News
‘Ejected daughter’ gives birth …still rejected by mother
The 17-YEAR-OLD first year student of Akorme Senior High School who was kicked out of home by her mother for getting pregnant twice in a year has given birth to a baby girl.
She is now determined to go back to school and concentrate on her studies.
The teenager says she wants to serve in the Ghana Army after completing Senior High School.
However, her angry mother who is single has refused to accept her back home.
As a result, the girl with her new born baby is still perching with a compassionate member of the school’s Board of Governors.
The Ho West District Director of Education, Madam Celestine Korsi-Agordo told “The Spectator” at Dzolo-Kpuita on Monday that the Ghana Education Service (GES) was still negotiating with the girl’s mother to take her back to enable her to return to school.Since she (student) had learnt a bitter lesson.
According to the District Director, the lactating mother was expected to return to school within six months, “and we hope she catches up with her mates rather than repeating the class.”
Madam Agordo described the teenage mother as “academically brilliant with bright prospects of continuing her studies and achieving her ambition to become a soldier.”
She said that the girl first got pregnant at Pig Farm in Accra while in Junior High School and was supported by her mother through ante-natal care until she gave birth to a baby boy.
It was when she got pregnant again in the SHS that her mother got angry and sent her packing out of the house.
“Meanwhile, the father of the second child who is a Muslim has refused to accept the responsibility of the child,” Madam Agordo disclosed.
“We are all happy with her strong determination to go back to school and we will continue to talk to her mother to accept her back home,” the District Director of Education assured.
she explained that depriving a girl of education on the basis of giving birth would amount to an irreversible injustice because there were other girls who had gone back to school after terminating several pregnancies.
“A child who makes a mistake must be helped to do the correction and not to be treated like an outcast or a criminal,” she added.
This paper carried a news item on its front page of Saturday, May 22, 2021, with the headline “Mother ejects daughter from home… for gething pregnant twice within a year.
Pix: Ho West District Director of Education – Madam Celestine Agordo
News
Street Academy distributes learning material to over 200 pupils
The Street Academy in Accra last weekend distributed exercise books, pens and other learning material to over 200 pupils from the Academy and neigbouring children within the vicinity.
The gesture was an annual activity of the Academy to commemorate its ‘Back-to-School’ programme aimed at equipping children with essential school supplies as they prepare for the new academic year.
Held at the precincts of the Academy, it brought smiles to the faces of the children most of whom were drawn from the streets.
Each beneficiary was presented with items such as notebooks, exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, rulers, mathematical sets, and other school essentials, ensuring they were well-prepared to begin their studies with confidence.
Speaking to the media, the Founder and Director of the Street Academy, Ataa Lartey, expressed joy and appreciation over the support the Academy continues to enjoy from institutions and individuals.
According to him, some of these donations cannot be possible if individuals, corporate and religious bodies fail to support.
Ataa Lartey extended special gratitude to a Director of the Academy and a philanthropist, Nii Boye Abbey, who donated the items to the Academy for onward distribution to the needy children.
Mr Abbey presented the stationery worth GH¢68,000 to the Academy as part of his 61st birthday celebration for onward distribution to the needy children.
“We are grateful to Mr Abbey especially and other donors. His presentation went far to support the Academy’s ‘Back to School’ project that supports the children’s return to school.”
He thanked the media for the extensive publicity given to the Academy’s programmes over the years and expressed hope that this support would grow even stronger in the years ahead.
“We believe that as you sow into the lives of these children, God will continue to bless and reward you abundantly,” he said.
The Street Academy is a sports and culture organisation that draws children from the street and support them with education and teach others with skills in various sectors including sports to make an earning for themselves.
It is known for its commitment to providing education and skills training for street children and underprivileged youth and it continues to serve as a beacon of hope in the community, transforming lives through education, sports, and arts.
By Spectator Reporter
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CSOs applaud outgoing IMF representative Dr Medina
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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