Editorial
Creation of youth employment in wake of COVID-19: Laudable initiative
In the wake of COVID-19 where many businesses in the country have collapsed leading to loss of jobs, it is refreshing to know that there is still hope for the Ghanaian youth, especially women.
An initiative by the government to create employment and income generating opportunities for 39,000 young people by 2022 is laudable as reports say that the COVID-19 pandemic has had adverse effects on businesses.
This initiative, by the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) in collaboration with the MasterCard Foundation’s Young Africa Works Project, a Canadian non-profit organisation was launched recently in Accra by the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo to address the issue of unemployment in the country.
It is hoped that the three-year project, dubbed, “Creating Dignified and Sustainable Work for Ghana’s Young People”, which is aligned with the government’s Ghana Beyond Aid agenda would help improve entrepreneurship, provide jobs for young people and also boost businesses in the country to improve the economy.
With a growing population, unemployment has been a great concern in the country. In a recent survey by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in partnership with the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) and World Bank with technical support from the Innovation for Poverty Action (IPA)), it was revealed that about 115,000 businesses in the country had either permanently or temporarily closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has also affected the world.
The survey stated that more than 45,000 workers lost their jobs during the partial lockdown and those who were hit most were from the accommodation and food sectors. It is obvious that without any interventions the economy will suffer as about 770,000 workers of businesses had their wages reduced with 30,000 of businesses closed down permanently and 85,000 yet to determine what to do.
The intervention, therefore, would offer hope to the Ghanaian graduate youth, especially women and school dropouts nationwide between the ages of 18 and 35.
The agricultural sector is an area which is very lucrative and it is worth noting that the project targets the agri/agro-business, health, manufacturing, transport and education sectors among others under the Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Programme (YEEP).
With youth unemployment, the country’s security is threatened. The Spectator urges the youth not to allow this opportunity to pass by but to log onto the website, HYPERLINK “https://nbssi.gh/youngafricaworks”https://nbssi.gh/youngafricaworksas more women would be trained in the coming months and provided with start-up kits and other equipment to start their own businesses.
As it was noted, the project had three components, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship (ICE), Apprentice to Entrepreneurship (A2E) and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Business Acceleration which would help the youth (who form 57 percent of Ghana’s population), to unearth their talents, create jobs for them to live fulfilling lives and thereby grow the economy.
As these efforts progresses, we remind the youth to make good use of social media platforms to market their products globally, as in this era of COVID-19 there is the need for entrepreneurs to explore innovative ways to reach out to customers.
We commend the government for giving hope to the youth and further urge it to introduce more interventions to cushion Ghanaians.
The private sector, international agencies and well-meaning individuals should also intervene to help create more job opportunities for the youth, women, the less privileged and People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) to rid the streets of beggars.
The creation of youth employment in the wake of COVID-19 is a laudable initiative.
Editorial
Let’s respect the dead
Dear Editor,
Growing up as a young man, I watched how families of deceased persons paid respect to their beloved ones.
Right from the mortuary to the funeral grounds, the mortal remains of the deceased are always handled with respect to honour them.
Most of the time, individuals who visit the mortuary to bring the body of the deceased home were required to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water.
A traditional belief holds that seeing or coming into contact with dead bodies portends a bad omen and may require spiritual cleansing.
However, in recent times, I have seen a number of videos on social media where corpses are handled without care.
In some of these videos, one could see the body of the corpse carried on the shoulders of friends or being made to stand while friends and families touch and take pictures with it.
I find that weird and at the same time disturbing and thinks a lot about the health implications.
According to some health experts, such an act poses a threat to public health as one may not know the cause of the death of the deceased.
Some have predicted that Ghana could face health crisis such as disease transmission as a result of the pathogens present in decomposing bodies, if care was not taken.
As a concerned individual, I share in the view of the health experts.
I believe that if care is not taken, the actions of the youth in handling dead bodies could lead to the spread of diseases.
I, therefore urge the Ghana Health Service to take the issue seriously and address it to avoid any possible future health crisis.
Atom,
Korle-bu
Editorial
Prevent Keta Township from being engulfed by sea
Have you ever dreamed about waking up to discover that everything you own—including your mattress, roof, and all of your memories – has been lost to the sea?
Since the sea has consumed a sizable portion of Keta in the Volta region, the town’s citizens are in a pitiful position. The sooner action is taken to save the town, the better off everyone will be.
The destruction of the Keta by the sea needs to be addressed immediately, or else the township would eventually be submerged under the water.
Our reporter’s visit showed that this once-thriving seaside resort is gradually disappearing. Keta was once a thriving town known for its business, but now some areas are in ruins, with some of the locals looking on in wonder at the destruction caused by the water.
For the residents of Keta, the Atlantic Ocean is no longer a far-off blue horizon. These days, it relentlessly and without invitation circles around their doorsteps, tearing down walls and other structures, erasing memories, and endangering lives.
Many locals have been forced to live with family or friends after the sea destroyed their homes years ago, and other residents find it hard to comprehend that their once-livable habitat is now in ruins.
The problem is that, apart from residences, Keta’s cultural identity being anchored by monuments are gradually disappearing. One remnant of the transatlantic slave trade, the once-imposing Fort Prinzenstein, is now more of a ruin than a monument.
Once more, the ancient cinema where generations of children used to laugh at flickering black-and-white pictures is no longer there, as is the Bremen factory from the colonial era.
Among other things, the original police station has vanished, and Queen Street, which was once the town’s busy backbone, is now a flooded hallway clogged with rubble. There is still more work to be done despite previous attempts to address the issue since the town is fighting while the sea is winning.
Although water is life, in this instance, it is ruining people’s homes. The situation is serious since the water is destroying the town’s past as quickly as it is claiming its future, despite nature taking its course.
But as humans, our Creator has endowed us with the intelligence to solve problems. The historic town of Keta is now shrouded in uncertainty as the remains of a once-inhabited township are submerged and engulfed by the approaching seas along its coast.
Therefore, it is more efficient to have everyone working together to find a long-term solution to this terrible issue
