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Eleven basic schools sensitized on personal hygiene
Eleven basic schools in the Greater Accra Region were yesterday sensitized on personal hygiene, as part of activities to climax the International Volunteers Day(IVD), organised by the Korea International Cooperation Agency in the country.
The schools which include Dawhenya Cluster of Schools Basic “1” and “2”, Dawhenya Methodist A&B and Dawhenya D/A Basic School, were presented with personal hygiene items, including soaps, toilet rolls and sanitizers worth $7,000 to both the pupils and the school authorities.
Some developmental partners, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), United Nations Volunteers, and Peace Corps Ghana, used the opportunity to educate the children to see volunteerism as a tool for nation-building.
The Country’s Director of KOICA, Mr Dong Hyun Lee said, IVD was celebrated globally to inculcate the spirits of volunteerism, especially in the youths, and urged the school heads to help shape and raise healthy pupils as the bedrock for inclusive and high-quality education.
He said this year’s commemoration with head teachers and the children resonated with their development programmes, highlighting their commitment to deploying volunteers to developing countries under the World Friends Korea (WFK) Programme.
The Acting Country Director, Peace Corps Ghana,Madam Jo Anne Yeager said, the volunteering activities of Peace Corps reinforced the bilateral relationship and culture exchange between Ghana and the United States of America.
She said volunteerism could be used to develop communities, schools and the country when, especially the youth, were educated to embrace volunteerism for national development.
Madam Rita Arhin, Headteacher for Dawhenya Methodist ‘B’ School, commended the volunteers for their support and the provision of ICT facilities to the schools.
The International Volunteer Day is observed annually on December 5, and it is a United Nations initiative designed to inspire volunteer-involving organisations and individuals to champion volunteerism.
The Day also aims to encourage governments to actively support volunteer efforts and acknowledge the invaluable contributions of volunteers toward the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on local, national, and international scales.
KOICA Ghana supports and executes development programmes in four key sectoral areas: Public Health, Agricultural & Rural Development, Education, and Governance. Among their ongoing flagship projects is the Implementation of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) in Ghana, designed to enhance health security measures.
BY BERNARD BENGHAN
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
