News
Disaster zone turned business centre
Some people in this country are smart enough to turn a bad situation to their advantage by cashing in on the plight of others.
Such a scenario was recorded in the Upper West Region recently where heavy rains destroyed farmlands and roads in the districts cutting off about 80 communities from the regional capital, Wa.
Following this disater, some residents of Goriyiri in the Nadowli-Kaleo District made good use of their time and energy by constructing a small wooden bridge across a portion of the road which was washed away by the floods, for people to cross with their loads and motorbikes to safer grounds at the fee.
The “disaster zone” was immediately turned into a business centre to give credence to the proverbial saying that “Every Cloud has a silver lining”.
The terms and conditions applicable with regard to crossing the wooden bridge were that: A traveller without a load was charged GH¢1.00 whilst those with load paid between GH¢2.00 and GH¢5 depending on the weight.
Children who were carried on shoulders across the flood waters paid GH¢1 while motorbikes taken across were made to pay between GH¢20.00 and GH¢30.00 also depending on the size.
The three days’ torrential rainfall (August 12 to 14) which led to the flooding, caused sections of the international road that passed through several districts to neighbouring Burkina Faso to cave in.
The wreckage left huge pits filled with water in the middle of the road in about four different sections in the Nadowli-Kaleo District as well as the Jirapa and Lawra Municipalities respectively, leaving travellers in despair.
In an interaction with The Spectator, one of the aids who wanted to be known as Der, saidthat they were only interested in helping the people to get to their destinations as vehicles could not cross the road any longer.
He explained that at the initial stages of the wreck, they helped travellers cross the water at a fee and gathered enough money to buy wood which they used to construct the small bridge to enable them to cross.
“When we help them across, they pick tricycles which are waiting on the other side of the road and charge them a small amount for food and water”, he said, adding that it was their main source of livelihood as their farmlands had been washed away by the rain.
Tricycle operators were also having a field day as they left the main town where business was less attractive for Goriyiri with the hope of getting to travellers Nadowli town.
A road user, Mr Elijah Danyi confirmed that he paid GH₵30.00 before the men helped him cross the bridge with his motorbike and paid GH₵20.00 on his way back.
Until the bridge is fixed, this probably would be the most booming business in the area as the farms of these residents have been submerged in water.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
News
Oxfam in Ghana donates medical equipment and essential drugs worth GH¢1.5 million to Kasoa Polyclinic
Oxfam in Ghana has donated medical equipment and essential drugs worth about GH¢1.5 million to the Kasoa Polyclinic to strengthen maternal and reproductive healthcare services in the municipality.
The presentation, which took place on Tuesday, June 24, 2026, at the premises of the clinic in Kasoa, formed part of the sustainability and legacy activities under the Power to Choose (P2C) Project.
The donated items included delivery beds, maternity beds, oxygen cylinders, neonatal resuscitation equipment, blood pressure monitors, newborn weighing scales, suction machines, delivery kits, essential medicines, medical theatre wear and other critical supplies to support quality healthcare delivery.
The Power to Choose Project is a seven-year initiative being implemented by Oxfam in Ghana in partnership with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), WiLDAF Ghana, SEND Ghana, Norsaac and PARDA, with funding from Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam Quebec.
The project seeks to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people, particularly adolescent girls, young women and young men living in vulnerable and marginalised conditions.
Addressing nurses and management of the hospital, the Country Director for Oxfam in Ghana, Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam, said the project, which began in 2021 and will run until early 2028, is being implemented in seven countries across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
He said Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the two African countries benefiting from the project.
Mr. Adam noted that the project has already trained about 102 health workers in areas including youth-friendly services, emergency obstetric and neonatal care, family planning, gender-based violence response, respectful maternity care and inclusive healthcare delivery.
He said Oxfam and its partners conducted assessments at beneficiary facilities and identified equipment needs to help improve healthcare delivery.
According to him, the donation would create safe spaces where young women and girls could seek healthcare services without fear or stigma and would improve health outcomes in the community.
Mr. Adam thanked the Government of Canada, the Ghana Health Service, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ghana (SOGOG), World Health Ghana and other partners for supporting the implementation of the project.
He urged the beneficiary facilities to ensure that the equipment is properly used and maintained to serve the community for many years.
A speech by the Municipal Health Director for Awutu Senya East, Dr. Stanley Kweku Yaidoo, which was read on his behalf by the Municipal Accountant, Rev. Dr. Askari Thomas, described the donation as timely and important.
He said quality healthcare delivery depends on manpower, financial resources and equipment, adding that healthcare workers cannot effectively deliver services without the necessary tools.
Dr. Yaidoo thanked Oxfam and its partners for selecting Kasoa as one of the beneficiary facilities and assured them that the equipment would be put to good use.
The Acting Medical Superintendent of Kasoa Polyclinic, Dr. Papa Kojo Arthur, expressed appreciation to Oxfam for its continuous support over the years through training and capacity building.
He said the equipment would greatly support the effective management of patients, particularly in maternal and child healthcare.
According to him, the donation would help reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in the municipality.
The donation formed part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of youth-friendly health facilities in eight implementing districts across five regions of Ghana to continue providing quality and accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare services beyond the lifespan of the project.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts (MoTCCA) has announced that an electronic copy of Ghana’s revised National Cultural Policy is now available online for free access by the public and stakeholders in the creative sector.
In a statement issued on June 22, the ministry said the revised policy was officially launched on June 9, 2026, at the National Theatre of Ghana in Accra.
According to the ministry, the decision to upload the document on its official website is aimed at ensuring widespread dissemination, increasing public awareness and promoting the effective implementation of the policy.
The ministry encouraged sector practitioners, stakeholders and members of the public to visit its website and read the document.
“The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, in the spirit of the Black Star Experience, remains committed to a transparent, inclusive and collaborative approach to building the better Ghana we want,” the statement said.
It added that it looks forward to the active participation of stakeholders in implementing the policy for the benefit of the country.
The ministry urged the public to take advantage of the free access to the policy document and familiarise themselves with its contents.
By: Jacob Aggrey
