World Autism Awareness Day

Not only is today, April 2 World Autism Awareness Day — the entire month of April is World Autism Month.

It might be noticeable that more folks than usual are wearing the color blue to mark the day and help bring awareness.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a broad range of conditions that affects a person’s social skills and communication. The organization Autism Speaks says there are many subtypes of autism and each are “influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.”

Groups supporting people with autism have collaborated on public service campaigns to increase awareness. The ABC television network has a popular prime-time drama called “The Good Doctor” in which the main character is a surgeon with autism.

There is a lot of work being done to shed light on the disorder as well as raise funds for research on it

 

Ahaban Green Camp – Gloria Pointers Girls’ School

Our first Green Camp Session of the year kicked off with a visit to Gloria Pointers Girls’ School in Agona Nkum, which is located in the Central Region.
We were warmly welcomed by the pupils and patrons of the school on arrival. After a word of prayer, we started the Green Camp Session with the different the activities planned for the day.
The girls were divided and placed into three groups according to their classes. We had the Drawing & Painting, Bead- Making and Tie/Dye groups.
In the Drawing and Painting Group, kids were asked to visualize and paint out things they like to do or be in the future.

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In the Bead – Making Session, the kids were taught how to string beads in order to produce key holders. Beautiful keyholders were produced at the end of the session.

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During the Tie/Dye Session, the kids in that group were taken through the process of tie/dye and were given cut-up linen to try their hands on what they learned from the demostration. Colourful tie/dye cloths were produced at the end of the session.

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We introduced Computer Literacy Session to our list of activities and pupils of Gloria Pointer Girls School had feel of it. We took them through fundamentals of the computer and they caught on it really quickly which was impressive.

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We wrapped the Green Camp with a reading session in which everyone was involved. Kids told us in their own words, the moral or lessons they learnt from the stories they read.

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Many thanks to patrons of Gloria Pointers Girls School for giving us the opportunity to come and show love to the girls, representatives from Gye Nyame Leo Club Ghana, Ms. Verlica, Nyonyo Foods and to all Ahaban GLF volunteers that took time off to spend time with the kids.

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Christmas On Wheels – Surprise Street Donation

Join us for a our yearly street donation event, Christmas On Wheels .Our route will take us from Tetteh Quarshie, through airport, 37, Kanda, Ridge Hospital, down to the Tigo head office and finally circle.

We’ll be giving out food and drinks to the homeless on the streets, as well the differently abled in the above mentioned areas.

To sign up call Awere on 0543702806

You can also donate money towards funding this event via

MTN Mobile Money – 0550252793
& Vodafone Cash – 0206545111

#GreenAtHeart – The Weeknd Donates $100,000 To French Montana’s “Unforgettable” Campaign

The RnB singer, The Weeknd donated $100,000 to help French Montana’s “Unforgettable” campaign.

The singer has reportedly donated $100,000 to the Suubi Health Center, a maternity and children’s medical facility in Budondo, Uganda. The ‘Starboy’ hitmaker was inspired to support the center after learning of his friend French Montana‘s work with Global Citizen and Mama Hope to help raise awareness for Suubi and the people of

The Weeknd’s donation enabled Suubi to complete construction of the first floor of the maternity clinic and increase its capacity of serving 56,000 people to 260,000 people.

French Montana also donated $100,000 to Suubi and launched an online campaign called #Unforgettable that has helped fund a blood bank, premature incubators, cribs and other maternity supplies.

Credit: www.viperial.com

#GreenAtHeart – Onga eyes new Guinness World Record with longest feast table

Onga, a seasoning powder and tablet, is seeking to set the pace by attempting to break the Guiness World Record (GWR) for the “Longest Feast Table”.

On the 25th of March 2017, over 3,000 Ghanaians will join the Onga winning table at the Independence Square to celebrate over 10 years of providing quality and tasty meals in different home across the country. Participants will not only be part of the history-making event but also be treated to rich traditional entertainment with free food and drinks for all.

Onga, produced by Promasidor Ghana Limited, is hoping that if the attempt is achieved, will not only position Onga as the record holder but also put Ghana in the Guiness Book of Records as the country holding the world’s record of the longest feast table. Currently Afia International in Saudi Arabia is holding the record of 1508 meters.

Aside breaking the world’s record, the event also offers another opportunity for the brand to give back to the society, as hundreds of children from different orphanages will be fed and given freebies.

 

 

Credit: Gabriel Myers Hansen , www.enewsgh.com

#GreenAtHeart : FROM ITALY TO GHANA: Menaye Donkor, on Charity

Former international model, winner of Miss Universe Ghana, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Menaye Donkor established the Menaye School of Hope in 2004 to provide free quality basic education and scholarships to rural children in Agona Asafo, a village community located in the central region of Ghana. The school currently enrolls over 400 students and was founded through the Menaye Charity Organization, which is dedicated to improving the welfare of under privileged children.

On a recent visit to Ghana from Italy, where she lives with her son and husband, professional footballer, Sulley Muntari, Menaye took the opportunity to meet with school administrators and teachers and bring much needed supplies to the school.

“I decided to bring my 18 month son Jamal along with me on my visit to the school as I want to instill and share my passion for service and giving to him even at this young age. I want him to grow up understanding that although we are living a relatively privileged life in Europe, we are Ghanaians and we are Africans and we will always be committed to the people of our motherland no matter where we are in the world”, says Menaye who envisions expanding the Menaye School of Hope to all 10 regions in Ghana and continuing her work with children affected by HIV/AIDS.

The Menaye School of Hope has been personally financed by Menaye since its inception and a portion of proceeds from her new luxury skincare brand, SHE-Y by Menaye which recently launched in Italy and UK will be donated to support the school. The highest grade of shea butter from Ghana and other rare ingredients from the rest of the world are used to create SHE-Y’s unique collection of body creams and body scrubs while maintaining many of the traditional and artisinal processing techniques native to the women of the Northern region of Ghana.

“My love and respect for shea butter stems from childhood. My mother always kept a tub of butter in our home and it was the solution to every problem. As I traveled the world modeling, I carried shea butter with me because of this. Through my SHE-Y brand I want to share some of my secrets to maintaining flawless and ageless skin while also making an impact in communities in Ghana through fair trade practices, employment generation and education,” adds Menaye who has been honored for her commitment of community service by the Chief and elders of Agona Asafo who chose her to be the ‘Nkosuohemaa’ or ‘Development Queen’ of Agona Asafo. Her official stool name for this prestigious title is Nanahemaa Menaye Afumade Afrakoma I, which signifies her global responsibility to her people and her contributions to society.

With the additional support from sales from SHE-Y, there are current plans to expand programming and make improvements at the Menaye School of Hope, including a breakfast club to provide a meal a day for students, supplying new books for the library and building additional school blocks for the nursery and primary students.

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Credit : Gabriel Myers Hansen , www.enewsgh.com

International Day of Forests – 21st March

2017 Theme: Forests and energy

This global celebration of forests provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of woodlands and trees, and celebrate the ways in which they sustain and protect us. This year we highlight the importance of wood energy in improving people’s lives, powering sustainable development and mitigating climate change.

Wood is a major renewable energy source – Wood provides the world with more energy than solar, hydroelectric or wind power, accounting for roughly 45 percent of current global renewable energy supply (27 percent of total primary energy supply in Africa, 13 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean and 5 percent in Asia and Oceania).

Wood energy powers economic development – Almost 900 million people, mostly in developing countries, are engaged in the wood-energy sector on a part- or full-time basis. Modernizing the wood energy sector can help revitalize rural economies and stimulate enterprise development – greater investment in wood energy production and advanced wood fuels can provide revenue to finance better forest management, more growing forests and more jobs.

Wood and trees contribute to optimal urban living and lower energy bills – Strategically placed trees in urban areas can cool the air by between 2 to 8 degrees C.

Wood energy mitigates climate change and fosters sustainable development – Globally, forests hold an energy content approximately 10 times that of the world’s annual primary energy consumption. They thus have significant potential as renewable resources to meet global energy demand. Forests provide clean air, water and energy. Sustainably managed forests can provide renewable and carbon neutral energy for a greener future.

Forests for energy, now and in a future global green economy – Greater investment in technological innovation and in sustainably managed forests is the key to increasing forests’ role as a major source of renewable energy. In this way, we invest in our sustainable future, in meeting several Sustainable Development Goals and in growing a green economy. Increased areas of sustainably household and community woodlots and the use of clean and efficient wood stoves can give millions more people in developing countries access to cheap, reliable and renewable energy.

 

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Women’s Health. The theme, The Best Defense Is a Good Offense, calls women to take effective steps to protect themselves and others from HIV. This day is an opportunity to join partners across the nation and take action to ensure women have the knowledge and tools needed to prevent HIV.

HIV is often characterized as a disease that overwhelmingly affects gay and bisexual men, subsequently obscuring the significant and unique risks experienced by women. In truth, 27 percent of all new HIV cases are attributed to women, making HIV/AIDS the leading cause of death worldwide for women aged 15-44. Women are subjected to various institutional barriers that escalate the risk of infection and prevent access to treatment.

 On National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, it is imperative that we recognize the threat of HIV facing women of all ages, encourage steps towards ending the epidemic among women, and empower women to affect the global response to HIV.
 Interesting Facts To Know About HIV/AIDS In Relation To Women & Girls
 1. New HIV infections among children in Malawi declined by 67% and by over 50% in Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. By contrast, Nigeria only achieved a 19% fall and accounted for a quarter of new HIV infections among children in Global Plan priority countries in 2013 (51,000 cases).
2. The Ghana AIDS Commission has revealed that the Greater Accra region still has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the country.
3. Ghana’s HIV prevalence rate continues to decline as it currently stands at 1.37 with women making 57 percent and 43 percent made up of men.
4. Among the respondents, 78 percent of men and 52 percent of women had never been tested. A survey conducted among people between 15-49 revealed that overall, one percent of the women reported that they had had two or more partners in the past 12 months, while among the women who had two or more partners in the past 12 months, 11 percent reported using a condom during their last sexual intercourse.

 

 

#GreenAtHeart – Ezekiel Ansah launches foundation to support Ghanaian youth

Ezekiel Ansah launches foundation to support Ghanaian youth

A Ghanaian born American Footballer, Ezekiel Nana “Ziggy” Ansah on Tuesday, launched a sports initiative foundation, aimed at supporting the youth in Ghana.

The ‘‘Ezekiel Ansah Foundation’’ is also purposed to provide young athletes, the opportunity to demonstrate their talents through Physical Education.

Nana Ansah, who is a defensive-end, plays for Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), is expected to whip up the interest of young people in physical education, which has over the years dwindled in the educational sector.

Speaking at the launch ceremony at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Nana Ansah, also known as “Ziggy” who is on record to be the first Ghanaian to be drafted into the NFL in 2013, said he comes from very humble beginnings and wanted to use himself as an example to inspire, educate and support the youth to a brighter future.

According to him, he is very passionate about giving back to the community and has been doing so throughout his career.

An emotional Nana Ansah urged the youth to be determined and persistent in chasing their aspirations adding ‘‘don’t let your parents or anybody deter you from following your dreams. Set a goal for yourself and achieve it but don’t put your education away’’.

He added that, the Ezekiel Ansah Foundation’s objective is to create opportunities and leadership skills among the youth through education, identifying individual sports talents and inspiring a brighter future.

Dr. Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, who represented the Minister for Youth and Sports, encouraged the youth to grab the opportunity offered and commended Nana Ansah for the initiative.

He pledged his outfit’s readiness to support the foundation to achieve its target.

Nana Ansah, the 29-year old, who played soccer and an American footballer, is also an enthusiastic basketball fan, having played regular basketball games at Golden Sunbeam Montessori School.

He attended the Presbyterian Boys Secondary School, Legon, in 2004, before gaining admission at the Brigham Young University, where he played on the Golden Sunbeam basketball team and became the most valuable player and led his team to win many games.

 

By : Edna A. Quansah GNA

#GreenAtHeart – 24-Year-Old Ghanaian Develops An App for Autistic Children

Living with autism in Ghana has just been made more bearable since HopeSetters, an autism center, came out with a locally configured autism  app that helps children with autism receive better education.

Speaking of her motivation, 24-year-old Alice Amoako  says that her desire to ease the strain of teaching and learning among children with special needs informed her decision to develop the app.

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“I visited an autism centre and had interactions with the caregivers and children, and I realized there was a need to help raise awareness. In my final year in the university, I had to do a project to complete my studies, and we developed the app,” she said.

Ghana currently has no official documentation or statistics on the state of children with autism; however, a recent report indicates that 1 in 87 children in Ghana under the age of 3 have autism with the neurological disorder being 4 times more prevalent in boys than in girls.

Credit : Charles Ayitey (www.face2faceafrica.com)