2nd edition of HOMOFEST launched

(Mrs. Ofosu Agyare delivering the keynote address to launch the Homofest)

The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts last Friday launched its 2nd edition of the Homofest under the theme “Unity and Development” at the Foyer of the National Theatre.
The main objective of the Homofest is to afford the chiefs and the people of Ga-Dangbe an opportunity to showcase their rich, diverse culture and creative arts potentials to both the local and the International Community for socio-economic development.

Speaking at the launch, Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts noted that, the festival was used to bring all Ga-Dangbe Chiefs and Queen mothers under one umbrella in a historic nature, and also serve as a means for people to reflect on their past, settle on their differences, forgive one another and to show love.

She then commended the Ministries of Local Government and the Rural Development and Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, the Greater Accra Regional coordinatingCouncil, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly ,all Assemblies in the Greater Accra Region, the Regional House of Chiefs and other Stakeholders for supporting for Ministry to create this festival.

In his speech, Hon. NiiLanteVanderpuije, Deputy Minister of Local and Rural Development, stated that, “the core values of the Ga tradition is fading, as some cultural events are retrogressing due to adulteration by the youth”.
He therefore stressed on the need for the tenets of the Ga culture to be inculcated into the training of children, adding that schools at various levels should incorporate cultural studies into their curriculum. “The Homofest is to showcase rich and unadulterated cultural events to revive the cultural conscience of the Ga-Dangbe people”, he reiterated.

The Homofest is to climax the celebrations of the Homowo Festival of the People of Ga-Dangbe after all the various stools namely Tema, Nungua, Osu, Teshie, La, Prampram, Ningo, Ga Mashie have all completed their individual celebrations.

Here are some pictures of attendees the launch;

VLISCO AMBASADDOR TOURS NETHERLANDS

The Vlisco Ambassador, Elizabeth Patterson, joined other Vlisco ambassadors across Africa on an exclusive 3-day trip to the Netherlands as part of their prize for winning Vlisco Women’s Month 2015.
During her trip, Elizabeth got to enjoy the sights of Netherlands and visited the Vlisco factory in Helmond, to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the authentic Dutch wax fabrics are made.

Here are her experiences and insights she shared about the trip which took place earlier this month:

• You recently returned from a trip to Holland with the other Vlisco Ambassadors, visiting the home of Vlisco - How was the experience?
I enjoyed the opportunity to visit Holland again, meet with the other 5 ambassadors, learn their stories, and about their journeys. We got a tour of the Holland factory and several workshops and tutorials, which I believe made us all true connoisseurs of style by the end of the trip.

• What was the highlight of the trip for you?
The highlights of the trip were meeting and engaging with the other ambassadors and the surprise horseback riding activity on the third day. I had not been on a horse since my teenage years in high school. It was great to literally get back on the horse after so many years.

• How was it interacting with the other Ambassadors from Africa?
This was very good. I connected with Dotun from Nigeria the most as we were partners for "the path to being a heroine" workshop which allowed us to share professional and personal stories with one another.

• What insight did you gain about Vlisco during your trip?
The trip allowed me to broaden my knowledge of the Vlisco brand more. Touring the factory gave us a visual of the attention to detail that goes into the making of a single fabric- from design to mass printing and distribution. One of Vlisco's pillars is to be innovative and forward thinking - this was seen in the fact that they have collections for the next 3 quarters of 2015, 2016, and 2017! The design team is constantly thinking ahead and creating unique colour combinations that no other brand has.

• How would you sum up the trip in one sentence?
The trip was the official beginning of my journey as Vlisco's Ghana brand ambassador and I learned a great deal to become a true connoisseur of style.

• Anything else to add about the trip?
Meeting with the Vlisco staff and team was equally good for me and the other ambassadors. We observed the dedication the teams have for the Vlisco brand.

Elizabeth is the founder and executive director of the Girls Education Initiative of Ghana (GEIG) whose mission is to provide academic and financial support for girls including applicants with special needs, so they may access secondary, higher education, and professional opportunities.
Below are some of the pix of her trip with the other ambasaddors;

FATHERFEST @ 5-Health Concern Ghana Celebrates

The Executive Director,Mrs Aboagye delivering a speech at the event.

Health Concern Ghana, a non-governmental organization last week marked its 5th annual Fathers’ Day celebration dubbed; “Fathers: Key Actors in Improving Maternal and Neonatal Health”, at the Victory Presbyterian Church in Accra.
The programme was centered on engaging fathers to improve maternal and neonatal health, because the organization believed that fathers, right from conception plays integral part to the health of both mother and child.
Other activities also included fathers cooking completion, health screening, bounty castle, football gala and a launch of “Save a mother, Save a new born Campaign”.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of Health Concern Ghana, Mrs. Mary Aboagye, said that every year there were about four million neonatal deaths worldwide, of which infections form( 36%),pre-term( 28%) and birth asphyxia( 23%).
Besides, she noted said “these newborn death’s occur in developing countries whiles most die at homes against a background of poverty, sub-optimum care seeking and weak health systems”, adding that two-thirds of those deaths could be prevented.
She advised fathers to find time to accompany their spouses to antenatal clinic and stressed the need for fathers to be educated on conception, pregnancy, delivery and childcare.
A representative for the Minister of Health, George Kumi Kyeremeh, hinted that statistics from the Social Welfare of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit(DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service revealed that the number of fathers noted to be irresponsible had risen over the past three years, with fathers mistreating their wives during pregnancy
He appealed to all fathers to renew their commitment to their civic, religious and traditional responsibilities by supporting their spouses at home.
Fatherfest is an initiative of Health Concern Ghana with a three-fold mission; to acknowledge the role of fathers in the society, create an avenue for people, show appreciation to their fathers and equip fathers to assume their role effectively.

SSNIT DONATES GH¢ 206,440

The Social Security and the National Insurance Trust (SSNIT, has donated a cheque of GH¢206,440.00 to the Burns Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra in support of the victims f the June 3 twin disaster incident.
The corporate Affairs manager, Miss Eva Amegashie disclosed that the donation is part of their corporate social responsibility as an organisation.

Ms.Eva Amegashie(right)presenting the cheque to the Deputy Director of Nurses Ethel Odei- Lartey