing Board.
The Authority named Dr. Wisdom Atiwoto, a member of the NSA Board and Director of Research, Statistics and Information Management at the Ministry of Health, as chair of the Committee.
Other members include Ms. Ruth Dela Seddoh, Mr. Shadrack Mensah, Ms. Elorm Goh, Mr. Benjamin Freeman Kusi, Ms. Jennifer Opong, Dr. Stephan Nwolley, Mr. Koku Abotsi, Mr. Japhet Kuntu, Mr. Nabil Abubakar Hussayn and Ms. Regina Obenewa Penrose as Secretary.
The NSA Board assured the public and stakeholders of its commitment to innovation, accountability and excellence in service delivery.
It emphasised that there would be no disruption in the fulfilment of its obligations to national service personnel as outlined in the National Service Act, Act 1119 (2024), and indicated that updates on the Committee’s progress would be communicated in due course.
With the collective expertise of its members, the TISC is expected to deliver a robust and future-ready platform that will anchor the next phase of the National Service Scheme’s operations.
By: Jacob Aggrey
