UER: 178 Teachers and Health workers Trained in Child Protection NBD

Some participants  at the three-day training workshop on Child Safeguarding and protection of Vulnerable Adults

About One hundred and 78 teachers drawn from 356 Catholic Schools, from the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese (NBD), have been given a three-day training workshop on Child Protection and Vulnerable Adults.

The workshop which was participated by ten health workers from Catholic Health Centres was organized by the Diocese with sponsorship from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) This was disclosed by the Acting Regional Manager of Catholic Educational Unit, Rev. Sister Bernadine Permi, in an interview with gbcuraradio.com in Bolgatanga, on the side-lines of the efforts being made by the Catholic Church to promote safeguarding and child protection within our schools and communities.

She said
the aim of the workshop was to train each teacher per school as a safeguarding representative in that particular school which will a point of contact for a child or vulnerable adult.

She added that, in case of anything within the school, a report must first be reported to the representative in the school before it gets to the child protection team and finally to the child unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

 

Rev Permi indicated that, the participants were taken through the concrete steps of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, shared real stories they encountered in their various schools and communities.

Some the participants also expressed their joy of the things they learnt from the workshop and lauded the Diocese for organizing such an insightful programme for them.

The General Manager of the Catholic Educational Unit, Araba Bentum, who was present at the workshop expressed joy that it was full of insight and charged teachers to take care of children entrusted to them in their various schools both Catholic and non-Catholic schools and as well spread what they have learnt to all stakeholders so as to create the awareness that, “children are to be seen and not heard is a thing of the past”.  She added that corporal punishment should also be avoided in training our children both in schools and at home.

 

The General Manager advised parents to try and provide for the needs of their children and the vulnerable so that they will not fall into temptation, for the child protection and safeguarding the Vulnerable Adults starts from the home.

 

Mrs Bentum recommended that the training workshop be replicated in all the dioceses across the country, she concluded. 

GBC URA Radio Lauded for good work- UE Regional Minister

     Hon. Stephen Yakubu Upper East Regional Minister

The Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, has lauded the staff of GBC URA for working collaboratively with the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) in executing the development agenda of the Upper East Region and Ghana at large.

This was contained in the Regional Minister’s New Year message to the good people of the Region, during an interaction with our gbcuraradio.com in Bolgatanga.

The Minister seized the opportunity the thank the good people of the Upper East Region for hard work and cooperation throughout the year and URA RADIO in particular for its immense contributions using both radio and television to propagate the development of the agenda of the government.

He cautioned residents to be peace-loving people and also conform to the rules and regulations of the country so that no one finds his or herself culpable of the law for no one is above it. Mr. Yakubu added that his desire is that everyone should be able to go about their daily activities peacefully without any hindrance.

He said, he has, therefore, tasked all the security agencies to ensure that the law is abided by all in the region and that anyone who defaults will be dealt with accordingly.

Mr. Yakubu further urged residents of the Upper East to bury all their political and ethnic sentiments differences to allow peace to prevail to enable us to work together for the development of the Region as efforts are being made to bring in investors to invest to create jobs for the youth.

The Regional Minister said in the execution of the Region’s development agenda, toes might have been stepped on, that notwithstanding, he operates an open-door policy and would not hesitate to dialogue with any aggrieved person for the sake of peace.

  

 

UER: A 25 Bed Capacity Hospital Commissioned at Bongo-Soe

Ayire Clinic, a 25 Bed Capacity Hospital Commissioned at Bongo-Soe

A 25-bed capacity hospital has been commissioned in Bongo-Soe in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region. The hospital which termed as Ayire Clinic was constructed at the cost of ten million Ghana Cedis (GHC 10,000,000.00), has a 25-bed capacity, Outpatient Department (OPD), 4 consulting rooms, pharmacy unit, an injection room, ICT, and general administration units, a Doctor’s bed resting room, three wards, and two washrooms.

The aim of the facility is to help increase access to effective and quality health care for the community members and Ghana as a whole. In an interview with our gbcuraradio.com in Bongo-Soe, the Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ayire Adongo indicated that the facility is the brainchild of the Savannah Cultural Foundation, a local organization the seeks to conserve and promote indigenous knowledge through active participation of rural people in identifying and preserving their political, cultural and indigenous practices in livelihood security in Northern Ghana.

The Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ayire Adongo

Mr. Adongo stated that the Upper East Region contributes greatly to maternal and neonatal mortality in Ghana and improving this sad situation, where a mother in an attempt to give birth loses a life necessitated the construction of the hospital as a contribution to addressing these bad socio-economic development indices.

Fortunately, he added that there are specialist Doctors from home and in the diaspora such as the United States of America, Germany, and Ukraine collaborating in the development agenda of a specialist hospital, a research center, a teaching hospital, and the establishment of a nurses and midwifery training school. All these individuals are contributing their quota immensely to the realization of these development agendas.    

The Medical Director of the Ayire Clinic, Dr. Kofi Asare-Ansah stated that the facility is a dream come through after years of hard work, determination, perseverance, and focus in achieving this noble goal of providing health care for all ages to the people of Bongo-Soe and Ghana at large. Dr. Asaare-Ansah said even though the project is 5 percent complete, it is his prayer that the vision of the facility will come to fruition in the coming years.

                         The Medical Director of the Ayire Clinic, Dr. Kofi Asare-Ansah

Dr. Albert Kitcher Ukraine, and a board member of Ayire Clinic

The Official Consular OF Ghana to Ukraine, and a board member of Ayire Clinic, Dr. Albert Kitcher expressed joy that the facility stands for excellence and for wellbeing its galvanizing diversity of experience from all facets of the health sector to propel on to deliver the health needs of the people. 

 

UER: 178 Teachers and Health workers Trained in Child Protection NBD

 

   The Acting Manager Catholic Education of Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese Rev Sister Bernardine Pemi

About One hundred and 78 teachers drawn from 356 Catholic Schools, from the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese (NBD), have been given a three-day training workshop on Child Protection and Vulnerable Adults.

 

The workshop which was participated by ten health workers from Catholic Health Centres was organized by the Diocese with sponsorship from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) This was disclosed by the Acting Regional Manager of Catholic Educational Unit, Rev. Sister Bernadine Permi, in an interview with GBCURARADIO.COM in Bolgatanga, on the side-lines of the efforts being made by the Catholic Church to promote safeguarding and child protection within our schools and communities.

 

She said the aim of the workshop was to train each teacher per school as a safeguarding representative in that particular school which will a point of contact for a child or vulnerable adult.

 

She added that, in case of anything within the school, a report must first be reported to the representative in the school before it gets to the child protection team and finally to the child unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

 

Rev Permi indicated that the participants were taken through the concrete steps of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, shared real stories they encountered in their various schools and communities.

 

Some of the participants also expressed their joy at the things they learnt from the workshop and lauded the Diocese for organizing such an insightful programme for them.

 

The General Manager of the Catholic Educational Unit, Araba Bentum, who was present at the workshop expressed joy that it was full of insight and charged teachers to take care of children entrusted to them in their various schools both Catholic and non-Catholic schools and as well spread what they have learnt to all stakeholders so as to create the awareness that, “children are to be seen and not heard is a thing of the past”.  She added that corporal punishment should also be avoided in training our children both in schools and at home.

 

The General Manager advised parents to try and provide for the needs of their children and the vulnerable so that they will not fall into temptation, for the child protection and safeguarding the Vulnerable Adults starts from the home.

 

Mrs Bentum recommended that the training workshop be replicated in all the dioceses across the country, she concluded.

Indigenous Seeds Oil from Our Local Environment

Minyela Sylvester CEO Minsaap Ventures

Adam was created by God and kept in a garden signifying that, all man needs to survived and stay healthy is the environment. 

It is against this backdrop that, a 42-year-old businessman and a 2010 graduate from the University for Development Studies (UDS) with the knowledge in his development studies and a passion for studying natural things, had to delve into natural seed oil extraction. 

Sylvester Minyila is now a friend to every pod that a tree or plant can bear not only for the benefits the fruits can provide for our health, but the seed which unknowing to us has a rich natural oil that can treat numerous ailments. 

These fruits and pods abounds in our environment especially in the northern parts of Ghana. 

The Boabab tree hitherto unknown to most natives, has a lot of benefits. Aside the leave being used for soup, the dry Boabab fruit is use for porridge and TZ.  

The various seeds oils

The seeds are the main component use together with beans, round powder beans and flour to prepare a local dish call ‘tuunto’ a major meal in the performance of traditional funerals in the Bolgatanga Municipality (BM) (the Gurune speaking area).  

The core of the seeds that contain that groundnuts like substance is also use for soup especially vegetables but that is mostly during famine period. In fact, history has it that, in August 1982 – May 1983 famine in Ghana, the (BM) and its adjoining communities relied mostly on the Boabab tree leaves and the seed for survival. 

Baobab seed oil

Expert say, the Boabab seed oil is generally known for its regenerative abilities.

 Its excellent in skin softening and healing of any imperfection due to its antioxidants and solves most of the health problems. In an interview with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Minsaap Ventures Sylvester Minyila indicated that, after extracting the oil, the residue of the Boabab seed becomes animal feed in effect, nothing of Boabab is useless. 

He stated that, Boabab Seed Oil contains Vitamins A, B and C along Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids, Magnesium Potassium and Calcium. 

Baobab powder and Pumkin seeds 

He added that, similar nutrients and vitamins are contained in Pawpaw, neem, Pumkin and kenaf seed oils, and plays a similar role in the enhancement of the health of people daily. 

The seed oil extractor

Regarding job creation, Minsaap Ventures has employed 8 direct staff, 8 temporal staff to handle the separation, milling and extraction plants as well as the packaging and labeling .and about two hundred and 87 indirect employees that is those rural poor who gather the raw materials from the Boabab, Neem, pumkin, kenaf seeds and sell them to Minsaap Ventures, Pawpaw seeds from the pawpaw daily venders. 

 

Minsaap Ventures has in a way provided some form of income generation for the vulnerable in some rural communities. 

Some products of Minsaap Ventures ‘are certified by the Food and Drugs Authority. Mr. Minyila stated that, his intention of expanding the venture into a bigger factory.

Story by: Emmanuel Akayeti

UE/R Kukula the river god in perspective –KNWD

This is the front part entering in to Kukula the River God ( the scene is feathers from fowls used for sacrifices 

Shrines and Growths, rivers, hills and forest play a very significant role in the lives of our people, either environmentally, economically or spiritually based on one’s believe and faith on the later. 

They are natural sites governed with traditions that our forebears have bequeathed to us with a lot of history behind them, their relevance today cannot be underestimated. 

One of such is Kukula the river god in Kayoro/Akania in the Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region. As part of the heritage month, Radio Ghana took a visit to Kukula. 

Kukula the river god, takes its source from Burkina Faso running through Kayoro/Akania in the Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region and ending up in the White Volta tributary in Pwuluga.

 Kukula is believed to have come from the sky in the form of light and struck a huge rock in the court yard of the Kayoro/Akania Chief’s Palace and split it, signifying that, the Aduinawo’s Palace should be the custodians of the god. 

This is how the power that came struck and  splinted part of the rock 

Beside the splinted rock is another rock in the form of an arm chair for resting such as this one 

From there, the power moved and settled in the river and has since become their river god “Kukula”. 

The water in the river hardly dries up and it is in this water that, when consulting, after performing the necessary rituals you are directed all alone to go into the water and make all your wishes then bath in it. 

According to the Chief priest of the river god Emmanuel Ayerah stated that, Kukula is a god that blesses people and have the solutions to all problems of human endeavor such as success in marriage, money, power, education, business, fame, travelling abroad, except to kill someone. 

He indicated that, people both home and abroad visit the river god including some pastors. 

The linguist of Chief’s Palace Aduna Adubinwo revealed that, historically, Kukula saved the people of Kania and Kayoro during the slave trade in the 1615s to 1630s, when the Kayoro/Akanias were pursued by the slave raiders, they consulted Kukula that they were being tormented for far too long and that they the natives needed power to overcome the enemy. 

According to Aduna, the linguist the next attack by the raiders, it was during March dry season.  Akanians run across their river god on dry land when the slave raiders tried to cross, Kukula suddenly filled herself with water, the raiders were rounded up, killed and the river carried their bodies away with the water.  This history is similar to that of Moses and the Israelite at the red sea against Pharaoh and his chariots.

The shackles taken from the slave raiders are in custody at the Akania chief’s Palace as exhibits.

The Chief linguist Aduna holding the shackles for as exhibit 

 When the slave raiders arrived, they shot a gun and the bullet hit a Tamarine in the 16^th century, that tree is still alive today with mark.

This is the gun shot of the slave raiders on the tree

Inside the Akania’s Chief Palace, where the suckles are kept, there is a platform which according to the linguist their ancestors came and met and it has never change. 

The frequent visits of people to area is a form of tourism and revenue to the natives as visiting there is not totally free. Kukula is located in a forest which as serves as a forest reserve.

 According to the natives, the forest has wild animals such as elephants, lions, monkeys, Antelopes, among others that servers as wildlife. The tree species found in the forest are the sheanuts, dawadawa, tamarine, black berry and ebony trees among others. 

In time past, that stretch of forest was very dense and fearful but was less patronized as the Kukula was not popular as of now. 

As a result of human activities, it lost its vegetative cover drastically as the common phenomenon bush fires bedevil the area.Though the Sustainable Land and Water Management Project (SLWMP) is operating in the area.

 As we celebrate the heritage month, there is the need to conserve whatever that has been bequeathed to us by our forebears for generation yet unborn, to come and experience it, learn and share. Otherwise, planet earth will suffer a disservice injured and destroy and posterity will not forgive for a wicked act.

Straw Basket Weavers Received PPE and Education on Social Distancing Against COVID-19

Straw Basket weavers in the Upper East Region have been given education on the need for social distancing and personal protective Equipment PP, to help prevent the spread of the corona virus. 

As a result, they are no longer weaving together in groups at the Weaving centers.  

Paku Enterprise (PE) Ghana in collaboration with the African Market Baskets (AMB) of the Overseas Connection of United States of America (USA), are among the major partners that are complementing government’s efforts at sensitizing the Straw Basket weavers in the region to help curb the spread of Coronavirus(COVID-19). 

The two organizations as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility   provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to more than the ten (10) Straw basket weaver groups valued more than GHS 10,000. 

The beneficiaries are from Zorbisi, Bolga-Sherigu, Zaare, Sumbrungu,, Sokabisi,   Yorogo, , Zorko,  Nyariga ,  Yikene and  Bolgatang, the regional capital. All the groups received  110 Veronica buckets, alcohol-based hand sanitizers and handwashing soaps. 

Speaking at the separate functions, the Coordinator of Social Interventions of the two organizations, Ms Eleanor Anabire, explained that the items, which formed part of her Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) was   to enable the groups wash their hands with soap under running water   and apply the hand sanitizers regularly to help prevent them from contracting the COVID-19 virus. 

The Coordinator who educated the groups to observe all the COVID -19 protocols and the President’s directives of social distancing, public gathering and personal hygiene, entreated the groups to be the ambassadors of the COVID -19 education in their respective communities. 

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Paku Enterprise Ghana, Mr Paul Akurugu, explained  that  although  the COVID-19 pandemic had affected  everybody in one way or the other, the basket weaver groups whom are mostly women are among the most  vulnerable groups that require immense support to keep them safe from contracting the virus. 

He explained that, Paku Enterprise is an indigenous firm based in Region that is primarily into production and export of authentic Bolga baskets and other handicraft products. 

He stated that the two partners have been working with the basket weaver groups in the region for many years and have been supporting the groups in diverse ways. 

He mentioned that annually the two organization as part of I their CSR, collaborate with    the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to register and renew the NHIS subscriptions of all members of the weaver groups, including their children.  

He also disclosed that both organizations annually donate educational materials such as reading and text books, pens, pencils, mathematics set, and computers among other to pupils of basic schools within the basket producing communities on an annual basis. 

Mrs. Akolpoka Abugre, one of the leaders of the Basket Weaver groups thanked the two organizations for the support and assured them that they would be ambassadors of the COVID-19 education in their respective communities.