News
Welentsi Foundation helps Nungua youth acquire vocational skills
Dignitaries and the beneficiaries after the programme Photo Victor A. Buxton
Welentsi III Foundation Youth Empowerment programme have been launched in Accra with the aim of equipping the youth of Nungua and its environs with employable skills.
Under the programme, a sewing project was also launched to train the youth interested in sewing within the Nungua Tradtional area the opportunity to learn the trade.
Out of over 50 applicants who expressed their interest in the trade, only 11 youths were selected to undergo a three year paid-for apprenticeship. They were made up of eight females and three males.
Speaking at the ceremony , a business man, Nii Boye Abbey, said training the youth in employable skills was vital in curbing most social vices adding that “ we have trained most of our students to graduate with non-existent white-collar jobs which eventually frustrates them.’
He said the launch of the programme was a refreshing gesture to assist needy students from poor backgrounds to acquire vocational skills in order to earn a living and also assist their families in the near future.
He mentioned that it was trite knowledge that not everyone could pursue higher education and therefore there was the need to create job avenues for the less privileged youth.
Mr Abbey said the foundation was starting the project with 11 youths drawn from communities within Nungua to start a three year apprenticeship programme with six different fashion companies.
He said “we have also provided them with sewing machines and other materials needed to enhance their training,” adding that the foundation will monitor and evaluate the progress of the beneficiaries.
He said the number of trainees would be increased subsequently in order give opportunity to more youths to learn their preferred trade.
He therefore called on nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), philantropists, businessmen and women to help the foundation train the youth of Nungua in vocational and technical skills.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Foundation, Mr Eric Bortey Djenge said it was established in 2017 by the paramount of chief of the Nungua Traditional area, Oboade Notse King Professor Odaifio Welentsi III to address the unemployment and educational needs of the people.
He mentioned that the foundation in time past had embarked on a lot of projects which included donation of electronic boards to the Nungua Senior High School and presentation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to students and residents during the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 within the traditional area.
Mr Djenge said indigenes interested in other vocations such as tiling, carpentry, hairdressing and beading will be later trained adding technical and vocational training was the way to go now stating that “the focus of the foundation is technical and vocational skills training.”
He said the foundation was being driven by five pillars, namely, education, youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, women and children protection and culture and tradition.
He called on the people of Nungua to support the vision of the paramount chief to bring development to the area.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
News
Prioritise affordable treatment of sickle cell treatment —Health Expert
Health experts have urged Ghana to prioritise affordable and accessible treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) as advanced, but costly curative therapies remain out of reach.
SCD, an inherited blood disorder, affects about three in every 100 newborns in Ghana.
Globally, around 1,000 babies are born with the condition daily, with three-quarters in sub-Saharan Africa.
The disease causes severe complications including chronic pain, anaemia, infections, strokes and organ damage, often leading to shortened life expectancy.
In recent years, gene therapy has been developed as a potential cure.
However, its cost—running into millions of dollars per patient—makes it financially and technically inaccessible in Ghana.
According to Dr Lawrence Osei-Tutu, a Sickle Cell and Childhood Cancer Expert at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, “the country must instead focus on practical, lower-cost interventions such as hydroxyurea”, a decades-old cancer drug proven to reduce painful episodes, hospitalisation and life- threatening complications in SCD patients”.
Taken orally, the medicine improves red blood cell function and is considered safe and effective.
“Hydroxyurea therapy is as good as the cure and a low-hanging fruit to pluck, we must bring a cure to our sickle cell warriors, but do so sustainably.” he urged.
In a chat with The Spectator here, he said to create awareness on the disease, the expert noted that despite its benefits, “hydroxyurea is not widely accessible in Ghana.”
Stressing that, “many patients either cannot afford it or struggle with irregular supply through the health system.”
Moreover, he argued that scaling up access would provide immediate relief while the country builds the infrastructure, trains specialists and secures funding needed to support curative therapies in the future.
With an estimated 15,000 babies born with sickle cell disease annually in Ghana, Dr Osei Tutu cautioned that “failure to improve access to effective treatment will leave many patients vulnerable to preventable complications and early death.”
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Hot!
Let’s reintroduce Cultural Studies to complement educational reforms — Tourism Minister
Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, has emphasised the importance of reintroducing Cultural Studies in schools as part of Ghana’s broader educational reform agenda.
She said Cultural Studies would complement existing efforts to reposition Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to promote digital literacy and expand Creative Arts education.
Speaking at the 2025 Homowo Festival of the people of Ningo-Prampram, held on the theme: “Education: The Best Legacy for our Children,” Madam Gomashie said cultural education was critical to national identity and development.
She noted that the festival’s theme aligned with the Government’s vision to transform education in Ghana and encouraged the youth to embrace it not only as a means of personal development but also as a way of preserving traditional values.
These values, including patience, wisdom, and hard work, were at the core of the Homowo celebration, the Minister said.
“Cultural festivals like Homowo are vital instruments for strengthening cultural identity, preserving historical memory, and fostering national unity. Additionally, festivals serve as platforms for educating the youth through storytelling, music, dance, and other traditional practices, while also providing opportunities for community engagement.”
Madam Gomashie highlighted the strong foundation that Ghana’s tourism was built on, which included culture, traditions, and the creative industry, collectively contributing to over GH¢4.8 billion to the economy.
“Festivals give tourists reasons to visit our country. Therefore, with the right infrastructure and the development of all the domains, the sector can do more than what has been recorded,” she added.
Mr Sam Nartey George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram and Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, commended the community for their vibrant participation in the festival. He announced plans for the construction of a new nursing training school in Ningo, aimed at expanding access to healthcare education in the area.
Nene Osroagbo Djangmah XII, Paramount Chief of Great Ningo Traditional Area; King Dr Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse; Nene Tetteh Wakah III, Paramount Chief of the Prampram Traditional Area; Prof. Odaifio Welentsi III, Paramount Chief of the Nungua Traditional Area; Naana Dugbakuwor Dugba II, Paramount Queen Mother of Great Ningo; and Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Special Envoy on Religion and Inter-Faith Affairs, who represented the Chief of Staff, were among dignitaries at the festival. -GNA
