Published in the Daily Graphic on 31/05/2010, pg 36
Story: Matilda Attram & Collette Brown
DISAPPOINTED passengers of the Ghana International Airlines (GIA) are still stranded in Accra after their flights were cancelled by the national airline about a week ago.
On a visit to the offices of the airline on Monday, the Daily Graphic observed that angry passengers were still waiting for alternative means of travelling to their destinations.
Worried passengers who spoke to the Daily Graphic said they would lose their jobs if the management of the airline kept delaying their trips.
Others complained of wasting money on transport to and from the office on a regular basis to check on their flights.
Officials of the GIA, who refused to comment on the situation, only said some passengers had already been given alternate flights and that they were doing their best to transfer the remaining people.
The Daily Graphic, on May 15, this year, published a report on the stranded passengers who stormed the offices of the national carrier to vent their frustration on the management, only to be disappointed because the management failed to make alternative arrangements to fly them to their destinations.
The management staff of the airline virtually abandoned their offices, leaving behind a notice to inform passengers of the cancellation of GIA Flight G0 101 of Friday, May 14, 2010.
The notice read: “Ghana International Airlines regrets to announce the cancellation of Flight G0 101 of today, May 14, 2010. Passengers are, therefore, requested not to go to the airport tonight. GIA will contact passengers as soon as arrangements are completed to fly them out of Accra. We thank you for your custom.”
The disappointed passengers, who claimed to have bought their tickets about two months ago, poured vituperations on the management, saying its operations smacked of incompetence and mismanagement.
They were unhappy that the management of the airline kept using the ash clouds caused by the volcanic eruptions in Iceland, which had interrupted flights across Europe, as an excuse.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Jubilee SHS inaugurates PTA
Published in the Daily Graphic on 28/05/2010, pg 11
Story: Matilda Attram
Jubilee Senior High School in the Ga South Municipality has inaugurated its first Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) that will manage the development of the school.
The school, established in 2007, adopted its name based on the golden jubilee celebration of the country.
At the inaugural ceremony in Accra at the weekend, the acting Training Officer in Charge of Senior High Schools of the Ga South Educational Directorate, Madam Edith Amane, said an association was a collaborative body which aimed at a common goal.
She said the PTA represented the ability of parents and teachers who came together in the interest of a school for the benefit of the children and society.
"A PTA is a non-governmental and non partisan association of both parents and teachers in the interest of a school," she explained.
She noted that the PTA could do better through the assistance of infrasturacture maintenance and activities of its school.
She, therefore, advised members of the association to be committed to their expected roles.
In his welcoming address, the Headmaster of the school, Mr Nobert Andy Sulemana, said the development of every basic and senior high school depended on its PTA who took plans to help the school to progress.
According to him, PTA is an indispensable ingredient of every school due to the productive roles it plays.
He called on the members of the association to work in unity to achieve the school's aim of becoming one of the best second cycle institutions in the country.
Giving a brief history about the school, its Assistant Headmaster, Mr Eric Fordjuor, said the school started operations three years ago with one student and seven staff members who formed its founder members.
He said the school inculcated the fear of God among other values of society in its students to enable them to become responsible leaders in future.
Mr Fordjuor said the school had no records of students performance in the West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) since it would be enrolling its first batch for the examinations in the next academic year.
He described the academic performance of students as encouraging and hoped for their success in the WASSCE.
Mr Fordjuor appealed to the PTA to support the school in providing permanent accommodation for academic activities.
The school currently has 140 students and 15 staff members.
Story: Matilda Attram
Jubilee Senior High School in the Ga South Municipality has inaugurated its first Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) that will manage the development of the school.
The school, established in 2007, adopted its name based on the golden jubilee celebration of the country.
At the inaugural ceremony in Accra at the weekend, the acting Training Officer in Charge of Senior High Schools of the Ga South Educational Directorate, Madam Edith Amane, said an association was a collaborative body which aimed at a common goal.
She said the PTA represented the ability of parents and teachers who came together in the interest of a school for the benefit of the children and society.
"A PTA is a non-governmental and non partisan association of both parents and teachers in the interest of a school," she explained.
She noted that the PTA could do better through the assistance of infrasturacture maintenance and activities of its school.
She, therefore, advised members of the association to be committed to their expected roles.
In his welcoming address, the Headmaster of the school, Mr Nobert Andy Sulemana, said the development of every basic and senior high school depended on its PTA who took plans to help the school to progress.
According to him, PTA is an indispensable ingredient of every school due to the productive roles it plays.
He called on the members of the association to work in unity to achieve the school's aim of becoming one of the best second cycle institutions in the country.
Giving a brief history about the school, its Assistant Headmaster, Mr Eric Fordjuor, said the school started operations three years ago with one student and seven staff members who formed its founder members.
He said the school inculcated the fear of God among other values of society in its students to enable them to become responsible leaders in future.
Mr Fordjuor said the school had no records of students performance in the West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) since it would be enrolling its first batch for the examinations in the next academic year.
He described the academic performance of students as encouraging and hoped for their success in the WASSCE.
Mr Fordjuor appealed to the PTA to support the school in providing permanent accommodation for academic activities.
The school currently has 140 students and 15 staff members.
GNLD donates to Korle Bu
Published in the Daily Graphic on 25/05/2010, pg 18
Story: Matilda Attram
Nine hospitals and one school have benefited from a donation of 120 boxes of home care detergents worth GH¢30,000 from the GNLD International, manufacturers of health care, home care, personal care and skin care products.
The institutions are the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mamprobi Polyclinic, the La General Hospital, Adabraka Polyclinic, Kaneshie Polyclinic, Maamobi Polyclinic, Princess Marie Louise Hospital, Achimota Hospital, the Weija Leprosarium in Accra, and the Godenu LA Kindergarten/Primary School in the Volta region.
The products were expected to support the sanitation sectors of the various institutions.
Presenting the items, the International Vice President in charge of Sales and Marketing of the company, Mr Ridolfo Ricco Brown, said the donation was in line with the company’s good corporate citizenship objective.
He said the company was concerned about the sanitation and health aspects of the communities where it operated adding that “ as a company, our purpose is to make a positive difference in the lives of people”.
He said the exercise was also part of the company’s support towards the celebration of this year’s World Environmental Day to ensure a clean environment.
“As part of the celebration of the World Environmental Day this year, we in GNLD would like to take this step by ensuring that the environment is clean before the day itself”, he stated.
Mr Brown also mentioneded that the company assisted in the development of other institutions and organisations.
The Deputy Director for Nursing Services of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ms Comfort Aboagye-Adu, who received the items on behalf of the institutions expressed appreciation to the management of the GNLD International, for the gesture and gave the assurance that the products would be used for their intended purposes.
The company, which was first established in the United States of America (USA), currently exists in over 50 countries across the world.
Story: Matilda Attram
Nine hospitals and one school have benefited from a donation of 120 boxes of home care detergents worth GH¢30,000 from the GNLD International, manufacturers of health care, home care, personal care and skin care products.
The institutions are the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mamprobi Polyclinic, the La General Hospital, Adabraka Polyclinic, Kaneshie Polyclinic, Maamobi Polyclinic, Princess Marie Louise Hospital, Achimota Hospital, the Weija Leprosarium in Accra, and the Godenu LA Kindergarten/Primary School in the Volta region.
The products were expected to support the sanitation sectors of the various institutions.
Presenting the items, the International Vice President in charge of Sales and Marketing of the company, Mr Ridolfo Ricco Brown, said the donation was in line with the company’s good corporate citizenship objective.
He said the company was concerned about the sanitation and health aspects of the communities where it operated adding that “ as a company, our purpose is to make a positive difference in the lives of people”.
He said the exercise was also part of the company’s support towards the celebration of this year’s World Environmental Day to ensure a clean environment.
“As part of the celebration of the World Environmental Day this year, we in GNLD would like to take this step by ensuring that the environment is clean before the day itself”, he stated.
Mr Brown also mentioneded that the company assisted in the development of other institutions and organisations.
The Deputy Director for Nursing Services of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ms Comfort Aboagye-Adu, who received the items on behalf of the institutions expressed appreciation to the management of the GNLD International, for the gesture and gave the assurance that the products would be used for their intended purposes.
The company, which was first established in the United States of America (USA), currently exists in over 50 countries across the world.
Monday, May 24, 2010
SDA assists two institutions
Published in the Daily Graphic on 17/05/2010, pg 17
Story: Matilda Attram
SDA Church assists Psychiatric Hospital
THE Accra South-East District of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA) has donated assorted items to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital and the Osu Children's Home for the upkeep of the inmates.
The items, worth GH¢800, included eggs, biscuits, toiletries, clothes and bags of rice.
Presenting the items, the District Pastor, Pastor Emmanuel Acquaye Allotey, said the presentation was in fulfilment of the church's social responsibility to share its blessings from God with the rest of society.
"Jesus Christ devoted much time to healing and supporting the poor and that’s what we want to emulate," he said.
The Chairman of the Welfare Committee of the church, Elder Joe Kwarteng, stated that the presentation was to show love, concern for and interest in supporting the less privileged in society.
He said the church inculcated the spirit of love, giving and volunteerism in its members, hence the willingness of members to contribute their widow’s mite to support the needy.
The First Elder in charge of the church, Elder Paul Kwaku Addai, commended the workers of the two institutions and assured them of subsequent visits by the church to support their operations.
The church, also known as the Nungua Beach Road SDA, used the opportunity to fellowship with inmates of the institutions.
Receiving the items, the Senior Nursing Officer of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Mr Kofi Nartey, and the Assistant Supervisor of the Osu Children's Home, Madam Annie Kpedekpo, thanked members of the church for their support.
Story: Matilda Attram
SDA Church assists Psychiatric Hospital
THE Accra South-East District of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA) has donated assorted items to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital and the Osu Children's Home for the upkeep of the inmates.
The items, worth GH¢800, included eggs, biscuits, toiletries, clothes and bags of rice.
Presenting the items, the District Pastor, Pastor Emmanuel Acquaye Allotey, said the presentation was in fulfilment of the church's social responsibility to share its blessings from God with the rest of society.
"Jesus Christ devoted much time to healing and supporting the poor and that’s what we want to emulate," he said.
The Chairman of the Welfare Committee of the church, Elder Joe Kwarteng, stated that the presentation was to show love, concern for and interest in supporting the less privileged in society.
He said the church inculcated the spirit of love, giving and volunteerism in its members, hence the willingness of members to contribute their widow’s mite to support the needy.
The First Elder in charge of the church, Elder Paul Kwaku Addai, commended the workers of the two institutions and assured them of subsequent visits by the church to support their operations.
The church, also known as the Nungua Beach Road SDA, used the opportunity to fellowship with inmates of the institutions.
Receiving the items, the Senior Nursing Officer of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Mr Kofi Nartey, and the Assistant Supervisor of the Osu Children's Home, Madam Annie Kpedekpo, thanked members of the church for their support.
Special Courts review remand cases
Published in the Daily Graphic on 20/05/2010, pg (spread,middle pg)
Story: Matilda Attram, Nsawam
Remand prisoners at the Nsawam Prison heaved a sigh of relief when 10 special court sessions were held at the prison to review their cases, some of which have been pending for 10 years.
At the end of the exercise, which was carried out under the auspices of the Justice For All Project, 27 remand prisoners regained their freedom.
Other remand prisoners were granted bail, some were convicted and sentenced while a few cases were adjourned to the next hearing scheduled for June 22.
There were 2,356 male remand prisoners at the Nsawam Prison alone when auditing of remand prisoners was carried out in 2007.
The Justice for All Programme, dubbed ‘the Remand Review Project’, was initiated in 2007 to enhance justice delivery and foster the adherence to human rights.
A collaborative effort among the Attorney General’s Department, the Centre for Human and Civil Liberties (CHURCIL), a non-governmental organisation, the Ghana Police Service, the Prison Service, and the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the Remand Review Project is also a mechanism intended to decongest the prisons.
Performing the opening session, the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Wood, observed that the high population of remand prisoners was a clear indication that the Judiciary had breached some provisions of the 1992 Constitution.
“Each one of us actively engaged in the administration of criminal justice has contributed to this anomalous situation. For this reason, the responsibility lies on us to collaboratively work to find a concrete solution this problem, which sadly thus constitutes a blot on our human right records,” she said:
According to her, the Judiciary, among other stakeholders and the general public, breached Articles 19(1) and (2) (c) of the 1992 Constitution, which provided some rights of an accused person before being judged.
The articles state that “(1) A person charged with a criminal offence shall be given a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court”, while (2) (c) states that “A Person charged with criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until he is proved or has pleaded quilty.”
She further explained that in criminal jurisprudence, there were two types of offences, which demanded intervention by the courts prior to the commencement of the actual trial.
The types of offences, she said, were the bailable and the non-bailable offences.
Mrs Wood said the basic requirement of any trail court before which an accused person had been arraigned for trial in a criminal case was to ensure that the person, if released on bail, would appear on the adjourned date to stand trail.
“There is no reason why a court must remand an accused person in custody, pending trial if there are no valid reasons showing that such a person will not appear to stand trial,” she said.
She added that the real challenge, however, occurred during the non-bailable offences such as robbery, murder, narcotics, rape and defilement.
Mrs Wood said that even so the courts had held that notwithstanding the ouster of the time-honoured discretionary power to grant bail in such cases, bail would nonetheless be granted whenever it was demonstrated that there had been unreasonable delay in the trial or where the facts presented upon arraignment did not support the offence with which the accused had been charged.
The Chief Justice appreciated the need for the country to take her constitutional responsibilities seriously to ensure that criminal justice was delivered for the benefit of all.
She further mentioned safety, security and stability as elements that constituted a country’s ability to nurture development and good governance.
She said Ghana was a highly respected nation of hope in Africa and, therefore, must demonstrate a clear and sustained commitment to the rule of law and human rights.
She advised officials of the Judiciary to turn down unlawful demands from the public and rather acknowledge their judicial oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the nation to protect the rights of the citizens.
The Chairman of the project, Justice Benjamin Teiko Aryettey, told journalists that the programme was expected to review 140 cases of prisoners whose dockets had been provided by the police within the 2009/10 legal year.
Explaining the rationale to carry out the exercise at the prison, the Deputy Director in charge of the Nsawam Prison, Mr Chris Larvie, stated that the lack of vehicles to transport prisoners to the various courts was one of the logistic challenges faced by the prison service.
A Supreme Court judge, Ms Justice Rose Owusu, expressed the need for a special exercise under the project for female remand prisoners, explaining that, "We did not intentionally forget them, but only had the impression from the police that there was none".
Story: Matilda Attram, Nsawam
Remand prisoners at the Nsawam Prison heaved a sigh of relief when 10 special court sessions were held at the prison to review their cases, some of which have been pending for 10 years.
At the end of the exercise, which was carried out under the auspices of the Justice For All Project, 27 remand prisoners regained their freedom.
Other remand prisoners were granted bail, some were convicted and sentenced while a few cases were adjourned to the next hearing scheduled for June 22.
There were 2,356 male remand prisoners at the Nsawam Prison alone when auditing of remand prisoners was carried out in 2007.
The Justice for All Programme, dubbed ‘the Remand Review Project’, was initiated in 2007 to enhance justice delivery and foster the adherence to human rights.
A collaborative effort among the Attorney General’s Department, the Centre for Human and Civil Liberties (CHURCIL), a non-governmental organisation, the Ghana Police Service, the Prison Service, and the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the Remand Review Project is also a mechanism intended to decongest the prisons.
Performing the opening session, the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Wood, observed that the high population of remand prisoners was a clear indication that the Judiciary had breached some provisions of the 1992 Constitution.
“Each one of us actively engaged in the administration of criminal justice has contributed to this anomalous situation. For this reason, the responsibility lies on us to collaboratively work to find a concrete solution this problem, which sadly thus constitutes a blot on our human right records,” she said:
According to her, the Judiciary, among other stakeholders and the general public, breached Articles 19(1) and (2) (c) of the 1992 Constitution, which provided some rights of an accused person before being judged.
The articles state that “(1) A person charged with a criminal offence shall be given a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court”, while (2) (c) states that “A Person charged with criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until he is proved or has pleaded quilty.”
She further explained that in criminal jurisprudence, there were two types of offences, which demanded intervention by the courts prior to the commencement of the actual trial.
The types of offences, she said, were the bailable and the non-bailable offences.
Mrs Wood said the basic requirement of any trail court before which an accused person had been arraigned for trial in a criminal case was to ensure that the person, if released on bail, would appear on the adjourned date to stand trail.
“There is no reason why a court must remand an accused person in custody, pending trial if there are no valid reasons showing that such a person will not appear to stand trial,” she said.
She added that the real challenge, however, occurred during the non-bailable offences such as robbery, murder, narcotics, rape and defilement.
Mrs Wood said that even so the courts had held that notwithstanding the ouster of the time-honoured discretionary power to grant bail in such cases, bail would nonetheless be granted whenever it was demonstrated that there had been unreasonable delay in the trial or where the facts presented upon arraignment did not support the offence with which the accused had been charged.
The Chief Justice appreciated the need for the country to take her constitutional responsibilities seriously to ensure that criminal justice was delivered for the benefit of all.
She further mentioned safety, security and stability as elements that constituted a country’s ability to nurture development and good governance.
She said Ghana was a highly respected nation of hope in Africa and, therefore, must demonstrate a clear and sustained commitment to the rule of law and human rights.
She advised officials of the Judiciary to turn down unlawful demands from the public and rather acknowledge their judicial oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the nation to protect the rights of the citizens.
The Chairman of the project, Justice Benjamin Teiko Aryettey, told journalists that the programme was expected to review 140 cases of prisoners whose dockets had been provided by the police within the 2009/10 legal year.
Explaining the rationale to carry out the exercise at the prison, the Deputy Director in charge of the Nsawam Prison, Mr Chris Larvie, stated that the lack of vehicles to transport prisoners to the various courts was one of the logistic challenges faced by the prison service.
A Supreme Court judge, Ms Justice Rose Owusu, expressed the need for a special exercise under the project for female remand prisoners, explaining that, "We did not intentionally forget them, but only had the impression from the police that there was none".
Fire Alarm system in town
Published in the Daily Graphic on 20/05/2010, pg 16
Story: Matilda Attram
A new equipment to help control rampant fire outbreaks has been introduced into the country.
The equipment, known as the Early Warning Fire Alarm System, when installed, enables individuals and corporate institutions to take immediate precaution against damage to public buildings, factories, shops and homes in the event of fire outbreaks.
The equipment, which extracts power from a rechargeable battery, is expected to trigger an alarm when it first picks the signal of any imminent fire outbreak through an in-built sensitive device, which automatically sends information to its central operating system at the district office of the Ghana National Fire Service where the building is located.
The system has the ability of sending text messages about the imminent disaster to the mobile phones of individuals and neighbours in charge of such buildings at various locations at the time of the incident, at no cost.
Demonstrating how the equipment works, Dr Kenneth Afari, the Chief Executive Officer of Socio Computers Limited, the suppliers of the equipment, indicated that the equipment comes with an in-built camera which could demonstrate in pictures the cause of the fire, as well as expose criminals who might have caused the fire.
The whole idea, according to him, was to check the fire at its early stage before it spread to cause severe damage.
He said the initiative to introduce the equipment was based on the fact that most government buildings were empty during the night.
“This technology has been in major developed countries for some time now and has been re-engineered to suit the conditions of this country, as far as fire destruction is concern,” he stated.
Dr Afari presented some of the equipment, worth GH¢2,160,000, to the 144 already established district fire offices in the country and assured them of free training for selected firemen to operate the system.
The Chief Fire Officer, Mr William Brown Acquaye, described the equipment as a good mechanism that would help the country to protect its properties, as well as reduce the workload of the Fire Service.
He expressed appreciation to the management of Socio Computers Limited for its support.
Story: Matilda Attram
A new equipment to help control rampant fire outbreaks has been introduced into the country.
The equipment, known as the Early Warning Fire Alarm System, when installed, enables individuals and corporate institutions to take immediate precaution against damage to public buildings, factories, shops and homes in the event of fire outbreaks.
The equipment, which extracts power from a rechargeable battery, is expected to trigger an alarm when it first picks the signal of any imminent fire outbreak through an in-built sensitive device, which automatically sends information to its central operating system at the district office of the Ghana National Fire Service where the building is located.
The system has the ability of sending text messages about the imminent disaster to the mobile phones of individuals and neighbours in charge of such buildings at various locations at the time of the incident, at no cost.
Demonstrating how the equipment works, Dr Kenneth Afari, the Chief Executive Officer of Socio Computers Limited, the suppliers of the equipment, indicated that the equipment comes with an in-built camera which could demonstrate in pictures the cause of the fire, as well as expose criminals who might have caused the fire.
The whole idea, according to him, was to check the fire at its early stage before it spread to cause severe damage.
He said the initiative to introduce the equipment was based on the fact that most government buildings were empty during the night.
“This technology has been in major developed countries for some time now and has been re-engineered to suit the conditions of this country, as far as fire destruction is concern,” he stated.
Dr Afari presented some of the equipment, worth GH¢2,160,000, to the 144 already established district fire offices in the country and assured them of free training for selected firemen to operate the system.
The Chief Fire Officer, Mr William Brown Acquaye, described the equipment as a good mechanism that would help the country to protect its properties, as well as reduce the workload of the Fire Service.
He expressed appreciation to the management of Socio Computers Limited for its support.
SODEP trains 100 people in English, Maths
Published in the Daily Graphic on 24/05/2010, pg 11
Story: Matilda Attram
SOCIAL Development in Education Project (SODEP),a project aimed at improving the lot of rural schools and teachers, has trained 100 resource persons in some critical subject areas of basic schools.
The resource persons, who were trained in English Language, Mathematics, Science, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Citizenship Education and Early Child Development, would in turn train teachers.
Dubbed ‘SODEP-Nkabom,' the project is a collaborative effort between the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF).
The project, which is also to upgrade education and development in deprived communities, has increased interest in education and it aids in the mobilisation of other forms of development that enhance the living standards of community members.
The project, which started in 2002, has helped to sharpen the content knowledge and teaching skills of teachers and has made members of such communities become responsive to their needs.
As part of the mechanisms to sustain the project, a one-day forum has been held in Accra to bring together participating organisations such as the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, District, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies, Traditional Authorities, Parent-Teacher Associations among other organisations in education delivery to share their ideas and experiences in the performance of their duties.
In his welcoming address, the Deputy-General Secretary of GNAT, Mr John Nyoagbe, indicated that the project came in two sections, one of which used innovative approach to assist teachers who were posted to deprived schools to adapt to the circumstances and challenges posed by their schools and environment.
He said the approach recognised the significant and collaborative role of all and worked with 30 schools and communities in five regions to assist them to identify their development challenges, as well as prioritise them.
"The project has worked in communities in the Greater Accra , Ashanti, Brong Ahafo , Volta and the Northern regions where these resource persons also train classroom teachers in order to raise their teaching and leadership capabilities," he stated.
Mr Nyoagbe mentioned the lack of trained teachers, full education facilities, and the high level of ignorance in some communities as major challenges of the project and added "We are trying to find measures to combat our challenges and hope to move to the rest of the regions".
In a presentation, a representative of CTF, Mr Durris Dezanney, expressed satisfaction with some communities for their efforts in improving themselves, saying "This has attracted the interest of other development non-governmental organisation (NGOs)”.
Story: Matilda Attram
SOCIAL Development in Education Project (SODEP),a project aimed at improving the lot of rural schools and teachers, has trained 100 resource persons in some critical subject areas of basic schools.
The resource persons, who were trained in English Language, Mathematics, Science, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Citizenship Education and Early Child Development, would in turn train teachers.
Dubbed ‘SODEP-Nkabom,' the project is a collaborative effort between the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF).
The project, which is also to upgrade education and development in deprived communities, has increased interest in education and it aids in the mobilisation of other forms of development that enhance the living standards of community members.
The project, which started in 2002, has helped to sharpen the content knowledge and teaching skills of teachers and has made members of such communities become responsive to their needs.
As part of the mechanisms to sustain the project, a one-day forum has been held in Accra to bring together participating organisations such as the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, District, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies, Traditional Authorities, Parent-Teacher Associations among other organisations in education delivery to share their ideas and experiences in the performance of their duties.
In his welcoming address, the Deputy-General Secretary of GNAT, Mr John Nyoagbe, indicated that the project came in two sections, one of which used innovative approach to assist teachers who were posted to deprived schools to adapt to the circumstances and challenges posed by their schools and environment.
He said the approach recognised the significant and collaborative role of all and worked with 30 schools and communities in five regions to assist them to identify their development challenges, as well as prioritise them.
"The project has worked in communities in the Greater Accra , Ashanti, Brong Ahafo , Volta and the Northern regions where these resource persons also train classroom teachers in order to raise their teaching and leadership capabilities," he stated.
Mr Nyoagbe mentioned the lack of trained teachers, full education facilities, and the high level of ignorance in some communities as major challenges of the project and added "We are trying to find measures to combat our challenges and hope to move to the rest of the regions".
In a presentation, a representative of CTF, Mr Durris Dezanney, expressed satisfaction with some communities for their efforts in improving themselves, saying "This has attracted the interest of other development non-governmental organisation (NGOs)”.
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