News
GASIP honours 59 farmers in UER
The Upper East Regional Director of Agriculture, Mr Francis Ennor, has assured farmers in the region that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture will not withdraw its interventions to them in this farming season as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Regional Director allayed the fears of the farmers at an award ceremony organised by the Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Programme (GASIP) and his outfit in Bolgatanga on Monday to honour some farmers in the region for adopting Agriculture Conservation Practices.
In all, GASIP rewarded 329 farmers in the seven programme beneficiary regions with tricycle motors and personal protection gears for farm activities, including Wellington boots, nose masks, long sleeves and trousers, eye goggles and knapsack sprayers.
For the Upper East Region, 59 farmers drawn from the Kalbeo, Yebongo, Sumbrungu, Katanga, Yikine, and Yorogo communities were part of the awardees.
Mr Ennor told the farmers the region had started receiving its package of the farming subsidy under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ).
He told the farmers that arrangements were being made by the Regional and District Directorates of Agriculture to ensure that the farmers got their share of the government’s fertiliser and seeds subsidies on time.
Mr Ennor said any lapses to support farmers to undertake farming activities this farming season would have the tendency of affecting food security in this period of COVID-19.
He indicated that plans were far advanced to deploy information technologies in the form of mobile applications and radio programmes on good farming practices to complement the work of agriculture extension agents to educate the farmers on good agriculture practices to ensure food security.
Mr Ennor impressed upon the farmers to adopt climate smart agriculture technologies such as the use of climate-resilient seeds, applying the right quantity of fertilizer at the right time, appropriate land preparation devoid of slash and burn, to enable them harvest good yields.
The Climate Change Adaptation Manager of GASIP, Dr.Edmund Akoto-Danso, who addressed the ceremony on behalf of the GASIP National Programme Coordinator, Mr Klutse Kudomor, said the ceremony, being organised separately in seven regions, marked the beginning of the 2020 farming season.
He said the five-year GASIP, which is being implemented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), would this farming season provide support in the form of climate-resilient seeds and other inputs to 1,500 smallholder farmers in 12 districts to cultivate a maximum of two acres each, using various climate-smart agriculture technologies and techniques.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Bolgatanga, Mr Joseph Amiyure, said formerly farmers in the region used to plant early April, but now it often travels to June and entreated the farmers to take the issues of climate change very seriously.
FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, BOLGATANGA
AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has broken ground on a modern 1,500-seater multipurpose assembly hall and a secured main gatehouse for New Edubiase Senior High School, in the Adansi South District.
The project, being executed by local contractor AA Engineering and Construction, is expected to be completed within 17 months and forms part of the Mine’s 10-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) — a strategic framework for delivering sustainable development in its host communities.
Beyond the expansive assembly hall, the facility will house a fully integrated administrative complex featuring a dedicated sound room, a 16-seater staff eatery, and suites for the Headmaster and Assistant Headmaster, a bursar’s office, an 18-seater conference room, a 24-seater staff common room, six faculty office spaces and ancillary stores and washrooms.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, the Mine’s Director of Sustainability Management, Edmund Oduro Agyei, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to improving educational outcomes in host communities through impactful and sustainable investments.
The Edubiasehene, Guahyia Oduropanin Birikorang, commended the Mine for the investment, saying the project demonstrated that the company’s development agenda extended well beyond its immediate operational areas.
The Headmaster of New Edubiase SHS, Mr Christopher Appiah Mensah, described the intervention as timely and transformative, noting it would address longstanding infrastructure deficits, improve conditions for teaching and learning, and create adequate space for academic and social gatherings.
“This will greatly enhance administrative efficiency and improve the overall welfare of both staff and students,” he said.
The facility is also expected to boost the school’s capacity to host national examinations and major events, and strengthen its standing as a centre of academic excellence within the district.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Stakeholders have been urged to help raise awareness and eliminate the stigma often associated with clubfoot, a treatable condition which occurs in children.
Parents are to seek early treatment for the condition while policymakers strengthen support for early detection, disability inclusion, and child health services in the country.
Clubfoot is a condition present at birth in which one or both feet are twisted inward and downward. If left untreated, experts say a child may face lifelong challenges with walking, which could affect education, employment, and social inclusion.
In Ghana, an estimated 1,000 babies are said to be born with clubfoot every year.
In commemoration of the World Clubfoot Day, marked on June 3 every year, stakeholders create awareness about the condition and, among other things, celebrate the dedication of health professionals who ensure children receive treatment.
In a release copied to the Ghana News Agency, Nana Afua Adutwumwaa Adjetey, Programme Manager, Ghana Clubfoot Programme, noted that many families were unaware of the free treatment available for the condition in Ghana. 
She observed that the lack of awareness continued to delay treatment for children who could have received prompt and life-changing care at no cost.
Treatment, she said, was provided free of charge for children under age five at Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG–Hope Walks) partner clinics across the country.
More than 9,000 children born with clubfoot had received treatment and care through the programme over the past 18 years.
“The treatment follows the internationally recognised Ponseti Method, which uses a series of gentle casts to gradually correct the position of the foot, followed by a brace to maintain correction and prevent relapse. When treatment begins early, success rates are extremely high,” Madam Adjetey explained.
“For many children, the journey begins with a health worker who identifies clubfoot at birth and makes a referral. A few moments of observation can change the course of a child’s life forever.”
“Clubfoot is not a curse; it is not caused by wrongdoing…it is a medical condition that can be treated successfully. Families should never feel ashamed to seek help.”
The Programme Manager said children born with the condition deserved equal opportunities, dignity, and inclusion, and called on communities to support parents rather than “judge them.” -GNA
