Kavango East and Omusati region secured their spots in the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup 2024 football division final after successfully overcoming their opponents in the semi-finals on Sunday afternoon. The 22nd edition of the Under-20 netball and football competition is being held in the cattle town of Gobabis from 29 March to 01 April at the Legare Stadium. On Sunday afternoon, Omusati became the first region to secure its berth in the final after outclassing 10-men Oshikoto in the opening semi-final witnessed by thousands of spectators. In a game of two halves, Omusati dominated the first half of the match, while Oshikoto came out as the more dominant outfit in the second half. In the second semi-final of the day, Kavango East clashed with the host region Omaheke. The host region put up an impressive display in front of their supporters who cheered behind their team throughout the match. As the odds stood against the Kavango East team, the home team opened the scoring and maintained possession throu ghout the first half of the match, which ended 1-0. But the second half saw the Kavango East boys pushing their opponents from the start of that half until the end, where they finally managed to find the back of the net with just a minute left in the game. With the equaliser by the Kavango East region, it was left to the penalty shootout that saw Kavango East eliminate the host region with a 3-2 score line. Kavango East will now meet Omusati in the football final, which is slated for Monday afternoon at the Legare Stadium. Kavango West won the football division of the competition in 2023 while Khomas won the netball section in the 21st edition held in Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region. Source: The Namibia Press Agency
Eastern Regional Health Directorate raises public awareness about maternal mental health
The Eastern Regional Health Directorate has organised a street float in Koforidua to create awareness on maternal mental health. Maternal mental health can be referred to as a mother's overall emotional, social, and mental well-being, both during and after pregnancy. Dr Wilfred K. Ofosu, Eastern Regional Health Director, said the mental well-being of mothers directly impacts the health and development of children, the strength of families, and the stability of communities. Yet, despite its significance, maternal mental health remains stigmatised, underreported, and inadequately addressed. He said factors that can create mental challenges for mothers are hormonal changes, financial stress, societal pressures, and the responsibility of caring for a new life. 'As healthcare professionals, the time has come to make a bold commitment to integrating maternal mental health into routine health delivery,' he said. 'Our actions today have the power to transform the lives of countless mothers and children for gene rations to come.' However, he urged, 'Let us not forget the importance of self-care and support for our own healthcare professionals. The work we do is emotionally demanding, and we must prioritise our own mental well-being to be effective advocates and carers for others.' The director highlighted key measures to address maternal mental health challenges. These measures emphasise the importance of equipping frontline providers with the necessary training and tools to identify signs of maternal mental health disorders and provide compassionate and effective interventions. The Ministry of Health should actively engage with policymakers, community leaders, and other stakeholders to promote policies and programmes that prioritise maternal mental health. Dr Ofosu said the policy should encompass various provisions such as affordable healthcare, insurance coverage, childcare support, and specialised mental health services for mothers. In her address, Nana Ama Awi II, Queen Mother of Asokore and the Benkum Div ision of the New Juaben Traditional Area, said that raising awareness, eradicating stigma, and fostering a culture of empathy and understanding could create a world where every mother feels seen, heard, and valued. The street float started from the premises of the Ghana Health Service through the principal streets of the New Juaben South Municipality to Jubilee Park. Some inscriptions on the placards said maternal mental health disorders are a challenge in Ghana; husbands, support your wives during pregnancy and childcare; implement policies aimed at reducing stigma and discrimination surrounding maternal mental health; and the rest. Source: Ghana News Agency
World Vision Ghana links farmers to Agricultural Service Providers in Binduri District
The Binduri District of the Upper East Region, has no networks of farmers, agro-input dealers, extension service providers, researchers, and financial institutions, which is adversely affecting agricultural value chain functionality. To address this, World Vision Ghana for the second time running, organised an Agricultural Market Linkage Fair for agricultural value chain stakeholders in the District. This was organised under the auspices of the Farmer Managed National Regeneration for Positive Land Utilisation Systems (FMNR PLUS) Project, funded by Knauer family with technical support from World Vision Germany. A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said it was aimed at linking smallholder farmers, input dealers, agricultural extension officers, financial institutions, aggregators, tractor service providers, and research institutions to improved service delivery. It said about 450 smallholder farmers, agricultural cooperatives, input dealers, extension officers, and tractor service providers participated and shared their experiences to improve agricultural market systems in the district. It provided an opportunity for value chain actors to have open forum discussions on the activities of various actors and how services and products could be accessed. Some business deals were sealed and contacts exchanged for future business transactions. According to Edward Anaba Akunyagra, the FMNR PLUS project manager, the lack of a vibrant agricultural network made access to critical agricultural services impossible and affected productivity and contributed to poverty and household food and nutrition insecurity. 'Agricultural Market Linkage Fair presents an opportunity to bridge this gap to enable smallholders to access critical services to improve crop production and improved markets,' he said. Agricultural value chains play an important role in improving farmers' incomes and household food security. Aside from linking farmers to critical service providers, active value chains can also provide opportuni ties for rural people, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth. Additionally, functional value chains can help reduce poverty and hunger and improve access to markets for farmers. For smallholder women farmers like Poanab Atinbun Mumuni, timely access to inputs and other services can increase crop yield, food security, and income for farmers. She thanked World Vision Ghana for creating an opportunity for farmers to network for a better future. Ayinga Abagre Yakubu, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Binduri District, described World Vision Ghana as a reliable development partner and thanked the organisation for its numerous interventions in the district. He urged farmers and other stakeholders to take advantage of the enabling environment World Vision Ghana was creating to better their lives, livelihoods, and income. Aside from the Savings for Transformation (S4T) that provides access to financial services to farmers, World Vision Ghana has facilitated the establishment of school eco-clubs to cre ate environmental consciousness in children. 'Support for dry season farming to enhance the livelihoods of vulnerable communities is a key intervention under the project'. At the sidelines of the event, World Vision Ghana donated pumping machines and its accessories to support communities involved in dry season gardening as garden and hygiene apparatus to promote environmental stewardship among the youngsters. The DCE urged women to take advantage of the support in various sectors being implemented by World Vision Ghana to build themselves for improved livelihoods. World Vision Ghana has implemented some social interventions that have contributed to improving the lives, livelihoods, income, and food security of farmers in the district. Other support includes, sanitation, and hygiene; environmental restoration and livelihood; and income-generating activities that aim to transform the lives of the most vulnerable children and their families. World Vision is a child-focused humanitarian and relief organisa tion focused on transforming the lives of the most vulnerable children. Source: Ghana News Agency
Let’s find peace and forgiveness in Christ’s resurrection – Apostle Asante
Apostle Seth Dwamena Asante, the Nkwanta Area Head of the Church of Pentecost, Oti Region, Easter Sunday encouraged Christians to let the death and resurrection of the saviour Jesus Christ bring them peace and forgiveness. He explained that the resurrection of Christ brought joy, peace, hope and forgiveness to those who believed in Him. 'Therefore, as believers there is the need to emulate the teachings of Christ and let your lives shine in the society.' Apostle Asante made the call during his sermon at the climax of the Nkwanta Zone Easter Convention, on the theme: 'He is not here, He has risen.' He said: 'There is life beyond this existence hence the resurrection of Christ.' He urged the congregants to live a Christ-like life by impacting positively on their communities. A true Christian must live an exemplary life for others to emulate and by so doing the society would be a better place to live, he said. Pastor Asante reflected on the resurrection and Jesus Christ's appearance to the women, which he explained as His show of appreciation to them on their contribution to His work on earth. 'His appearance was also to show his love for mankind, clear doubt about his death and resurrection, and also breath in life into the lives of his disciples,' he said. 'Let's embrace the benefits of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and seek his face in our daily lives and we shall all rise again even in death.' Source: Ghana News Agency
Trader remanded after court issued bench warrant
An Accra Circuit Court has remanded into police custody a 25-year-old trader, Michael Azu, for failing to appear in court. On December 7, 2023, Azu, who is being held for defrauding by false pretence, failed to turn up in court and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. When accused person appeared before the court on January 9, 2024, the court remanded him into police custody to reappear on January 22. Azu is being held for allegedly collecting GHC250,000 from a trader under the pretext of providing him with a KIA Rino Truck, but failed. He has denied the charge, and he was admitted to bail. The prosecution, led by Superintendent of Police Augustine Yirenkyi, said the complainant Kwadwo Tetteh was a trader residing at Odumase Krobo. It said the accused person and the complainant knew themselves as they were in the supply of large quantities of sachet water to various customers. The court heard that in September 2020, Azu approached the complainant at Konkomba and collected GHC250,000, saying his b rother abroad had shipped KIA Rino Trucks to him to be cleared at Tema Harbour. The prosecution said the accused told the complainant that if the mount was given to him, he could give him one of the vehicles to facilitate his supply of sachet water. The prosecutor said the complainant believed the accused person and he gave the accused person the money. The prosecution said the accused person after taking the money went into hiding. The complainant reported the matter to the Police and the accused person was arrested. Source: Ghana News Agency