News
Ho cured lepers complain of starving….Appeal for help
The restriction on large public gatherings is pushing residents of the Ho Cured Lepers’ Village to the brink of starvation.
This is because the churches and various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which often visited the cured lepers regularly, and brought them food, clothes and detergents, have all put a hold on those benevolent activities, according to Mr Nelson Atito, caretaker of the village.
He said that apart from the churches and the NGOs, various schools and schools’ alumni in the municipality visited the village to present food and other items generously to the cured lepers but that was not the case anymore.
“Now, life is difficult at the village as food has become very scarce to the residents who cannot go to the town in search of jobs to raise some money for food, due to the stigma attached to them,” the caretaker revealed.
To make matters worse, the craftsmen and women at the village can no longer sell their artefacts as their customers in the municipality and beyond do no longer visit the village to buy those items.
Mr Atito made the remarks when the Vicarchie Ghana Limited shopping mall and the Sky Plus Hotel in Ho feasted the residents and also presented them with detergents, toiletries and clothes almost a fortnight ago.
He described the gesture by the mall and the hotel as timely and touching.
Mr Atito said that there were 70 residents at the village, who now wondered where their next meal would come from.
Meanwhile, he said that only one of the three boreholes at the village was functioning and that situation was adding to the woes of the residents.
The untarred road which led to the village had also now become very soggy and scaring off motorists, Mr Atito said.
The caretaker expressed gratitude to Mrs Victoria Letsa, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the mall and the hotel for the concern for the welfare of the village all the time.
Mr Atito said that although the Department of Social Welfare had come out with a financial assistance package for the residents, the lack of proper database on the residents was frustrating the smooth distribution of the package to the residents.
He thanked the Paramount Chief of Kpenoe, Togbe Kotoku XI, for periodically reaching out to the cured lepers with food and other items.
On her part, Mrs Letsa gave the assurance that the donations by the mall and the hotel would be sustained.
“We are committed to helping the cured lepers because they are part and parcel of the society,” she added.
Mrs Letsa commended the people of the village for strictly adhering to the protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and urged them to keep it up.
From Alberto Mario Noretti, Ho
Medical Doctor and dietician, Dr Bernice Korkor Asare, has urged women to take greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, particularly their eating habits and levels of physical activity, to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
According to her, although, some breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and certain reproductive factors, may not be within an individual’s control, lifestyle choices offer an opportunity for people to take preventive action.
She made this known during a talk on the topic: “Role of diet in breast cancer prevention” organised by Times Ladies Association of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in Accra on Thursday.
The event themed “Breast Cancer Awareness- Promoting Early Detection, Healthy Eating and Prevention.” 
She noted that having a risk factor did not automatically mean a person would develop breast cancer, but could increase the likelihood of developing the disease compared with someone without that particular risk factor.
“Having close relatives who have had breast cancer, particularly a mother, sister or daughter, may increase the risk, although not everyone with a family history will develop the disease,” Dr Asare opined. Read More.
By Adizatu K. Munkaila
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
Read Daily News
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Buy Maps
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
A group of compassionate friends from Innovation Gospel Impact last Friday visited the management, teachers and learners of the Street Academy in Accra.
The visit was to interact to get a deeper insight into the operations of the Academy that houses hundreds of street and underprivileged children and find ways to support them.
The team was led by Rev. Dr Isaac Apenteng Yeboah, a former Director for West African Mailbox Club and Director for Prisons Support Foundation, and Rev. Dale Sutherland from Washington DC.
The call, according to the visitors was occasioned by reports about the struggles of the Academy despite the occasional support it enjoys from individuals and some corporate entities.
Briefing them, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Dr Ataa Lartey, thanked them for the concern showed, indicating that “this is a major boost for both teachers and learners; knowing that their plight is known by people outside their premises.”
According Dr Lartey, the Academy had planned to undertake a number of project to enhance teaching and learning and also procure facilities for the children with keen interest in sports but had to shelve those plans for lack of finance.
He told the team that their biggest concerns were the monthly utility bills that takes a toll on their finances.
“We have a piece of land we planned to turn into an astro turf pitch to train the younger ones whose interests lies in making a career out of football, however, we have been unable to commence because there is no money now,” he said.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to the teachers who have dedicated their lives to training these children, rather than going for well-paying jobs and hoped that with time, their conditions of engagement would improve.
Moved by the plight of the Academy, the group donated a cash amount of Gh₵3,000 to settle its water bills.
They described as unfortunate the conditions of learners and teachers of the Academy and pledged to continuously support their operations to realize the dream to build a better future for the unfortunate children.
The group offered to support the school with its monthly utility bills, feeding and staff allowance and urged the Academy staff to remain in constant touch with them.
The Street Academy is located at the Accra Art Center and offers brilliant but needy the chance to pursue their educational dreams by enrolling them in public schools with others offered training in sports and cultural activities.
By Spectator Reporter
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
