First Lady Akufo-Addo
The First Lady, Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo, over the weekend, presented items to the chiefs and traditional councils in Kpone, Ningo and Prampram, all in the Greater Accra Region.
The donations, which included bags of corn and palm-nuts, gallons of palm-oil, crates of beer, malt and minerals, and cartons of water, “Castle Bridge” and “Schnapps”, were to support the three traditional areas celebrate this year’s Homowo .
The First lady was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and MP for Anyaa Sowutuom, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey; the Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, Elizabeth Sackey; the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) and former MP for Tema West, Irene Naa Torshie; and Chief Executive Officer of Coastal Development Authority (CDA), Jerry Shaibu Ahmed.
The Homowo festival is celebrated by the Ga tribe, annually, to remind themselves of their long battle against famine and the eventual rains, which led to good harvests to ease the hunger.
Sod cutting
At Ningo, Mrs Akufo-Addo also cut sod for the construction of a 40-stall market complex, sponsored by The Rebecca Foundation, of which she is Executive Director.
She said The Rebecca Foundation is determined to intensify the implementation of its initiatives in all parts of the country to compliment government’s efforts at promoting the wellbeing of the people.
The Rebecca Foundation, since 2017, has implemented initiatives such as ‘Terema’ (supporting women to improve their economic status), ‘Because I want to Be’ (keeping girls in school) and ‘Learning to Read’ (improving child literacy), among others, as well as the construction of health facilities and supply of hospital equipment to needy institutions, in its effort to better the lives of especially women and children.
Policies
The First Lady also urged the people to take advantage of the many social intervention policies being implemented by the government, including the Free SHS policy, to break the vicious cycle of semi-literacy and poverty in their communities.
Mrs Akufo-Addo used the opportunity to advise the people of the three traditional areas not to let down their guards in this Covid-19 era, especially following the reduction in rate of infections, but rather adhere strictly to the safety protocols in this period of celebration to protect themselves from the dreadful disease.
