First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has called on African First Ladies and spouses of heads of governments to use their positions to continuously seek technical support and funding from their development partners to sustain the projects they undertake.
This she said will complement the efforts of government in addressing the educational and health needs of their people.
The meeting held on the sidelines of the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly was for the African First Ladies and Spouses of heads of government discussed ways of meeting the health and education needs of their countries.
[contextly_sidebar id=”WOsEhtchnpet74OgwZBiK6j35vtwl5o1″]Representatives of the various countries discussed the importance of giving boys and girls equal access to education.
This they agreed can be done by halting the practice of recalling girls from school to help take care their younger siblings, sending them to farm or hawk to support their families.
The First Lady of Ghana, Lordina Mahama, cited the introduction of the Capitation Grant which abolished the payment of school fees for basic education; and the introduction of a School Feeding Programme, which provides one hot meal a day to all children in Public Schools as motivation to encourage the less privileged, to enrol and complete their education as some of the ways government was addressing some of the challenges in the education sector.
“As First Lady, My Foundation has instituted a scholarship scheme for brilliant but needy and deprived students to further their education in Ghana and overseas. These girls, who would otherwise have dropped out of school, have now been provided with a better future. My Foundation is facilitating a project to provide better accommodation and vocational education, for outcast women and their dependents in the Gambaga camp in the Northern Region. This is a camp where mostly elderly women who have been accused of witchcraft and cast out of their communities seek shelter and protection. We are also working to secure funding for the construction of dining halls, hygienic kitchens and for teacher motivation programmes in schools in deprived communities,’’ she added.
At the end of meeting it was decided that the African First Ladies and the spouses of heads of government urge their home administrations to develop policies and budgets that will ensure quality health, education and increased access, not only for girls, but for all our children.
By:Afriyie Amoakoa Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana