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Street Academy Spreads Hope, Feeds Over 400 Children at 25th Annual Dinner
STREET Academy, a non-governmental organization (NGO), brought joy to about 400 vulnerable children last Saturday at its 25th annual dinner party, held as part of Christmas festivities. The feast was designed to assure the children that society cares for them and values their wellbeing.
A variety of local dishes were served, carefully selected to match the children’s preferences. Ataa Lartey, Executive Director of the Academy, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the children, drawn from the Arts Centre community and surrounding areas, shared a meal and moments of joy.
“The initiative is meant to make the children feel valued and included in society. We might not be their biological parents, but it is our responsibility to help them grow, to shape and nurture them,” he said.
Mr. Lartey added that the initiative would continue with similar activities on December 26 and January 1. He explained that the programme aims to support families who lack the means to care for their children during the festive season and inspire the children to work hard and contribute positively to their communities.
Beyond feeding, the programme seeks to nurture the children into responsible citizens. He cited past beneficiaries who had excelled, including Abraham Mensah, a silver medalist for Ghana at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, as a product of the Academy.
STREET Academy operates as a three-year bridge programme preparing children for mainstream education, the public school system, and vocational training. The initiative targets the most vulnerable children and is fully free, providing sponsorship for books, uniforms, and two meals daily.
Dr. John David Arnold, CEO and Founder of Portable Practical Educational Preparation Inc. (PPEP), a longtime sponsor of the Academy, noted that partnerships with STREET Academy had helped develop its infrastructure to improve the children’s welfare.
“Through our collaboration, we realized the children needed essential facilities such as a kitchen, toilets, and a clinic,” Dr. Arnold said. “It has been a fulfilling partnership, and we are proud to support the Academy.” He added that PPEP provides monthly financial support to sustain the Academy’s operations and ensure the wellbeing of the children.
By Spectator Reporter
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The family of Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, a distinguished statesman and diplomat, has paid a courtesy call on President John Dramani Mahama. They officially informed him of his passing.
The delegation, representing the Gbeho family, noted that it was culturally and diplomatically important to formally notify the President of the loss before making a public announcement of his death.
Ambassador Gbeho was a towering figure in Ghanaian and international politics. He served in many diplomatic missions, including New York. He was Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, a Member of Parliament for the Anlo constituency, and President (formerly Executive Secretary) of the ECOWAS Commission.
He was widely respected for his role in regional integration and his contributions to global diplomacy at the United Nations.
President Mahama expressed his condolences and shared reflections on Ambassador Gbeho’s contributions to the country, West Africa and the world.
Funeral details will be announced later.
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has revoked all firearm permits in Ghana with immediate effect and announced a new registration process for all gun owners.
The minister made the announcement on Tuesday, June 23, at the information service department saying all individuals who currently hold licences to own firearms or sidearms must undergo a fresh registration process.
“From this afternoon, all permits that have been granted to any individual that you are holding a sidearm or firearm is hereby revoked,” Mr Muntaka said.
He explained that the government had identified gaps in the country’s firearm registration system and needed to introduce stricter measures to improve public safety.
“We are opening the window where everyone will have to come forward again to register or re-register the gun because we’ve changed the procedure,” he stated.
According to him, the government decided not to wait until the end of the year to make the changes because lives could still be saved within the next six months.
The Interior Minister said one of the new requirements would be mandatory mental health screening for applicants seeking firearm licences.
“We’ve seen that people with mental health have already gone through and have the sidearm. Now we are introducing mental health. Before we give you the sidearm, we have to be sure that you have the mental stability to hold the firearms,” he said.
Mr Muntaka also announced that applicants would be required to undergo drug tests before being granted licences.
“We’ve also realised that people who are on drugs are also holding their arms and they are legitimate because it’s been registered. Now you have to go through drug tests to be sure that you are not on drugs before you can hold sidearms,” he added.
The minister said the new measures form part of efforts by the government to tighten firearm control and prevent legally registered weapons from falling into the wrong hands.
He urged all firearm owners to cooperate with the new registration process once details of the exercise are announced.
By: Jacob Aggrey
