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Ambassador Alima Mahama visits Ghana C’nity Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia
Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Hajia Alima Mahama, on Sunday, October 24, 2021, worshiped with the Ghana Community Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia, in the United States of America.
As part of her commitment to community engagement, she used that as an opportunity to introduce herself to the Ghanaian community as the new representative of the Government of Ghana.
to the glory of God
Nana Kofi Boateng (left), Chief of Bogyawe near Ashanti
Bekwai and Nana Obuor Gyau, Adumhene of Bechem
as Rev. Father Anthony Appiah
(inset) leads them in prayer
a photograph with her staff and
some church members
Otafrebuo Nana Kofi Boateng; Nana Obuor Gyau and Kwaku Manu, Mmranteehene of Washington DC Metro
president, welcoming Ambassador
Alima Mahama on her arrival
attentively to the sermon
Ambassador Hajia Alima Mahama expressed her appreciation to the various organised groups who had paid courtesy calls on her to welcome her to office.
She implored the congregation, during her address, to be law abiding citizens of the United States and encouraged Ghanaians to register with the embassy in order to be documented as people from Ghana.
The Ambassador spoke about the efforts being made to continuously improve consular services at the embassy, and proudly mentioned that the turnaround time for visa and passport acquisition, which had been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, had been tremendously improved.
She, however, stated that consular services were currently online and assured the congregation that a clear line of communication had been opened between the embassy and the Ghanaian Community, as such they should make it a point to patronise events at the Ghana Embassy when invited.
Her Excellency Hajia Mahama further spoke about investment opportunities available in Ghana and called on all Ghanaians in the United States as well as business partners to explore such opportunities by bringing investors to Ghana.
She was accompanied on the visit by Mrs. Ninnette Danquah-Ivo, the Minister- Counsellor for Diaspora Affairs and Mrs. Cynthia Djokoto, the Minister- Counsellor in charge of Trade.
Rev. Father Anthony Appiah, the Resident Minister, offered prayers for the Ambassador and her staff and asked the congregation to support her endeavours to enable her make an impact on her duty tour.
Mr. Julius Caesar, the Church President, also introduced the leadership of the Church to the Ambassador and expressed his appreciation to her for her visit.
Ambassador Hajia Alima Mahama, the first female Ambassador of Ghana to the United States, has made a firm commitment to engage all Ghanaians regardless of political and religious affiliation or social class.
She has pledged to be a mother to all.
From George Kwasi Bright, Alexandra, Virginia, USA
Mrs Patience Antonio, a Child and Family Development Advocate, has called for a national campaign to reduce the growing reliance on breast milk substitutes among nursing mothers in Ghana.
According to Mrs Antonio, scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding improves a child’s emotional stability, boosts intelligence, strengthens the immune system, and provides long-term health benefits. She made these remarks in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last week, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding for a child’s overall development.
She explained that breastfeeding is not just a biological act of feeding but a key emotional and developmental bridge between mother and child. She also highlighted the need for the recommended six-month maternity leave period to ease the pressure on mothers to return to work prematurely.
“Breastfeeding creates intimacy and trust. It assures the baby of love and security, which becomes the foundation for their emotional health,” Mrs Antonio noted, warning that abandoning exclusive breastfeeding could have long-term implications on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Consequently, she called for a minimum of five months of fully paid maternity leave for Ghanaian mothers to enable effective breastfeeding, bonding, and healthier child development. She also urged workplaces to implement family-friendly policies, including private spaces for breastfeeding, flexible working arrangements for nursing mothers, and stronger support systems for new parents.
Mrs Antonio further encouraged families and society to actively support mothers during breastfeeding, stressing that many women struggle due to lack of assistance at home or the pressure to return to work too soon. She emphasized, “If we want a healthier, emotionally stable generation, then we must make breastfeeding a priority and support mothers to do it without stress.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Spectator
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The Nanvili Community School in the Mion District of the Northern Region is facing severe infrastructural challenges, affecting teaching and learning for pupils in the area.
The school, which serves five surrounding communities with a total of 58 pupils, has deteriorated to the extent that many children have stopped attending classes. Poor classroom conditions and the lack of desks have made teaching and learning difficult. During a visit to the school, the gate-free classrooms were found filled with goat and sheep droppings.
During the rainy season, both teachers and pupils are often cut off from the school due to bad roads and flooding. Teaching activities are frequently suspended for weeks, negatively affecting academic performance.
The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Dawuni Mutawakil, expressed concern, noting that the situation is worrying since these pupils are expected to compete with their counterparts in urban areas who have access to better facilities. He added that due to limited space, classes have been merged, with pupils from Primary One and Two, Three and Four, and Five and Six sharing the same classrooms.
The Chief of Nanvili, Abu Kassim, also appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the community. He emphasized that the current state of the school discourages children from nearby communities from attending.
Both the Chief and Assemblyman have called for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure and provide furniture for the pupils to ensure quality education for children in the Nanvili area.
By Geoffrey Buta, Nanvili, Northern Region
Spectator
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