Lack of toilets in schools hindering girls education

Date: Jun 04 , 2018 , 09:01

Author: Benjamin Xornam Glover

It is estimated that almost 50 percent of basic schools in the country do not have access to toilets and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities.

This situation it is said makes it difficult for girls in their menstrual period to stay in school during that time of the month.

Lack of toilets in schools hindering girls education

As part of activities marking this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day, an awareness programme was held in Tema aimed at educating girls, boys and stakeholders on the benefits of menstrual hygiene for girls.

It was held on the theme: “No more limits, empowering women and girls through menstrual hygiene management.” More than 1,000 students of basic and second-cycle schools in the Tema metropolis attended the programme.

The event was organised by the Ghana Education Service, the World Bank, GAMA Sanitation and Water Project, the Global Partnership for Output-Based Aid (GPOBA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Unilever Ghana Foundation.

In an interview with journalists, the Deputy Director in charge of Environmental Health and Management at the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Mr Kweku Quansah, said the celebration of the day would help break the silence and build awareness of menstruation to enable women and girls to reach their full potential.

Access to WASH facilities

According to Mr Quansah, statistics from the Education Management Information System (EMIS) said close to 50 per cent of all basic schools in the country did not have access to toilets and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities and that ought to be addressed.

He stressed that the lack of access to WASH facilities and regular water supply sources had made it difficult for students to use school latrines and promote positive hygienic practices and habits.

He called on metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to prioritise the provision of these facilities to enable the children to learn in a clean, safe and healthy learning environment.

“If a girl stays in school for one year, she is able to reduce the infant mortality rate by close to five to 10 per cent. There is a direct impact on attracting girls to stay in school and also providing them with WASH facilities so that when they are in their menses, they do not stay out of school,” Mr Quansah stated.

He said in many rural settings, many girls dropped out of school due to the lack of WASH facilities, urging assemblies to take up the challenge and provide such facilities.

Education

The acting Tema Central Sub-Metro Director of Health Services, Dr Akosua Osei Manu, advised the girls to wash their hands with soap under running water before putting on their sanitary pads and ensure proper use of the sanitary pads to prevent leakages.

She also stressed the need for all stakeholders to provide support to girls to enable them to manage their menstrual periods by observing good menstrual hygiene practices.

Local materials

Two traditional rulers, the Divisional Chief of Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Area, Nana Ogyedom Ama Tsetsewa, and the Queenmother of the Twifo Hemaa Traditional Area, Nana Adjoa Timaa, bemoaned the lack of information and sanitary products in some parts of the country and stressed on the use of clean, cost-saving menstrual management materials by adolescent girls to deal with menstrual hygiene.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/lack-of-toilets-in-schools-hindering-girls-education.html

Damaged system at Tema Port to disrupt gas supplies

Date: Jun 02 , 2018 Back page  

Author: Benjamin Xornam Glover

The ruptured loading arm

Ghana’s Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supplies are expected to face some disruptions due to an  unanticipated damage to a loading arm at the Oil Jetty at the Tema Port.
The situation has necessitated the suspension of LPG operations at the jetty, which handles about 80 per cent of LPG that comes into the country.
The loading arm ruptured due to strong winds during a discharge of the product from a cargo vessel.
The jetty is a birthing facility where oil/ LPG  tankers dock at ports of entry to offload cargo, which is piped or transmitted to the storage facilities onshore.
DamageIn an interview, the Harbour Master, Capt. Christian Yeboah-Asante said on May 25, 2018 at about 1 p.m. while the product was being discharged from a tanker, MT Junefrau Explorer, a severe storm occured causing the vessel to move.
He said the loading arms have been designed to allow a certain level of movement of the vessel, however, during the storm, the vessel opened up,  causing damage to the loading arm, which is basically a steel pipe that permits the transfer of products from the vessel to a storage facility.
The captain, however, said the damage to the loading arm would not affect discharge of other petroleum products at the jetty.
No cause for alarmDespite the suspension of LPG operations at the Tema jetty, the Ministry of Energy and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) have allayed fears of LPG shortage.
The Deputy Minister of Energy, in charge of Petroleum, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, and the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Hassan Tampuli, who toured the facility last Thursday  to inspect the damaged portion, insisted that alternative steps had been taken to ensure regular supply of LPG to the domestic market.
Dr Adam said there were alternative routes that the government was going to activate through the NPA to ensure constant supply of the product to the market.
"As you already know, Ghana Gas supply 50 per cent of the product to the market but they have been operating below capacity so we will have to fall on them to increase supply," he said.
The minister added that the old bauxite jetty in Takoradi would also be activated to receive vessels for the off loading of the product.
"We are going to use the appropriate options available to us to ensure that we continue to supply gas to the market. We will not have any shortage of LPG. The product will continue to flow into the market. This is a natural disaster but we are not going to sleep over it," he further assured.
Reserve stockFor his part, Mr Tampuli said  the country had two and half weeks of supply which was enough to sustain the market as the engineers worked to fix the problem.
He said in addition to the alternatives suggested by the minister, the NPA had been assured by engineers working on the ruptured pipes that the materials needed for the repair works would arrive in the country on June 1, 2018  from either Nigeria or Cote d'Ivoire.
Upon taking delivery of the materials, he said, it would take about four days to fix the loading arm.
"We have a window of seven days to fix this and we have been assured by the engineers that it is possible they can fix it within four days. If it is possible that they can do it over the weekend, they are prepared to do so," Mr Tampuli indicated

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/damaged-system-at-tema-port-to-disrupt-gas-supplies.html

TMA presents outboard motors to fishermen

June 1, 2018 Back Page

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has presented 72 outboard motors to artisanal fishermen operating  at the Tema fishing harbour canoe basin.

The outboard motors were sold to the beneficiary fishermen at a subsidized price of about GH¢9,000, representing a subsidy of about 60 percent while the government through the TMA bored the remaining 40 percent of the cost of the outboard motors which range between GH¢15,000 and GH¢16,000 on the open market.

Support for fishermen

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Ishmael Ashitey who the presentation on behalf of the government on Wednesday, May 30, 2018, said the programme is a continuation of a subsidy policy initiated by the previous NDC administration to support artisanal fisherfolks to acquire fishing gears at a subsidised cost.

He said when the NPP administration took over and recognising of the role fishing plays in the economic development of the area decided to persue the programme to support the fishing industry.

Mr Ashitey said when he assumed office as Regional Minister, some canoe owners who had already made payment but were yet to recieve their outboard motors, approached him and appealed to him to intervene.

He said the he,  in consultation with the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development took prompt action to ensure that the affected canoe owners were supplied with the outboard motors.

He tasked the MCE to ensure that the gear goes to real fishermen and not business people who would want to take advantage of the subsidy programme for their selfish interest.

Hygiene
Mr Ashitey disclosed that food hygiene had been identified as a major challenge in terms of export of fish, enphasising that it was prudent that sanitation conditions at the various beaches meet high hygienic standards.

He said there is the need for fishermen and fish processors to ensure hygienic sanitation conditions at the landing beaches, and fishing communities in general, so that the fishing industry could take advantage out there, in terms of export of fish which could earn foreign incomes for themselves and the country.

Training
The Metropolitan Chief Executive for Tema, Mr Felix Mensah Anang-La said apart from the support to canoe owners,  the assembly had also initiated some programmes for the fish processors to train them  in basic records and book keeping. This would enable them to acquire knowledge in accounting and build their capacities to enhance their fishing business.

A  Chief Fisherman from the Awudun area, Nii Ashitey Odametey II, called for stringent enforcement of the Fisheries Law to ensure that the industry is sustained.

He bemoaned the increasing numbers of foriegn vessels on the Ghanaian waters who he alledged where gradually driving the artisanal fishers out of business due to their method of fishing.

He said said the government had the responsibility of saving the industry from collapsing by ensuring that fishermen who flouted the fishing laws and regulations were dealt with.

The Paramount Chief of the Tema Traditional Area, Nii Adjei Krakue II, has lauded the government for sustaining the programme, adding that it will go a long way to boost fishing
which plays role in the economic development of the area.