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Costheta Educational Support Fund rewards 20 deserving students

The Costheta Educational Support Fund in partnership with Duamenefa Foundation, a non-governmental organisation has awarded 20 brilliant, but needy Christian students from various institutions in the country.

The awardees made up of 11 males and nine females received a certificate and a cash amount of GHS1,500.00 each with an added Ipad for the best awardee.

Dr David Kotei Nutakor (also known as Costheta), a Geotechnical Engineer based in California, USA and the brain behind the Fund in a speech read on his behalf during the third award ceremony at Dzodze said he started the Fund in memory of his late parents, Mr Leonard Besa Gbede Nutakor and Madam Sabina Atsemuyo Evortepe as a way of giving back to society.

He congratulated the awardees whose visions for the future he was proud of saying, he set out to get ‘the smartest, most creative needy Christian students to address ongoing challenges we currently face in the world.

‘It is important to note that success is not only about titles, the awards, the recognition and the money we have, but joy of personal success resides in how much we contribute to society by helping family and friends to build a better life for themselves and those around them,’ Dr Nutakor said.

Mr Emmanuel Ketaman Evortepe, Executive President, Duamenefa Foundation expressed gratitude to Dr Nutakor for choosing the Foundation as a conduit to extend his long thought-of dream to support and motivate students at secondary schools in the country to study hard and exhibit good morals and prayed for other individuals and organisations to support the project.

He called for true education necessary to bring changes to society saying, it goes beyond earning degrees and acquiring bookish knowledge to mean ‘inculcating moral values, positive thinking, an attitude of giving to society and ethical values.’

Madam Esi Azalekor, mother of the best awardee, Ms Cynthia Makafui Abla Baragbor from Keta Senior High Technical School, who obtained a perfect score of A1 in all eight subjects – and currently studying Medicine at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, attributed her daughter’s brilliant performance to the good upbringing she gave her and urged all parents to train their children to grow into responsible adults in future.

Ms Rejoice Morvey, an awardee and currently a student at University of Health and Allied Sciences asked for God’s blessings for organisers of the award and urged secondary school students to take their studies and Christian life serious to qualify for the award.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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We need active citizens to advocate sustainable development – AFROSIF

Ms Serraine Nyamori, Managing Director of Sustainability Africa, a Kenyan based non-governmental organisation has called on citizens within the African region to be advocates for sustainable development in Africa.

She said: ‘We need active global citizens that advocate for sustainable development in Africa. If we do not speak up, nothing will happen.

There is the need for Africans to equip themselves with knowledge, skills, and information,’

Ms Nyamori made the call at this year’s African Social Intervention Festival (AFROSIF 2023)

The event brought together social change makers across Africa under the theme, ‘Showcasing the voices behind the Africans putting smiles on the faces of the marginalized, underserved and underprivileged.’

It also provided a platform for leaders, policy makers, corporate bodies, professionals, civil society organizations, academics, and social entrepreneurs to explore, network and exchange ideas.

Ms Nyamori said there was the urgent need to have citizens who provided local innovative solutions to our global challenges and urged all Africans to get on board, saying, ‘be part of the solution, do something.’

Nii Commey, Convenor of AFROSIF, said Africa had a lot of potential that needed to be harnessed and AFROSIF sought to help connect various social entrepreneurs to network and harness their abilities to make the needed change.

He said Africans could work together to raise funds to sustain projects and programmes locally ‘if we harnessed our abilities.’

This year’s event was dedicated to celebrating the power of social interventions to promote healthy, equitable and prosperous societies.

In all, eleven speakers from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Sudan covered several topics from poverty, health, education, climate change, water, and sanitation, fundraising social enterprise, among others.

The annual event is organised by Handwriting Communications through its Social Interventional Network Africa (SINA), a pan-African network of individuals, corporate bodies, NGOs, donors, social entrepreneurs’ experts, and practitioners in the field of social interventions.

SINA aims to promote best practices and evidence-based interventions in Africa, share knowledge and facilitate collaboration and innovation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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Students Hold Vigil In Honour Of Fallen Pwani University Students

Students from the Nyeri National Polytechnic, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology and the Karatina University have held vigils in their respective institutions to condole their comrades from the Pwani University mourning schoolmates who passed away in a grisly road accident.

In the three institutions, the student lit candles which had been arranged to spell out the name Pwani University surrounded by a heart. At the Karatina University, more than 200 students and academic staff participated in the night vigil.

Elsie Bartera, vice chairperson of the student governing council at Karatina University told KNA that she and her fellow student leaders and governing council had organised the candle-lighting ceremony to show solidarity with their fellow comrades.

‘It is a painful ordeal to lose a friend or a classmate so our fellow comrades need all the support to help them mourn. With the help of the staff and a turn up of almost three quarters of the student population we were able to have a candle-lighting ceremony at the premises of both the school of business and the main campus at around 7 pm yesterday,’ she said.

Speaking to KNA, Irene Kavale the student organization vice chairperson at the Dedan Kimathi University said that 500 turned up for the 6pm vigil.

‘As the DEKUT student council, we planned the vigil to show Pwani University students that we stand with them during this difficult time and we also mourn the loss of those who have passed on,’ she said.

Njoki Wanja, the Nyeri National Polytechnic Catholic Association Chairperson, said that at their school, the students’ welfare organization and council with support from the school’s administration also planned and held the event at the school’s main gate from 7pm and 8 pm with almost half the school’s population and a few staff in attendance.

The Pwani University bus was headed to Eldoret on Thursday, 30 March 2023 when the accident occurred. The bus collided with a 14-seater matatu at the Kayole Bridge on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. The accident claimed 18 lives, 12 of who were from the Pwani University in Kilifi County.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Organization Donates Shoes, Toiletries To Students Of Mashimoni School

The Back to Society organization in partnership with the Rotary Club has donated 250 pairs of shoes and toiletries to Mashimoni Squatters School, with an aim of giving back to the society on International Women’s Day.

Speaking at the event, Back to Society Board Director, Abu Bakari, said that the donations will go further in supporting and ensuring smooth learning of the students.

Bakari also stated that the Organization is set to plant two million trees which are still in the nursery in Baringo County, to preserve and conserve the environment.

At the same time, Wambui Nganga of the Rotary Club Nairobi, remarked that they would work hand in hand with other stakeholders to cater for the students’ needs, adding that it’s their first initiative and more is expected.

‘We had these donations from a friend in the Rotary Club and decided to share and celebrate on this essential day,’ stated Nganga.

On the other hand, Mashimoni Squatters Head Teacher, Vincent Wasera, voiced that some of the challenges the school faces are food, water and furniture at its forefront, adding that the school environs and geographical position does not do it any good.

Wasera also lamented that the School is in dire need of renovations as the road construction damaged some of its structures urging stakeholders involved to look into the matter.

In addition, he expressed that the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) is facing a major challenge in terms of textbooks, adding that if the matter is looked upon it would go a long way in helping the student adapt.

Meanwhile, Rotary Club member, John Kamau, hinted that they would send three bags of maize in order to curb food shortage and offer free educational training and forums to students in the School.

Back to Society is a Non-Governmental Organization that deals with health, education and environmental issues, its currently operating in three counties namely of Nairobi, Baringo and Kakamega.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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University Presidents Urge Downstream Countries to Support Ethiopia’s Green Dev’t Endeavors on Abbay River

University presidents have called on the downstream countries of Abbay River to support Ethiopia’s green development efforts and sustain water flow of the river.

Bahir Dar, Debre Markos and Gambella university presidents told the Ethiopian News Agency said that sticking to unreasonable issues would not help the downstream countries.

Bahir Dar University President doctor Frew Tegegn said that his university has conducted extensive studies and research on natural resources conservation activities on Abbay River and Tana Basin for over ten years.

Among the researches included the study on how to extend the lifespan of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) by three times by preventing sedimentation.

The downstream countries should therefore assist Ethiopia in its Green Legacy initiative, a massive tree seedlings planting program, in order to prevent the impacts of climate change, the president underscored.

Ethiopia’s green economy is also instrumental to ensuring a sustainable water flow in the lower riparian countries as the country is a major source of the Abbay, he added.

“When I look at it rationally, they (the downstream countries) should (even) contribute to the construction of the Renaissance Dam and the environmental initiatives because the project has huge benefits to the basin countries, and there are professional, ethical and international experiences which say countries have to pay for the services they get in the future.”

However, the president lamented that the countries are not helping the efforts of Ethiopia and its people. Instead, they create unnecessary disputes.

Debre Markos University President, doctor Tafere Melaku stated on his part that adequate research activities have not been carried out considering the size of the watershed on Abbay River.

According to him, although the downstream countries routinely undermine Ethiopia’s right to use and develop the river, their opposition has never been scientific. It is political, he noted.

“The countries, which are criticizing Ethiopia for using the river to generate power from the very outset, should think of working together to ensure a sustainable flow of Abbay water,” the president underscored.

As a result, natural resources conservation is not being carried out in Abbay basin and this will impact negatively on the flow of the river, Tafere elaborated.

“To tell the truth, they have never thought that the water of Abbay River could disappear if sufficient environmental protection work is not done on it. This is the biggest and basic problem. If they (all the counties in the basin) work together and cultivate the natural resources in the basin, it will be possible to have water that is not only adequate for the riparian countries but also for others.”

The president finally called on Ethiopian universities to jointly work researches on Abbay River basin with universities of the downstream and upstream countries.

Gambella University President, Ojulu Okock said environmental and green development endeavors of Ethiopia have to be supported by the downstream countries since the country is the major contributor to Abbay River.

“Ethiopia is a major water supplier for the Nile River. Therefore, supporting the country’s endeavors will ensure mutual benefits of all countries from the river.”

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

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Two senior high students perish in gory accident

Two female students of the St. Ignatius of Loyola (Lassia Tuolu) Senior High School in the Wa West District lost their lives in a fatal accident at Gindabuor in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region.

The accident, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, April 6, claimed the lives of Hidaya Boressah Abudu, a first-year student, from Bole in the Savannah Region, and Cynthia Bong-Yinaa, a second-year student, from Konzokala in the Jirapa District, Upper West Region.

The victims, who were pronounced dead on arrival at the Upper West Regional Hospital, had since been buried.

Five other students were injured and are receiving treatment at the same hospital while one student is on admission at the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District Hospital.

Mr Banongwie Emmanuel, the Headmaster of the school, who confirmed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said 14 students were on board a Sanyon minibus hired by the students to convey them to the southern sector.

The school was vacated on Thursday, and the students were travelling back home for the Easter break when the unfortunate happened.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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All-round Preparations Underway To Resume Education in Tigray Including in Four Universities

The Ministry of Education has today announced that all-round preparations are well underway to resume general education including in four universities in Tigray region.

Officials of the Ministry of Education and Interim Administration of Tigray Region as well as Presidents of Universities held a discussion on ways to resume education in the region.

Following the peace agreement reached in Pretoria between the government and TPLF, reconstruction efforts are being underway in addition to the restoration of basic services and the provision of humanitarian aid to the people in the region.

The government has also been implementing the peace agreement in a bid to allow the establishment of regional interim administration, disarm and integrate the armed forces, restore transport and resume education among other vital services.

According to the State Minister of Education, Dr. Samuel Kifle, efforts are being made to resume general education including in four universities in the region.

”We have studied the extent of damage on educational institutions, identified the issues needed to resume education and started preparations,” he said.

The Chief Administrator of Tigray Region Interim Administration, Getachew Reda, stated that although the damage caused by the conflict is huge, the efforts being made by the government to implement the peace agreement is encouraging.

He said that the government’s support in various ways to resume education as quickly as possible and the commitment it has been demonstrating in this regard will motivate the interim administration to do more work.

The President of Addis Ababa University and Government Universities Cooperation Forum, Professor Tassew Woldehanna, on his part said higher educational institutions should repeat their effective problem solving measures by strengthening cooperation.

The cooperation that Ethiopian universities have demonstrated to Wolo, Woldiya and Meqdela Amba Universities after they were damaged during the war should be repeated to the universities in Tigray, he stressed pledging to play their part to the effective implementation of the peace agreement.

Education Bureau Head of Tigray Interim Administration, Dr. Kiros Guesh called on all to exert effort to make the damaged educational institutions ready for teaching and learning activities.

He called upon all Ethiopians to play their role in supporting the reconstruction of schools in the region.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency