Author: Esi Abokomah

Star-Ghana Foundation’s SURE Project are helping vulnerable youth in northern Ghana turn away from radicalisation through skills training and community cooperation.

Dr. Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, Head of the Civil Service, has commended the leadership of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, praising its Chief Director Dr. Afisah Zakariah for what he described as dedication, intellectual depth and a strong commitment to excellence.

The Ministry of Health has directed the immediate enforcement of heightened security measures across all health facilities in Ghana, following the recent baby theft incident at Mamprobi Polyclinic.

Officials from the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP) have provided an update on a newborn baby discovered abandoned near Bronyibima Estate. The infant, believed to be around one day old, is receiving medical attention and is reported to be in stable condition.

For six years, Emmanuel Agbota has remained at a prayer camp, caring for his wife, Efia, who suffers from a severe mental illness, refusing to leave her side despite the challenges.

The Board of Directors of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), led by Board Chairman Hon. James Agalga (MP), conducted a working visit to key project sites, including the ongoing Hajj Village construction, the runway overlay, and the new head office at Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

For 14 years, 55-year-old Lilian Mawuse has balanced lesson plans with life-sustaining dialysis, navigating the demands of teaching while managing a chronic kidney condition that requires treatment several times a week.

The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has marked Ghana Chocolate Day by promoting locally produced chocolate on the floor of Parliament of Ghana, urging citizens to support the domestic cocoa industry.

Pupils at Sabegu D/A Primary School are being forced into combined classes due to a severe shortage of desks and chairs, a situation that is affecting their learning environment and academic progress. Teachers and students report that the lack of basic classroom furniture is making it difficult to conduct effective lessons.

Pupils at Enyan Nsawadze Methodist Basic School are holding lessons under trees following a heavy rainstorm that ripped off the roof of their classroom block, compounding long-standing infrastructural challenges in the community.

Nearly a month after the storm, the kindergarten and primary one block remains partially destroyed, leaving children as young as five exposed to the elements. Parents and community leaders have appealed for urgent intervention, warning that the situation is putting pupils at risk.

“Each morning, pupils carry desks from other classrooms and arrange them under limited shade before lessons can begin,” said a local parent. “The situation is very critical now because we do not have any extra classroom or school block for them.”

The storm follows the earlier collapse of the school’s junior high school (JHS) block nearly 15 years ago, which has yet to be rebuilt. School authorities say the damage has forced class mergers, disrupting academic activities and overburdening the six teachers on staff.

“We have no JHS block, so we combine them, two classes in one, and that is how we are managing it,” said the headteacher. A recent incident saw a child break a leg while moving furniture, highlighting the dangers of the improvised arrangements.

Most of the school’s infrastructure, aside from a three-unit classroom block built under the HIPC programme in 2002, has been provided by non-governmental organisations. Repeated appeals for support have reportedly gone unanswered.

The Central Regional Education Directorate acknowledges the wider problem, noting that several basic schools in the region face similar challenges. “When we talk about infrastructure, it is a challenge. Furniture is also a problem in both basic schools and senior high schools,” said a regional education official.

Limited facilities, overcrowding, and weather disruptions, officials warn, are hindering effective teaching. “Lessons began at 8 and it is 10:00, and we have had to change our location twice because the sun’s direction keeps changing,” one teacher explained.

Community members continue to call on authorities to act swiftly to rebuild classrooms and provide adequate learning environments for the affected pupils.