News
GLoMef trains, supports vulnerable girls in fashion design
The Global Media Foundation (GLoMef), a Sunyani-based non-governmental organisation has presented industrial machines and accessories to vulnerable young girls being trained in fashion design in the Sunyani Municipality of the Bono Region.
In all, GLoMef is funding the training of 20 young girls, supporting them with monthly stipends for their upkeep during the training period.
However, 15 of them were presented with standard electrical sewing machines and accessories, pledging to present another five to those left out, depending on their commitment to the exercise.
Speaking to journalists after the presentation, the Chief Executive Officer of GLoMef, Mr Raphael Ahenu, said the GH₵250,000 project was being implemented under the Resilient City Project with funding from the Swiss Botnar Foundation through ECorys UK.
The three-year project, he noted was aimed at equipping about 1,500 adolescent girls with the prime objective of upscaling the beneficiaries to about 3000.
Mr Ahenu said the broader objective of the project was to reduce the menace of teenage pregnancy and its attendant effects among vulnerable teenage girls who could be lured into social vices such as prostitution and substance abuse.
“This project is about giving young people a chance to build meaningful lives. We urge the parents to support their children and help GLoMef and our donor partners to sustain the intervention being rolled out, he stated.
Mr Ahenu urged the trainees to take their training seriously in order to achieve their aim and as well become models in their communities.
Theresa Mawuna, a beneficiary who spoke on behalf of her colleagues assured to take their training seriously in order to justify the investment made in them.
From Daniel Dzirasah,
Sunyani
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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