News
‘Establish guidance, counselling centres for school children’
A board Member of the Boy Child Supportive Care Foundation (BCSCF), Reverend Father Hector Quartey, has urged government and agencies responsible for education to establish a dedicated department for guidance and counseling in schools.
According to him, this department would provide a safe and confidential space for students to share their concerns and challenges with trained professionals instead of confiding in teachers who were not trained in that field.
Rev. Fr Quartey made the call at an outreach session with some Basic and Junior High School boys in the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency to commemorate the International Day of the Boy Child.
It was organised by the BCSCF on the theme; “Boys and Their Mental Well-Being, their Needs to Feel Happy, Healthy and Valued within Family and Community.”
International Day of the Boy Child is a day celebrated annually on May 16, to recognise the importance of boys’ wellbeing and some challenges they face.
“By creating such a system, the foundation believes that schools can better support students, including both boys and girls, and help them overcome their challenges,” the Board Member noted.
Additionally, he asserted that creating such a department would allow students to feel more comfortable discussing sensitive issues with professionals who were not their teachers, allowing for more open and honest communication, that would enable schools to identify and address issues earlier and provide targeted support to students who needed it most.
Rev. Quartey stated that statistics show that boys were more likely to struggle with drug addiction and other issues due to societal expectations and upbringing, adding that to combat this, the organisation provides support and guidance to help boys develop positive values and wayward behaviours.
“The foundation’s ultimate goal is to promote positive masculinity and empower young males to become responsible and caring individuals who contribute to the well-being of their communities, by working together with schools and government agencies,” he said.
The Founder and Chief Execu¬tive Officer of BCSCF, Ms Edna Korama Yamoah, said the outreach that brought together over 1,000 boys focused on the mental health and well-being of a boy child.
This, she said aimed to raise awareness about the challenges boys face, including depression and mental health issues, drug addiction among others.
She emphasised the need for more support and understanding for boys, who were often perceived as being more resilient than girls.
“Boys are more vulnerable than girls in many ways, so its important government dedicate the day to celebrating the boy child and provide support for organisations working to promote their well-being,” she highlighted.
By Cecilia Yada Lagba
Mr. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie, the Member of Parliament for the Odododiodioo Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, has assured the Accra Street Academy of his support in achieving its mission of uplifting vulnerable children within the community to break the cycle of poverty. “Without the needed support, your efforts may go round in circles due to the enormity of the task. This should not be left on the shoulders of the Academy alone. You need support from both government and the private sector. With that, the Academy would be in a good position to shape the future of these children on the streets,” he said.
The Accra Street Academy, originally formed in 1985 as a boxing arena, now serves as a school for deprived children, with most of its population numbering hundreds of pupils being neglected children from the streets of Jamestown and its environs. Mr. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie made these remarks at the annual stakeholders’ meeting and fundraising event held over the weekend under the theme “Empowering Street Children: Health and Wellness.” The event is one of the Academy’s annual programmes, organized to raise funds and other forms of support to aid the school in catering to the needs of the children and holding its Christmas get-together.
According to the MP, it is worth noting that these children are taught and provided with two meals and a snack daily through the support of benevolent members of society. In view of this, he promised to facilitate the acquisition of documents needed for the construction of an Astroturf within the school’s premises. He noted that “every child has the right to play, and therefore I pledged to do my best to secure the needed documents” for the project to commence.
The legislator disclosed that over the years, the academic programmes of the Accra Street Academy have transformed children surviving on the streets into successful adults. He therefore urged other members of society to partner with the school to “help pupils rise higher for a better Ghana.” In the 2025/26 academic year, 22 pupils were absorbed by the Accra Metro Education Directorate as they transitioned into various Junior High Schools, while still returning to the Accra Street Academy for academic support.
Ms. Yvonne Abba-Opoku, a chartered governance advisor and senior executive in the nonprofit and charity sector, stated that the best gift to give a child was education.
By Spectator Reporter
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Mrs Regina Kudom, Senior Midwifery Officer at the New Atuabo Health Centre in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, has urged expectant mothers to attend antenatal clinic regularly for safe delivery.
She revealed that “in Tarkwa and its environs many pregnant women prefer staying at prayer camps, we are not against that, you can be there, but when your time is up for your antenatal session make sure you attend.”
Mrs Kudom gave the advice when the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) observed the World Prematurity Day with pregnant women at New Atuabo, Huniso and Awudua health centres.
World Prematurity Day falls on November 17, every year, and it is celebrated to raise awareness about the challenges faced by pre-term babies and their families.
She said research suggested that sex during pregnancy could soften the cervix and potentially aid in labour preparation.
“That is the reason why we encourage pregnant women to have sex with their partners, if they do not have any health implications,” she added.
Mrs Kudom appealed to the GFGF to upgrade the New Atuabo health centre as the current structure was too small because they received many patients daily.
Madam Ayishetu Mohammed, Project Coordinator for GFGF, explained that they received donations from Project C. U. R. E and the items were given to health facilities in their operational area.
She stated that they noticed there were baby dresses, sanitary pads, and baby apparel, so they decided to distribute them among expectant mothers in three of their host communities.
Madam Mohammed said because the foundation was interested in preventive care, they brought a midwife from the Tarkwa Mine hospital to educate the pregnant women.
She extolled the midwives in New Atuabo health centre for the education they gave to the pregnant women and implored them to heed to the advice given during antenatal visits to reduce maternal deaths in the Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea Huni-Valley Municipalities.
Mr Paa Kwasi Egan, Deputy Chief Physician Assistance, emphasised that a pregnant woman being anemic meant she was not eating a balance diet, and added that, “Some of these women do not have money to buy food or visit antenatal clinics.”
He said when men follow their wives for antenatal visits, they would be educated extensively on why they should provide funds for their pregnant wives.
Mr Egan, therefore, encouraged all men to be involved in their pregnant wives’ antenatal care appointments so they could learn more about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. – GNA
