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Yvette Tetteh completes a historic 450km swimming journey across the Volta River
Ghanaian-British agribusiness entrepreneur, athlete, and activist Yvette Tetteh became the first person to swim across the Volta River from Buipe to Ada, completing the longest documented swim in Ghanaian history, covering 450 kilometres.
A colourful parade of drummers and dancers marched down the riverbanks to commemorate Yvette’s and the local communities’ extraordinary achievements.
Yvette, a 30-year-old athlete and environmental activist, embarked on this tough journey as part of an expedition organized by The Or Foundation.
Yvette, a 30-year-old athlete and environmental advocate, set out on this difficult journey as part of an expedition organized by The Or Foundation. The trip, accompanied by the research vessel “The Woman Who Does Not Fear,” sought to undertake a comprehensive study on microfiber pollution generated by textile waste and raise awareness about the impact of waste colonization on the region’s ecosystems.
Yvette’s remarkable feat was well embraced by the crowd that gathered in Ada to witness the completion of the journey.
While the expedition potentially marks the longest distance kayaked it also showcased the first-ever deployment of a solar-powered research vessel in Ghana and groundbreaking scientific research conducted on water quality in the Volta River System and Accra.
According to Yvette, the final leg presented a formidable upstream current caused by the Gulf of Guinea at the Ada estuary. However, her unwavering perseverance led her to triumph, reaching the resort where a joyous celebration awaited her.
The expedition began on March 7th, with the launch of a locally built aluminium research vessel. Yvette and her team, the Swim Team, navigated the Black Volta and Volta Lake, stopping in towns and villages to observe the effects of rising waters and connect with local communities. Despite choppy waters and slow progress, their determination and teamwork prevailed throughout the journey.
The chief, community leaders, and ecstatic spectators hailed Yvette as she emerged from the ocean in her custom-made recycled swimsuit. The festive mood allowed Yvette and her colleagues to show appreciation while also fielding questions from community members and local and international journalists. The backdrop of the solar-powered research vessel represented The Or Foundation’s dedication to preventing water pollution by measuring its breadth along Accra’s coast.
Yvette’s safety in the water was secured by a kayaker during the mission, while expedition documentarian Ofoe Amegavie and Science Lead/Communications Manager Edwin Dzobo, were both crucial in the kayak tasks.
The expedition builds upon The Or Foundation’s year and a half of scientific research into the environmental impact of secondhand clothing waste in Ghana, which receives a staggering 15 million items of used clothing every week.
By shedding light on the consequences of textile waste, the foundation aims to address the significant environmental and social repercussions faced by the country, including overflowing volumes of clothing waste that led to the explosion of the only engineered landfill in 2019.
The Agbetsi Living Water Swim expedition focused on investigating the impact of textile waste in Ghana. Through the collection of water and air samples, strict adherence to protocols, and engagement with local communities, valuable data has been gathered. This data will be analyzed and shared in the upcoming months to shed light on the situation.
Credit: 3News
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
