Category: General

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training announced that the deadline for the applications to the call of projects for the Phase 2 of the Mobi-TRE project "Hajti bik" has been extended to March 31, 2024. The project is aimed to implement joint projects between promoters in Tunisia and Tunisians living abroad (Germany, France, Côte d'Ivoire and Saudi Arabia) in a bid to select 30 projects in regional development zones. Promoters wishing to access funding under this project should apply on https://www.moubader.tn/ platform. the "Mobi-TRE" project Phase 2 "Migration as a resource: mobilising the Tunisian diaspora and stabilising disadvantaged communities in Tunisia." The project is funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented by IOM, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Vocational Training and Employment as well as institutional partners and authorities in Tunisia at national and regional levels. The Ha jti Bik component of this project aims to mobilize innovative initiatives contributing to Tunisia's economic development, with particular emphasis on regions with high migration potential. This Call for Projects focuses on promoting the effective realization of a Matching between a Tunisian entrepreneur and a Tunisian investor Resident Abroad (TRE). It aims to create sustainable jobs, reduce poverty, and promote the link between migration and development. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Mr. Samuel Asare Akuamoah, Deputy Chairperson in-charge of Operations, National Centre for Civic Education (NCCE), has urged students to develop interest in learning and understanding Ghanaian languages. He said the learning of the local languages should not be limited to speaking. The learning of the local language, he said, could enhance cultural integration among various ethnic groups and tribes in the country. 'We urged them to develop the skill of reading and applying it so that they would be able to unearth the hidden knowledge and truths in the books…,'' he said. Mr Akuamoah gave the advice during the commemoration of this year's International Mother Language Day, organised by the Ashiedu Keteke sub-metro office of the NCCE, the Sempe Basic School, and the Accra World Book Capital. International Mother Language Day, a UNESCO-approved Day, is marked on February 21, each year to promote multilingual education in the mother tongue. The theme this year is: 'Multilingual Education Is A Pillar of Inter generational Learning'. This year's event was observed in 15 selected schools in 15 districts in the Greater Accra region. Reading activities took place simultaneously on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, across the 15 districts to drum home the importance of promoting Ghanaian languages for inclusive education and social change. The Sempe School session featured many activities, including a book reading session between the officials of NCCE and the students. Mr. Edward Yaw Udzu, Member of Accra Work Book Capital, underscored the significance of reading books in the local language. He advised the students to make a conscious effort to read books in local languages, as speaking would limit their potential for reading books in local languages. 'Research has proven that the human mind is not programmed to read; the human mind is programmed to listen, see, and hear,' he said, stressing that, 'the fact is that for the mind to comprehend something, it needs to read. So, you will find that people can stay in vario us communities and end up speaking the community's language.' He added that: 'Even in the United Kingdom, people can speak the English Language, but they cannot write in it. Before you are able to read and write, you must make a conscious effort to be reading, and as you read, you will be able to write.' As part of the effort to encourage the reading of books in the local language, Mr Udzu said, the Accra World Book Capital, organised reading sessions in various schools, donated books to schools, and established reading clubs in schools. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Department of Community Development and Social Welfare of the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) has sensitised students within the municipality on issues of teenage pregnancy and illegal abortions. Madam Alimatu Sadia Abubakari, a Senior Social Welfare and Community Development Officer of EKMA, who presented on the socio-cultural and economic effects of early pregnancy particularly on the girl child, prayed that they rather focused on their studies to become more responsible contributors to family life later in life. In the municipality, she noted that teenage pregnancy was gradually becoming a matter of concern amongst dwellers of Kwesimintsim and Apremdo areas. Mr. John Afful, an officer from Marie Stopes International, engaged the students on the effects of teenage pregnancy, such as obstetric fistula, giving birth to under weight babies, still birth, school drop-out and the risk of contracting Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) among other things. He mentioned that students ought to d esist from sexually related activities, adding that they stood the risk of contracting STDs should they get involved in such activities. Mr. Afful advised the students to treat any suspected case of candidacies and make their reproductive health a priority. The students were therefore urged to abstain from premarital sex that might lead to unwanted pregnancies and later lead to illegal abortions. Source: Ghana News Agency

Rev. Mrs. Patricia Akpene Tegbe-Agbo, the National Coordinator of the Women's Ministry of the Global Evangelical Church has challenged women to eschew the habits of idleness and laziness to avoid poverty. She said God had endowed women with exceptional creative abilities and skills however, it behoves us to identify them and turn them to generate income. Rev. Mrs. Tegbe-Agbo who is also a Chartered Marketer was speaking at a business Seminar on the theme: 'How to Create and Maintain Wealth in an Economic Downturn'. It was organized by the Tema Presbytery of the Women's Ministry of the Church and held at the Yahweh Chapel, Lashibi. Over three hundred women participated in the one day seminar. Rev. Mrs. Tegbe-Agbo said the theme for the Women's Ministry for the year 2024 is 'Empowering Women for Holiness and Change' and one area we wish to focus on is finance. 'As Women's leaders, we want to empower our mothers and sisters to be financially sound. If women are financially independent, it will prevent us fr om falling prey to some vices.' The National Coordinator took the women through some wealth creation strategies, wealth maintenance strategies as well as exceptional customer service skills. Mrs. Margaret Kpodo, the Tema Presbytery Women's Ministry Leader, encouraged the women to put the knowledge acquired from the seminar into practice so as to turn their financial situations around. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has begun the 88th cycle cash grant payment to beneficiary households under government's Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme. LEAP is a social protection programme for extremely poor households aimed at reducing extreme poverty by smoothening consumption and promoting human capital development through cash grants and access to other social services. A statement from the Ministry to the Ghana News Agency, signed by Dr Myles Ongoh, Head of the LEAP Programme, said the Programme had a total number of 350,141 households. Out of the number, 325,960 households would be paid nationwide. The statement said for the 88th cycle payment, households with one eligible member would be paid GHC128.00 while households with two eligible members would be paid GHC152.00. Households with three eligible members would be paid GHC176.00, and households with four or more eligible members would be paid GHC212.00. However, the remaining 25,181 households, the statement said, would not be paid due to ongoing validation and reassessment exercises across the country. 'We are grateful for the continuous support to the LEAP programme from our partners (UNICEF, The World Bank, World Food Programme and Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Accra)) and other stakeholders,' it said. Source: Ghana News Agency