News
‘Don’t stigmatise childless couples’
After nine years of childlessness and depressing moments, a 40-year-old teacher, Sarfoa Kentimpo is overwhelmed with joy as she no longer suffers stigmatisation but is now a proud mother sharing her experiences with others.
Sharing the good, bad and ugly about the period of trying to conceive, with The Spectator she said that what she had desired and prayed about for so many years had finally come to pass after two miscarriages and the loss of a baby a few days after delivery through a caesarean section.
The 40-year-old mother said at a point, she was traumatised and feared whether she could conceive again and also carry it full-term without complications.
She said the stigmatisation was exhausting as some people thought it was her fault and constantly used abusive language on her, especially relatives whom she had expected to sympathise with her.
“At a point it looked like everyone had become a medical person prescribing local and orthodox medicine. Some even brought it and when I did not show interest in using it they said I was not serious. I have been through a lot,” she said with tears in her eyes.
She said she had spent much of her savings and time just to be a mother and nine years felt like eternity but was happy God had been faithful.
Ms Kentimpo encouraged all couples trying to conceive to be prayerful and also seek medical help because both was needed to make the dream of becoming a parent a reality.
She called on spouses to be supportive and avail themselves for medical attention while advising family members to be sensitive during such times.
She also called on spouses to defend their wives during what she described as the most vulnerable moment in their lives and protect them from attacks from in-laws who are not friendly because a good mental health was key to make conception a success.
The 40-year-old mother advised couples, especially the women to identify and engage in activities that made them happy and fulfilled to take their minds off the struggle to conceive.
“As for me, I realised that I got attracted to children so I spent more time with them and also provided some of their needs,” she disclosed.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema
News
We have built enough buffers to pay all DDEP obligations – Finance Minister Ato Forson
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has assured banks that the government has built sufficient financial buffers to meet all Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) obligations this year.
Speaking at a high-level meeting with over 22 Managing Directors of banks, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and restoring confidence in the financial sector.
“We do not intend to default,” Dr. Forson declared.
“All outstanding holdouts have been paid, and we have put in place the necessary buffers to ensure that every single DDEP obligation for this year will be met.”
The Minister explained that these buffers were created through fiscal discipline, strategic investment cuts, and prudent resource allocation.
As part of this approach, the government has reset goods and services expenditure to 2023 levels and is working to achieve a primary surplus of 1.5% to sustain economic stability.
He also announced plans to submit a fiscal responsibility rule to Parliament, which will set a debt ceiling that the Ministry of Finance cannot exceed.
This measure aims to prevent excessive borrowing and reinforce financial discipline.
Beyond ensuring timely DDEP payments, Dr Forson revealed that the government is taking deliberate steps to reduce reliance on the Treasury bill market.
By improving coordination between fiscal and monetary policies, the government aims to stabilize interest rates and ease liquidity pressures on the banking sector.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
News
NSA commences President Mahama’s ‘Nkoko Nkitikiti’ vision
President Mahama’s Vision in Progress as the National Service Authority has received 10,000 “Nkoko Nkitikiti” (Day Old Chicks ) earlier this morning.
Their ongoing 100,000 Poultry infrastructure will be receiving 10,000 Day Old Chicks every few weeks until they hit their 100,000 mark for Broilers at a site in NSA Demonstration farm in Accra.
NSA is working assiduously nationwide with partners to put the infrastructure in place for hundreds of thousands of Poultry Capacity for Broilers in clusters.
Egg production is also top of their agenda in separate projects. NSA is currently putting in place the infrastructure that will receive thousands of layers in President Mahama’s quest to bring down the cost of eggs.
They expect to expand their poultry capacity base in furtherance of President Mahama’s vision to reduce the importation of poultry products and create employment
