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Benefits of jute leaves
Ingredients
-200 grams of jute mallow leaves
-20 grams of dawadawa
-100 grams of fresh tomato
-10 grams of fresh hot pepper
-50 grams onion
-45 fish powder
-9 grams of bouillon tablet
-3 tablespoonful of saltpetre
-Salt to taste
Preparation
• Wash jute mallow with salt added to water (brine)
• Chop/pound jute mallow
• Grind hot pepper (dry or fresh) and tomatoes
• Chop onion into pieces
• Pound dawadawa
• Pound dry fish
Jute leaves is a species of vegetables that is grown mainly for food. Ewedu, also known as jute in English, is packed with nutrients and has immense health benefits for the body.
The name ‘ewedu’ originates from the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria where the vegetable features as a common ingredient for soups. The Hausa people call it rama. Ewedu leaves are used to prepare ewedu soup (ayoyo soup).
1. Acne prevention and treatment
Eating jute leaves can help to prevent the appearance of acne on the skin and could also help in treating it. Acne is caused by the over-secretion of sebum from the sebaceous glands. Jute leaves have properties, like vitamin A, that can help to control the secretion of sebum, reducing the appearance of acne.
2. Strengthening bones and teeth
Jute leaves contain a healthy amount of calcium that would help to strengthen your bones and teeth. Besides calcium, there is also phosphorus, which maintains bone density and prevents the risk of osteoporosis, especially in younger children.
3. Aids digestion
Eating jute leaves also aids digestion and bowel movement and reduces the chances of constipation. This is due to the fibre content in jute leaves. Fibre makes it easier to digest food and pass waste out of the body.
4. Maintains skin
Jute leaves also play role in maintaining fine and radiant skin. While it helps to clear acne, it also contains other vitamins that facilitate the production of collagen in the body. It also has fatty acids, which keep the skin moisturised, preventing cracks and wrinkles. It is rich in vitamin C which is very good for the skin.
5. Improves hair health
Your hair also has a lot to gain when you take jute leaves. This is because it contains Omega 3, which is known to boost hair growth and help keep the hair healthy and strong. The anti-inflammatory properties in the plant also help to keep dandruff away from the hair by preventing scalp exfoliation.
Source: tribuneonlineng.com
ODORGONNO Senior High School (SHS) has won the maiden 2026 Senior High School Plastic Waste Reuse Innovation Awards, organised among five SHSs in Accra to promote plastic waste recycling and reuse.
Odorgonno SHS received a cash prize of GH¢8,000 after securing 97 points. Accra Senior High School placed second with 96 points and received GH¢4,000, while O’Reilly SHS placed third with 90 points and received GH¢2,000.
Forces Senior High Technical School placed fourth with 83 points, while St John’s Grammar SHS came fifth with 72 points. Both schools received GH¢1,000 each as cash prizes.
Outstanding students from the participating school clubs were also recognised with gold medals and certificates. St John’s Grammar SHS received five plastic recovery cages as the school with the highest volume of recovered plastic waste.
The awards formed part of the CSIR-Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR-IIR) Schools Plastics Recovery Project, an initiative aimed at promoting plastic waste recovery, responsible environmental practices and the productive use of recovered materials.
The project included educational campaigns in all five participating schools, the provision of metal cages for plastic source segregation, an educational excursion to a Miniplast recycling factory and a plastics challenge that encouraged innovative reuse of plastic waste.
The Project Lead and Senior Research Scientist at CSIR-IIR, Dr Boniface Yeboah Antwi, said the project demonstrated how young people could become active contributors to solving Ghana’s environmental challenges while providing financial incentives to sustain their efforts.
He said when schools generated income from recovered materials, they could support the maintenance of collection infrastructure, reinforce responsible waste management and instil an entrepreneurial mindset in students.
Dr Antwi explained that within the first month, the participating schools recovered 1.5 tonnes, or 1,500 kilogrammes, of plastic waste—equivalent to the weight of approximately 15,000 one-litre water bottles.
He said the recovery generated GH¢2,000 in revenue for the schools, demonstrating that plastic waste could become a source of value rather than an environmental burden.
The Group Head of General Operations at OmniBSIC Bank, Mr Dominic Donkoh, urged the participating schools to sustain their plastic waste segregation, collection and sales activities.
He said the proceeds could support school environmental clubs and other worthwhile initiatives while providing students with practical lessons in saving, budgeting and responsible financial management.
“We encourage students to apply the financial literacy lessons acquired during this engagement. Learn to manage the proceeds from your recycling activities responsibly, appreciate the importance of saving, and explore innovative ways to create both environmental and financial value,” he added.
–GNA
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Parents have been urged to prioritise girls’ education over early marriage to protect them from losing their childhood, education and opportunities for a better future.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Girl Child Coordinator, Madam Margaret Blay, said child marriage disrupted girls’ education, threatened their health and well-being, and limited their ability to realise their full potential.
“Keep her in school, not in a man’s house,” she urged parents, stressing the need for families and communities to protect girls’ right to education and personal development.
She made the call in a welcome address at the 2026 celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, held under the theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”
Madam Blay said ending child marriage required collective action from parents, teachers, traditional leaders, government institutions and communities to ensure that girls were protected and given the opportunity to pursue their aspirations.
She noted that child marriage often forced girls out of school before they were physically, emotionally and socially prepared for the responsibilities associated with marriage.
She said investing in girls’ rights was not merely a moral obligation but also an investment in the future of communities and the nation.
According to her, girls who remained in school, had their voices heard and received the necessary support could grow into leaders, professionals, innovators and active contributors to national development.
Madam Blay called on teachers to protect girls’ access to education, create supportive learning environments and empower them to express themselves confidently.
She also appealed to traditional leaders to help address harmful cultural practices and social norms that denied girls opportunities to develop their potential.
The government and relevant institutions, she said, must strengthen the enforcement of child protection laws to ensure that every girl received adequate protection.
She further urged communities to speak out against child marriage, report cases and work together to create safe environments where girls could learn, grow and thrive.
Madam Blay said every girl deserved the freedom to dream, acquire an education and determine her own future.
She expressed the hope that the celebration would strengthen stakeholders’ collective resolve to end child marriage and invest in the rights, education and future of every girl.
Madam Karen Ama Moses, Assembly Member for the Takoradi Railway and Harbour Electoral Area, said keeping girls in school would lead to enlightened mothers, well-informed families, resilient communities and, ultimately, a better Ghana.
She stressed that no child should be forced into marriage, adding that “every child must have the freedom to learn, grow, dream and choose her future.”
Some of the schoolchildren expressed concern that their parents did not always listen to their concerns during difficult times, while others said some children were exposed to abuse and early marriage.
Madam Henrietta Quabu, the Metropolitan School Health Coordinator, urged children experiencing abuse or any situation that threatened their well-being to report to the police, the Department of Social Welfare, the media, their teachers or the Metropolitan Education Directorate for assistance.
— GNA
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