An expedition of a difference

It was naturally refreshing and very entertaining, yet the experience was worth it sort. I could not imagine the excitement written on the faces of many adventures who were on the hiking trip.

I arrived at Vane via Ho in the Volta Region of Ghana at half past ten o’clock GMT on Sunday 23^rd October, 2011 from Accra and walked the entire narrow bumpy 1.5 km to Dzogbefeme-Avatime, where the group camped from Saturday 22^nd or was it 23^rd October. I joined the group on Sunday because of a boys- boys party I couldn’t afford to miss in Accra.

Dzogbefeme-Avatime is a hidden hilly town off the Vane-Amedzofe road.  With over 700 people, the town is one of the seven towns of the Avatime traditional area. It has nice sceneries of ecotourism sites that when fully developed, could generate additional income for the area and the country at large.

The people, who speak the Sideme language, also speak Ewe as a second language.

I got the direction to the hilly town through Dziedzom Kweku Segbefia, Leader of the Expedition, who I constantly communicated on my cell phone.

Mr. Kusi Appiah and Kojo Flweezy met me in the town, after walking a distance of about 700 meters through the town. I was nearer the foot of a steep medium-size  hilly plane, where the rest of the group were based.

I climbed slowly over the steep rocky path, just following them at a respectful distance. We got to the top and oh! The sun as if with a renewed passion shone brightly above, and the skin under my clothes bleed professing of sweats.  

Pre-hiking training

After we got to the top, I immediately joined in the pre-hiking group training. That was after I exchanged pleasantry with Dziedzom my Course Mate at GIJ. I was posted to the Fox-trot group with Stella Sarpong, another college at GIJ as the Group Leader. There were other groups like Gulf and Echo.

The vigorous training, which included physical, emotional and mental alertness exercises continued into the hot afternoon, but with the focus of the impending hiking in sight, no one seemed perturbed or fatigued.     

 

Audience with the Okusie

Just after training, the entire group climbed down the plane to pay  a courtesy call on the Chief of Dzogbefeme-Avatime, Okusie Adza Bansa Dzapraka X, and the elders of the town at his palace.

They offered warm reception and received the group with an air of brotherliness that made the group members felt much at home.

During the interaction the group sort to learn about the people and the challenges the town was facing. Lack of portable water and toilet facilities, leaking classrooms and classroom blocks, ICT and library and workshop, were among the challenges the Chiefs and elders mentioned in our short interaction.

The Okusie intimated that the village abounded in many ecotourism sites that when developed could help generate a lot of revenue for the District and the Country at large. 

To cement the ties of friendship between the group and the town, the Chief offered soft drinks and bananas, while Mr. Dziedzom Kweku Segbefia, the Expedition Leader, on behalf of the Adventurers handed a certificate with the company’s insignia on it to the Chief.

The group posed with the Chief and elders of the town before leaving the premises. 

The Swimming Expedition

Men o! Men or is it boys or boys! I remember the group, no I mean the men enjoyed themselves at a pond located adjacent the football field of the town, which the boys turn into a swimming pool. And the ladies were spell-bound as they looked on helplessly, wishing they could just do what the boys or men were doing…

After having had enough of the bath, they (boys) went for a good bath up streams, all along with the ladies restlessly looking on.

The Goat Party

It was long in coming, but at last it came. The operators arrived with the boiled carcass of the stubborn beast at around 21:00 hours there about. I was half asleep and so were many of the hikers on the little mountain overlooking the town.  But forcefully awoke when news of the much awaited goat meat got to the hill.

The sleep vanished from my face. And o! what a feast it was. The goat party, the stinking palm wine, and the big party cheers attracted many participants who spoiled their sleep to taste and enjoyed the boiled meat.

The Night up the Hill

There night was calm and chilly. And those who slept outside in the open air had a real taste of the cool fogy night with a free windy breeze blowing over the horizon. 

Then came the snoring bit. Those who couldn’t enjoy the comfort of the two tents dared not snored, as they tried cuddling the blankets and the wet grasses around themselves deep into the night.

The tempo of the snoring rose and drifted away in the night air. And although the windy breeze was readily eating-up the noise from the hikers, the noise intermittently disturbed the ears of those camping outside in the open air.

The feeling was good, at least it was a taste of a different sleeping space. At day break, accusing fingers were pointed to those who snored most, but everybody denied snoring. The search for the culprits, still continuous, maybe an award code named Mountain Top Snoring Awards, like someone was suggesting could have been given to the one who snored most…     

The Hiking Day

The hikers woke with the rising sunlight, buckled their climbing boots, fixed their hiking gears and climbed down from their base in an unintended queue. Walking through the town amidst blowing the two vuvuzela’s we carried waved and bade the town folk’s bye, as we moved through the town to start the hiking journey. We walked along the paths through large stretches of farms lands, light and thick forests, over rough terrains and wet grounds, overlooking deep bushy ravine.

They crossed rivers with their boots and not boats. Some daring ones did jump over small streams and maneuvered through slippery grounds as they steadily climbed the treacherous Afadzato Mountains.

The hiking was more of a challenge of life as worthy lessons came to bear. We were stretched to the limits of their capabilities but the ultimate goal of finishing with the constant support of fellow hikers kept the caravan in shape and in steady motion.

Indeed, the previous day’s vigorous training really paid as it prepared the minds of the hikers for the journey.

There were few rest stops on the way but it certainly did not help reduce the sweating and zest of the hikers to reach the top.

Gradually, as the air grew lighter up on the mountain, the feet of hikers grew heavier and bit by bit we were there. Amedzofe… was in views.

O! yesssssss! At last we are here; one Adventurer exclaimed when she stepped on Amedzofe’s soils.  But then the Mount Gemi, which one hiker corrupted to “Gbemi”, was much clearer and nearer in sight.

There was another obstacle at Amedzofe, as the Guard at the Local Eco-Tourism Office proved difficult, but thanks to God there was smooth passage after a peaceful negotiation which lasted for over 30 or so minutes.

As the negotiation with the Tourist Guard went on, the hikers enjoyed some local brewed  beer in nicely washed calabashes, while others ate 'waakye' as well as some food stuff.

The walk to Mount Gemi was quite cool, not like the previous one. But hmmm! It was an interesting view of nature. Nature is beautiful. But for the fog covering the plains and valleys, hikers would have had a clearer view of the Volta Lake, that was about 2,000 meters away and the other interesting sceneries of fauna and flora.

But for the unfriendly insects which harassed us at the apex of the mountain where an imposing metallic cross stood, we would have bathed a little longer in the spackling sun rays that shined with a renewed vigour of intensity, after the pregnant moist clouds gaze breathed some freshness on our heads. The group couldn’t pop the Champaign as planed… but it was an interesting adventure.

Nevertheless we had the filled of our eyes up there. 

It was an exciting expedition and we couldn’t have asked for more…

Ayeekoo to the organisers!            

 By Kwesi Yirenkyi Boateng

Who cares for these neglected folks?

By Kwesi Yirenkyi Boateng

Naturally, every animal extends special care to its offspring irrespective of whether it was born with deformity. In the animal kingdom although the concept of survival of the fittest predominates, there is this communal care exhibited towards the weakest and feeble ones when animals move in groups.

However, this concept of communal care among human societies which is manifested among many rural African settings, seem not to be extended to the physically challenged, hence they are left to their fate. Sometimes, the sense of insecurity starring some of them in the face, for fear of being attacked and used for rituals is enough to drive them into hiding all the time. At times, families who perceive their disabled children as a disgrace, lock them up in rooms to hide them from friends who may visit. The mean treatment meted out to persons with disability greatly affects their self-esteem and to a large extent their social lives.

A cursory look on our streets indicates the presence of not just street children but many mentally challenged people in our cities and villages. In fact there is no village in this country without one, but there is this begging question of who actually cares for them? Or better put, whose responsibility it is to take care of them?

The case of Tataa

I grew up in a small town of about 500 people but normally increased to over a thousand or more during market days. Tataa was a common name in Dodi-Papase then. He was a middle aged man of about six feet high without teeth in his mouth except his gums that showed each time he laughed at us. Tataa was a restless fellow who prowls the dusty roads from the town to Ahamansu Junction back and forth and usually stationed himself under a mango tree in the heart of the market, although with the constant threat of eviction by competing market women for the shade the branches of the tree provides.

Every child of my age knew Tataa and made fun of him especially after school. The harassment becomes unbearable or so I thought when we went on vacations, because we (children) had the whole day to ourselves and followed him.

Though we persistently worried him every day, Tataa was always calm and never lost his cool. Sometimes Tataa would usually chase the naughty-daring and mischievous ones away. We liked him in spite of his unkempt condition, and also because he made us giggle about the rat-race he engaged us in.

After tirelessly moving from his temporal market station to the main town, Tataa later comes back to rest. He lived by begging for food, water and anything edible from those selling at the market square and generally contributed to keeping the market place clean by picking abandoned foodstuffs and sometimes sweeps under the mango tree before resting.

Children of my age then were delighted to make fun of him by teasing and drumming cans after him. He would temporally stop and try to chase us back. That was how we lived, until Tataa disappeared from the town.

Although many people cooked explanations about his disappearance, none could boldly claim to know his whereabouts.

I kept wondering where Tataa might have gone. I still recollect vividly with nostalgia how during one of the Christmas celebrations Tataa visited us in our home. I sensed he was burning with hunger, after my mother served him with rice and stew she prepared. I had honestly wanted to eat from the same bowl with him but for the stern look, I advised myself and reluctantly revised my plan.

At my friends house, bowls used to serve Tataa were discarded to save the family from the possible contraction of his ‘mental disease’. I was shocked to realise how one woman bathed him by pouring soapy water on him for apparently entering the house uninvited. The shameful treatment I believe was one such incidence which perhaps drove Tataa away.

In fact I was never pleased with such treatment but it clearly showed how unfair we might have related to people with mental disability, physical challenges, cured lepers and even albinos in our society.

The Silent Social Stigma of neglect

There is no doubt we are created by one God who is eternally good and in discriminatory and extends His love and care to all His creation. As a society aimed at improvement, growth and development, it is surprising that many of us continue to perpetuate this discriminatory acts against Persons with Disability (PWDs). This silent stigmatisation is unfortunately ingrained in our social strata in very loud manner, killing the moral and self-esteem of many PWDs in the country.

Although there have been certain awareness campaigns in the past, there is still more to be done, especially in sensitising people about the essence of caring for the PWDs, especially those without homes.

Tataa vanished from the town and no one could trace his whereabouts. His case might be one of few mentally challenged people abandoned and neglected by families, community, society and the nation at large.

In our cities today, the likes of Tataa roam our streets freely, sometimes naked or wearing tattered clothes and living on the pavements or some slums, as if no one cares. At times, I sit back and wonder whether they have relatives. And if they had, why have they left them to roam the streets and sleep in the open. My conscience pricks me and I feel there is some serious disservice we are doing to ourselves as members of society which whittle away our claims to hospitality and God fearing, peace loving people and a religious nation. I never intend to pass judgement but rather propose a reflection on our attitude.

It is only human to associate with the affluent, successful and healthy individuals in a society, in order to engender a mutual relationship of "you scratch my back I scratch yours" symbiotic relations. But as a nation I would like to know whether we are actually fulfilling our religious and socio-cultural obligations to our disadvantaged compatriots?

Does the nation really care for them? Is it the Department of Social Welfare that is responsible for these people, if not then who? How do we properly integrate them into our society after they have been healed at our psychiatric hospitals?

The better we understand that we are all one people and must work together to improve upon our lot the better it would serve our collective interest. We have a role to play to ensure that we extend help, affection and love to these neglected folks on our streets. Whether we like it or not they are a part of our society and no matter how shabbily they may be, the regrettable truth is that they are still a part of us. Dissociating and detaching ourselves from them (poor, physically, mentally challenged) is tantamount to betraying our societal obligation as citizens of the same country.

This discrimination is present in our various places of worship. Sometimes I wonder whom we are pleasing by occasionally presenting some foodstuffs to inmates of orphanages but neglecting the very ones in front of our houses and on our streets. I am not against the idea of feeding and clothing the needy but I think there is more we can do as a people to help alleviate their plight.

Psychologically, living with them can be very irritating but it is a virtue of advancing our religious kindness to them that should anchor our motive of helping them. Many of them may genuinely be hungry but the most important thing they need more is a sense of feeling loved and cared for by others.

Some children even feel shy to associate with them, because most adults are unconsciously teaching them to do so. It should be possible for those of us healthy to extend the care and affection to them and not just neglect them as the case has always been.

We have more we can offer them than just giving them alms of some token amount in the name of enhancing our ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ but as a matter of assisting our fellow brothers and sisters who had to live like that. In fact, that we are begotten from one creator indicates that we have to relate with them as one of our kind and accord them the very basic rights we always seek to fight for.

Conclusion

Tracing the cause of the rigid stigma in our society would be another topic for another discussion. However, our priority should be directed at identifying how best we can collectively ‘kill’ the almost impossible social stigma against our brothers and sisters.

Creating systems and institutions to cater for PWDs may be a costly venture but improving upon those institutions involved in catering for their needs, healing and ensuring their proper integration into our society would be beneficial to the country, as most of them could be trained to acquire skills that would equip them to work and thus boost productivity of the country’s economy in the long-run.

As we all aspire to live better lives, we must also help others especially the underprivileged to see how beautiful life is. It is only by doing so that we can all contribute to harness their worth in the society, rather than see them as unfit and burdensome liabilities.

One unfortunate thing is that the social stigma tends to blind the so-called able bodies from seeing the talent in some of them. Neglecting or disregarding PWDs or writing them off in our quest for economic development, would be suicidal and a dent on our image as a people claiming to be among the world’s most hospital country. What a grave contrast in our national psyche.

The Disability Act and Mental Law will come to nothing if we fail to accept PWDs as part of our society and accord them the needed respect and care.

We owe it a duty to let them live a dignified life and guarantee their safety. We must therefore accept them as a part of humanity, invite them into our homes, and cater for their needs and gradually integrate them into our society of ‘NORMALCY’.

First posted on www.publicagendaghana.com/index.php on Tuesday May 17,2011

Pregnant Women Seek Clearance From Fetish Priest

By Kwesi Yirenkyi Boateng, 13 May 2011

The assertion that religion is fundamental to the lives of many is not an overstatement, at least, to pregnant women in Adaklu-Anyigbe District. Pregnant women in some of the traditional areas in the District are so much imbued with their traditional beliefs to the extent that before they seek medical care; they seek clearance from the chief priest.
The Co-ordinator of the Adaklu-Anyigbe District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, Mr. Charles Agbeve, made this startling revelation in an interview following a day's outreach programme organized in Adaklu-Helegbe, and Adaklu-Ahunda, two of the communities in the District, by members of the Federation of Ghana Catholic Health Trainees (FGCHT), as part of their 10th Annual Congress at Ho.
According to him, whenever there was an outbreak of diseases like cholera or diarrhea the gods were consulted. He added that although about 65 per cent of people were registered with District Health Insurance Scheme, lack of the health and laboratory facilities coupled with the strong beliefs of the people in their deity and the vast nature of the District were adversely affecting the effective coverage of the Scheme.
He also observed that because of the lack of health facilities which were impeding on quality health care delivery, and the closeness of the District to other health facilities in neighbouring Districts, people in the Adaklu-Anyigbe District have rather registered with those District Mutual Schemes.
Mr. Agbeve said in the face of a strong belief system there was the need to employ face-face interaction and continuous sensitization to convince them to embrace the scheme.
The people of the Adaklu-Anyigbe District in the Volta Region are struggling to access quality health care, since the District lacks a hospital, a laboratory and the critical staff to man the few health centres in the District.
Of the five health centres in the District, there is only one Medical Assistant at the Adidome Health Centre, and with six midwives in the District.
The lack of these facilities and personnel is not just hampering quality health delivery but greatly impeding the country's drive to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of reducing mother and child mortality rate by two-thirds in the country and improving the health care delivery, which is paramount in the socio-economic development of the people in the District.
At the programme, Madam Patience Nunoo, Acting District Health Director, formally introduced Madam Grace Agrigo, the new Midwife for the Adaklu-Ahunda Health Centre, and urged members of the surrounding communities, especially pregnant women and lactating mothers to patronize the facility.
The town for the past eight years has been without a Midwife. It only has two skilled Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs). Meanwhile, the Acting District Health Director has re-echoed the District's resolve to encourage Skilled Birth Deliveries instead of the Traditional Birth Delivery.
Madam Nunoo, who was delighted at the health screening exercise in the two towns, bemoaned the people's lack of interest to access the health facilities.
She said the District Mutual Health Insurance Office would be rolling-out other programmes and these include drama by school children, and documentaries which would be shown in the various communities.
The Ahunda Electoral Area Assemblyman, Mr. Alexander Sheshie, who thanked the FGCHT for coming for the health screening programme and appealed for support to help furnish the Health Centre and stock it with the health equipment needed to make the facility functional.

2012 Election- A Time to Examine Political Promises

“It is up to us to change our community by holding ourselves accountable, and the politicians we elect accountable, to making a positive difference in all our communities...Get involved. Stop blaming others…”

-- Sam Sanchez, commentary aired on WAMU-FM, Washington, D.C. and quoted in Feb 15, 1995, The Washington Spectator.

Tsooo-boeeeiiiiii! Tso-tso-tsoo-boeeeeeei and the crowed resonated with a deafening thunderous response: Yeeeeeiiiiiiii!! Don’t mistake this chants and responses to be those of the famous Asafo groups of yesteryear. They are the usual exciting and vibrating humming, thumping of feet and shouting by a huge multitude of party fanatics at a mammoth political rally.

Yes the season is here again and the atmosphere is already charged, as we gradually inch towards the December 7 Polls.

The various political parties are at it again. Those who have gone numb after the 2008 general elections are trying very hard to rejuvenate their political image and ignite the spark of life into their political voices, as they feverishly rehearse their notes in anticipation of improving upon their fortunes of wining the upcoming elections.

With barely five months to the polls, it is obvious that various political parties including the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), the Peoples National Convention (PNC) and the newly formed Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) are vigorously positioning themselves and frantically employing all workable marketing techniques to sell their flag bearers and their political ideologies to the electorates. Some have already launched or are about launching their political campaigns albeit some auspicious media publicity.

 

As elections have become competitive and rare opportunities by which societies elect new leaders to form and serve in governments. Election periods are moments of charged emotions and agitated egos. They are moments when people who hitherto were living in complete obscurity suddenly assume patrician mentality and dazzle people with oratory skills that can only be likened to spirit possessed entities.

Season of promise galore   

Granted that elections are inevitable in any democratic dispensation and that it is obviously a contest of ideas, politicians with the aim of winning and governing the country would go every length to win the elections.

The Politician who suddenly becomes pro-poor and palpably concerned for citizen’s welfare with well-oiled tongues and gifted oratory would roam the entire length and breathe of our dear country, spewing sugar-coated words to convince the electorates.

During this time, they seem to know almost all routes leading to every nook and cranny of the country as they crisscross in their four-wheel drives to every hamlet, cottage, village and town in the name of canvassing for votes. Some even code name the tours: “listening tour, door-to-door campaigning, or restoring hope tour” among others.   

Often time, such meetings are opportunities used to persuade and depending on which party is visiting, either renew previous promises or make new ones to the electorates.

Promises of zero tolerance for corruption, improvement in general conditions of the people, running transparent and accountable governments, prudent management of the economy, as well as creation of jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the country could be heard. It is this promise here and assurance there, irrespective of whether or not they are realistic and achievable or even within our reach as a people.

Interestingly, as these apostles' of power may appear, there seems to be a calculated medium which tend to goad them on without rest until the end where they are declared winners or losers. However, an interesting aspect of the game is symbolized in the way promises are made to bait uninitiated electorates, majority of them innocent and struggling with the challenges of life, to vote them into power.

Modus operandi

At mini rallies or ‘gargantuan’ durbars, these politicians are mostly intoxicated and charmed by their teeming supporters and sympathizers and like the proverbial Pentecostal episode two millennium ago, the politicians are emboldened by their inordinate desire for power to act in theatrical manner, sometimes to their own surprise, they act in strange manners and say words that they are unaware of its impact, but which are intended to capture the hearts and minds of the electorate. Yes, with much gusto they flow with the “big words” with such effortless effrontery. The promises flow and float on the wings of the thunderous cheers of the crowds.

Now hear them in their quixotic best.

They begin to ask the audience about their living conditions- which government did this or that when they were in power, and the usual ear-splitting response booms thunderously. Can you do this, can you afford that?

At this stage the spirit possession process is complete and the political chanting of promises begins.

This is what I will do when you vote for me… And do not be surprised to hear them promise they would provide all the niceties of life on their assumption of power. Listen to some of them, “I will build roads, very affordable houses for all, provide free education, electricity, water and oh reduce fuel prices”. As the crowd is bombarded with such promises don’t ever forget to hear this last point (to borrow a popular quote from Kwesi Pratt) For the teeming unemployed youth, “I will provide thousands”, and depending on the mood of the crowd, increase it to even millions of jobs for the “mobrowa’s” on the platform.

I just wonder if they even stop a bit to listen to themselves.  It is high time people started taking them on, on some of these promises. 

 

They use all the time to market themselves and sometimes make statements that projects them above their opponents.  Sometimes untrue statements feature and false claims cum accusations are made on those same platforms, which are supposed to be used to market themselves as well as endear themselves to the electorate.

  

In this regard the idea behind political campaigning is just a means of conveying the alternative approaches of arriving at the same destination. Here, propaganda, and other political gimmicks and spin are used to achieve the goal of convincing the electorates to vote for a candidate. The question, which reels on, is how honest these promises are and how can we hold them by their words?

 

Without really asking questions as to how the politicians are going to achieve the promises they make, the discerning Ghanaian voter, who sometimes receives these messages with a pinch of salt, realizes how important they are during such peak political seasons.     

 

Examining promises

So long as politicians remain human and continue to use persuasive language to convince the electorate to vote in their favour, means there ought to be a way of holding them accountable to the words.

Most of them renege on the promises they made in their quest to win political power only to get into office and not deliver. They sometimes dilly-dally with the situation and mostly play the comparison game to score cheap political points the electorate ought to know why the promises were not met.

As the Ghanaian electorate becomes enlightened, we must all endeavour to scrutinise some of these promises. We need to ask prudent questions in relation to how these promises would be met, how they intend to bring in lasting solutions.

To ensure a better scrutiny, I would like to suggest to political parties interested in governing Ghana to supply copies of their manifestos to Civil Society Organisations, the Electoral Commission, the Institute of Economic Affairs and the National Commission for Civic Education, as well as make copies available to the general public to assess. They should also post these campaign promises on a functional website that could be accessible to the general public.

Ghana’s vision

With the general belief that every political party has the interest of Ghana’s development at heart, and with the spirit of ensuring continuity of development programmes in the country, I believe developing and enacting a Ghana National Vision Plan, based on which political parties would draw their manifestoes and programmes for the country would be very helpful.

The vision should establish certain key areas of focus to Ghana’s development and help the country make projections in the areas of health, education, transportation, economy, agriculture, service industry, sustainable development, trade and industry, oil and mineral wealth extraction and the service industry, to mention but few in say the next 50 years.

This plan should help the country determine a national approach to addressing every aspect of our programme so that irrespective of the political party in office, the national programme and not necessarily political party manifestoes should be implemented. The Vision plan should be able to forecast the amount of loans or credit facilities that would be needed to reach our goal in the next fifty years and measure the progress being made.

Conclusion

Inasmuch as political promises cannot be curtailed in our political discourse, the electorate must listen carefully and seek information on the programme each political party has for the general good of Ghana before voting.

Although you may vote alone, always vote on principles and for parties with good programmes to ensure the development of the country.

By Kwesi Yirenkyi Boateng

Email: kybem11@yahoo.com   

Chief Urges Kudje Citizens to Support Dev't

By Kwesi Yirenkyi Boateng, 3 February 2012

Kudje-Buem — Nana Opraw Akwesi Akuamoah VIII, Chief of Kudje-Buem in the Jasikan District of the Volta Region, in pursuit of holistic development in the town, has urged indigenes of Kudje, especially those living in Accra and other cities to support developmental projects in the town.
He called for unity among the people to ensure the development of the town, noting that without unity there could be no meaningful development in the town.
Nana Akuamoah VIII, who is also the Nefahene of the Buem Traditional Area, made the appeal during last year's Annual Harvest programme organised by the chiefs and people of the town to raise funds towards the building of an ultra-modern community centre.
The Chief pledged to support the project with 100bags of cement, as well as help furnish the ICT Centre.
In consonance with his resolve to help with the development of the youth, he disclosed that the Bosompem Foundation, was putting in place measures to assist brilliant but needy students to further their education and acquire trade skills.
The Chairman for the function, Mr. Richard Adjei, Head of Accreditation at the National Accreditation Board, commended the Chiefs and people for their vision and initiatives.
He stated that Kudje, one of the prominent towns in the Buem Traditional Area, deserved better and therefore charged the indigenes to offer their best towards the development of the town.
The event was used to raise funds to support the construction of a 1,500-capacity community centre which will also house the Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre.
Mr. Martin Akotey, the Assembly Member for the Kudje Electoral Area, who initiated the project, regretted that both local and central governments have not provided adequate resources for the construction of community centres.
He described the non-existence of community centres in many communities as an aberration, considering the fact that many are those who have to block roads in order to organise events like funerals and naming ceremonies.
As part of the fund raising exercise, special levies were imposed on citizens both home and abroad as well as those living and working in Accra and other cities.
To this end, Mr. Akotey entreated the citizens of Kudje to pay their levies since it would be of great benefit to the entire community. He assured them that, monies received would be properly accounted for and judiciously channeled into the execution of the project.
Hon. Kamal Ford, Deputy Minister of Lands and Forestry and Member of Parliament for the Buem Constituency, through a representative donated GH¢300 and pledged 200 bags of cement to support the project.
A total of GH¢5,300.00, in addition to a number of pledges, was realized at the function.
There were cultural displays and dances like the traditional Legongo' dance.
At the function, Mr. Daniel Yaw Nyarko, a retired educationist and elder of the town, who taught at the then Kudje LA Middle School in the 1980s, was rewarded for his meritorious services to the town, which raised the standards of education at the time.
His citation extolled him for tutoring the 1982 and 83 year groups of the school to achieve 100 per cent passes in their Common Entrance Examination, and for inspiring many students to embrace excellence.
Present at the ceremony were Nana Opong Kyekyeku, Chief of Akaa-Buem and his entourage, a representative of the Chief of Atonkor and Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, Director of Jasikan District Coordinating Council.