Buru-Kazigo chief launches Educational Development Fund

Kazigo (U/E), Nov. 30, GNA - The Divisional Chief of the Buru-Kazigu Traditional Area, Pe Paarikuri Thomas Asankyera, has launched a Rural Educational Development Fund to support people who cannot afford the cost of education.

The proceeds would specifically be used to support orphans, needy children, girl children and to motivate teachers who accept postings to teach in the Kazigo community.

The Chief, the Fund during the maiden formal celebration of "Womdai-Abu" Festival celebrated by the people in the Kassena Area, said he decided to establish the fund because most of the education endowment funds in the country did not cover rural areas.

In addition, Pe Paarikuri Thomas Asankyera said his people had agreed to contribute food items during the celebration of the festival each year to feed school children in the area during school hours.

The festival is celebrated annually to offer thanks to the gods for bumper harvest and to ask for prosperity and blessings in the ensuing year. He appealed to people from the area and those living outside the district to contribute to the fund to enable it achieve the purpose for which it was established.

Pe Paarikuri Thomas Asankyera said the way some Ghanaians had abandoned the extended family system and shifted to practicing foreign ones had contributed to moral breakdown in society and urged Ghanaians especially members of his community to embrace the extended family system to nature good society.

He said one of his visions for his traditional area was to help reduce poverty as well as reduce the HIV/AIDS pandemic, adding that he had released 200 acres of land for the youth in the area to go into agriculture and another 200 acres for the cultivation of groundnuts and shea tree. The Chief said he had signed a memorandum of Understanding with "M and J Travel and Tours" to support his traditional area with re-forestation of 200 acres of land to prevent the Dumpolo-Kala-Kapworo streams in the community from drying up.

Pe Paarikuri Thomas Asankyera appealed to government to extend the rural electrification project to Kazigo particularly to the schools to facilitate learning in the night.

He urged government to expedite action on the construction of the proposed link roads from Kazigo to Gumungo, Kazigo to Navro-Pungu and Nyangua, Tazika to Gumungo and Tanka to Nakolo which had been on the drawing board for a long time.

He appealed to government to build a health facility at Gwuah and Gumungo.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo, appealed to the people to use festivals to promote peace and unity. He appealed to them to stop smuggling fuel and food items since that was causing the country huge financial loses.