Editorial

Cultivate habit of farming to supplement school feeding

There is no doubt that the recent holidays that Ghanaians enjoyed because of the Eid ul Fitr festival provided them with a welcome opportunity to relax as the weekend ended to Tuesday.

Despite that, some were extremely happy because for many parents whose wards attend private schools, it was a welcome break from having to pay the school feeding fee for at least two days.

This was the basis for some parents’ praise of the extra holiday that was added to the Eid ul Fitr celebrations in addition to the weekend.

Our reporter’s interviews showed that many parents, particularly those with two or three children, now find it extremely difficult to pay the school feeding fee despite their desire to let their children be in private schools.

Such parents with lower incomes have embraced holidays because according to the Head of a school some parents always approach school officials when a holiday is approaching, knowing that there will be a day without the dreaded meal cost.

Although most schools do not require children to buy school food at all cost and allow them to bring food from home, it has become common for these children to refuse to eat food prepared by parents.

Although it appears that parents are satisfied with the services provided to their children, they continue to complain about the high cost, which they believe is excessive and relate it to the high price of food.

According to the Spectator’s checks with certain parents and schools children are charged between GH¢15 and GH¢20 each day for the food that is supplied to them.

In addition to school tuition, books, food, and snacks, a mother of three finds it outrageous to spend GH¢60 a day for a feeding cost, which adds up to GH¢300 a week.

It was obvious that she was really satisfied about the recent holidays as she saved a total of GH¢120 Ghana.

A caterer told The Spectator that, aside from the difficulty they face in creating a budget that works for schools, they cannot be held responsible for the rise in the cost of the meals served to schoolchildren because of the high cost of food items on the market.

To ease their burden, The Spectator is urging schools to grant parents with two children or more a discount. Single parents have even expressed that it is difficult to pay Gh¢150 every week.

Additionally, schools should cultivate some area for farming activities in order to support the feeding of schoolchildren. Then, they can use the produce to complement the children’s meals.

Getting the children involved will help them develop the agricultural habit so they may carry that enthusiasm into their future endeavours.

Purchasing food in bulk is one strategy that caterers might use to lower the feeding charge in addition to cultivating a habit of farming to supplement school feeding.

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