Mr Henry Quartey, Greater Accra Regional Minister, has commended the Rotary International District 9102 for its good works and efforts in identifying and implementing initiatives that support government’s developmental agenda.

He said Rotary Clubs had improved the lives of Ghanaians in areas of health, education, sanitation, and economic development.

He said this at the 10th District Assembly and Conference held in Accra on the theme: ‘Beyond Imagination’, to drive the Clubs work to achieve its goals.

He said Rotary Clubs in Ghana took upon themselves the initiative to end polio and on World Polio Day last year they held a three-day walk in Accra and Takoradi to educate people on clean water, hygiene and sanitation practices.

The Clubs, in partnership with the Forestry Commission, embarked on promoting Green Ghana, with over 1,000 trees planted to protect the banks of the Weija Dam, the major water production source that services the more significant population of the capital city of Accra.

‘Protecting the environment with trees to ensure a constant supply of water to households and industrial usage for products is a must for us all,’ he added.

This initiative has direct implications on child and maternal health, disease prevention and control, and poverty eradication for the growth of the Country.

He said Rotarians over the world had united and took action to create lasting change across the globe, in communities and in ourselves to ensure socio-economic well-being of humanity in general.

He said over the years Rotarians had provided humanitarian services across the world by taking actions on the world’s most persistent issues such as promoting peace, provision of clean water, sanitation and hygiene, economic and community development.

He called on Ghanaian Rotarians to rally their support behind the efforts of the government to make the ‘Let’s Make Greater Accra Work’ agenda, which aims at re-orienting the citizenry to understand and participate in the process of making the region function as an engine of growth in an environmentally and socially friendly manner.

He urged all Clubs to take advantage of the major tourist attractions and investments in the Region to visit cultural sites such as the National Museum and W.E.B. Du Bois Centre for Pan-African Culture, beaches and resorts and a Game Production Reserve, the Shai Hills Resource Reserve, close to the capital city.

Mr Victor Yaw Asante, Director Governor of Rotary International District 9102, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the Rotary had seven areas of focus, including basic education, maternal and child health care, environment, peacekeeping and conflict resolution, water and sanitation.

These areas are key factors that contribute towards improving socio-economic development in Ghana.

He said there were 62 rotary clubs in Ghana, which aimed to find issues in rural areas and provide solutions for community members.

He said the Clubs would continue to work for citizens by constructing more social amenities for the betterment of people.

‘As humans living, there would definitely be issues occurring even though we continue to solve them’, so we hope for the better,’ he said.

The focus for this year is to increase impacts by continuing to empower girls not to be seen as inferior and second decision makers, expand women in rotary clubs to 30 per cent and also increase the ability to adapt by focusing on Diversity Equality and Inclusion.

‘This year’s theme should drive us to serve towards a world without polio, a world with clean water for everyone, a world free of disease, a world where every child learns to read and a world full of kindness, hope, love, and peace,’ he said.

Rotary International District 9102 is geared to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.

It comprises 14 West African Countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.

Source: Ghana News Agency