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Stratcomm Africa to hold maiden Garden and Flower Pop-Up Show

The maiden Ghana Garden and Flower Pop-Up Show (GGFS PUSH), organised by Strategic Communications Africa Ltd (Stratcomm Africa) has been scheduled for from Friday, June 4 to Sunday, June 6, 2021.

The mini event, which is a prelude to the main Garden and Flower Show, aims at bringing “a new experience to horticulture and floriculture enthusiasts and lovers of good old family-friendly fun.”

It would be held at the City Hall, Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Kinbu Gardens and run from 9am to 9pm daily. The 9th edition of the 2021 Ghana Garden and Flower Show would also be launched.

Mr. Richmond Sarfo, Lead Coordinator of the show, in a statement, said that the ‘Pop Up Show’ was in response to public demand which formed part of the “evolution of the Garden and Flower Movement.”

According to him, there had been “persistent requests” for mini versions of the Ghana Garden and Flower Show on a monthly, quarterly or bi-annual basis hence the decision to initiate the ‘Pop-Up Show.’

He urged the public to participate in the mini event to obtain knowledge on starting a garden or improving what they had already started.

The Ghana Garden and Flower Show, since its inception in 2013, continues to create awareness on the commercial, aesthetic, and psychological benefits of horticulture and floriculture.

It mobilises flower enthusiasts, environmentalists and stakeholders from private and public sectors, both locally and internationally, to contribute to the realisation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) through the promotion of “a greener, cleaner, healthier, wealthier and more beautiful Ghana.”

Stratcomm Africa and its partners, each year, organise variety of events and activities that serve as a source of relaxation and education for the general public.

The Corporate Social Responsibility of Stratcomm Africa is now a non-profit organisation with an independent Advisory Board.

It has Mrs. Arafua Apaloo-Aning, Mrs. Mona Asem, Mr. Patrick Masoperh, and Mr. Bernard Nana Tufuor, Prof. Daniel Bruce Sarpong, Abui Selormey, Mrs. Anisa Marianne and Mrs. Philippa Pepra, as members of its advisory Board.

By Ernest Nutsugah

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CSOs applaud outgoing IMF representative Dr Medina

• Dr. Leandro Medina(middle), outgoing IMF Resident Representative in a grouo photograph with some CSO representative

CIVIL society organisations (CSOs) in Ghana have commended the outgoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) Resident Representative, Dr. Leandro Medina, for his commitment to fostering open and inclusive dialogue throughout Ghana’s ongoing IMF-supported Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme.

At a farewell event organised in Accra by the Economic Governance Platform (EGP), CSO leaders praised Dr. Medina for sustaining constructive engagement between the IMF and local stakeholders, a move they said had strengthened Ghana’s policy discourse and enhanced transparency in the programme implementation.

Professor Godfred A. Bokpin, an economist at the University of Ghana (UG), described Dr. Medina as tolerant and accommodating of diverse perspectives.

“We have, at times, disagreed openly with the IMF, but you never closed the door on engagement. These interactions sharpened our thinking and practice.

You are leaving at a time when Ghana’s macroeconomic indicators are beginning to improve, a testament to the collaboration we have seen under your leadership,” he said.

The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), Mrs Beauty Emefa Narteh, lauded Dr. Medina’s inclusive approach, which she noted built on the foundation laid by his predecessor.

“You sustained and strengthened the momentum of civil society engagement with the IMF. This was evident when CSOs were the first stakeholders the IMF Managing Director met during her visit to Ghana last year,” she added.

Mr Abdul Karim, Coordinator of the EGP, also applauded Dr Medina’s openness, saying; “Your commitment to include our perspectives in IMF-related discussions is deeply appreciated.”

Similarly, Mr Benjamin Boakye, Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), commended the outgoing representative for deliberately creating space for CSO participation during each review mission.

“You ensured there was room for dialogue before every review, strengthening our ability to contribute meaningfully to policy discussions,” he noted.

Reacting, Dr Medina expressed gratitude to the CSOs for the partnership built over the past years.

“Effective collaboration does not require agreement on every issue. Even in our differences, we found common ground to advance Ghana’s economic progress,” he said.

The farewell event was graced by key figures from civil society and academia, including Dr. Kojo Asante of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Mrs Mary Awelana Addah of Transparency International Ghana, and Dr Steve Manteaw of the Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas (CSPOG).

By Abigail Annoh

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Parents urged to take responsibility for sex education

Dr Francis Wuobar, A Gynaecologist at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua, has urged parents to take the lead in providing sex education to their children, stressing that they were in the best position to guide them through the changes of adolescence.

According to him, sex education remained a taboo subject in most Ghanaian homes, a culture that must change to prevent children from seeking misleading information elsewhere.

“With the evolving nature of society and technological advancements, today’s children will either learn about sex on the internet or from their peers, who may offer wrong advice,” he cautioned.

Dr Wuobar noted that the health system and society often concentrate on the reproductive stage of life, neglecting the adolescent and menopausal phases.

“When a woman reaches the reproductive period and gets pregnant, everyone rallies around her. But before that stage, during adolescence, there is little attention and guidance, which has contributed to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy,” he explained.

He further observed that many adolescents lack access to counselling and adolescent clinics, creating a vacuum that forces them to explore on their own.

“The answers they seek, adults and parents are not willing to provide. Their peers, who are equally uninformed, become their only source of advice. This exploration is one of the major contributors to teenage pregnancy,” he elaborated.

Dr Wuobar, therefore, called on parents to create open and confidential spaces for discussion, where children can freely ask questions about sex, puberty, and relationships.

Moreover, he emphasised that parents must help adolescents understand the consequences of unprotected sex, the changes they go through, and what choices were right or wrong.

“Today’s generation is curious and asks questions, unlike in the past when children were silent. Parents should not rebuke them but rather engage them seriously and guide them through this turbulent stage,” he advised.

He again appealed to the health sector to establish more adolescent clinics across the country to give young people safe spaces to seek information and counselling.

That, he emphasised, would help reduce the high incidence of teenage pregnancy and support adolescents in making informed decisions about their sexual health.