Colourful Steps Foundation offers free medical health screening at Balo-Kayilo

Colourful Steps Foundation, a women empowerment non-governmental organisation has organised a free health screening exercise for residents of Balo-Kayilo in the Kassena Nankana West District in the Upper East Region.

The aim of the activity was to encourage women to build self confidence in order to fight poverty.

Organising a free health screening was therefore the first step for ensuring that women and the society in general are in good health to aid them stand for their opportunities.

The medical screening covered Hepatitis B, Malaria and Diabetes, where medications were also given free of charge to the residents.

The foundation also went from one Community to another in trying to understand and help solve their needs to enable them take up leadership positions in their areas. The Foundation so far has been able to cover communities in 4 Regions in an attempt to cover the entire country.

Offering free medical health screening at Kayilo as part of Colourful steps Foundation's responsibility, more than 500 people benefited from the free health screening exercise many of which were young ladies with the children who couldn't afford treatment at the hospital.

The Executive Director of Colourful Steps Foundation Matilda Boateng in an interview said the foundation had gathered data about the health needs of the people and they have come in to support them free of charge.



"We have decided to come here to screen them for Hepatitis B Malaria and Diabetes and also to give the medications for such illness when discovered".

According to her, information reaching them indicates that 3 out of 5 women are diabetic in the community and that malaria prevalence is very high. "We were told about other diseases but the most common ones are those were are dealing with now".

The assembly man for the Naveen Ballu Kayilo electoral area Rojah Bafokpie Akuba lamented that malaria is endemic in the communities and expressed gratitude to Colourful steps Foundation for their intervention.

According to him his electoral area is leading with cases of teenage pregnancy in the District and they fall sick everyday as a result of the high malaria prevalence.

He said about 15 school girls gave birth in 2016 alone in the electoral area where malaria is endemic.

"I have reported the matter to the assembly and they are yet to organised an education forum for the schools".

Awonwoje Lambert a 25 year old farmer also benefited from the free medical health screening.

He said it was his first time seeing free medical health screening in the community since he was born, and hence commended Colourful Steps Foundation for the support offered the community.

Joshua Tonk a leader of the medical team who is also a nurse at the “War" memorial hospital in Navrongo said the team has selected Kayilo community because of the need they have identified.

He said the health facilities are doing well but are not well stocked to be able to cater for every need.

The Executive Director of Colourful steps Foundation in charge of Switzerland Isabelle Walliker said she first visited Ghana and other West African countries when she was doing her voluntary works in 2008 thus her knowledge on areas she could help, where she drives her passion from.

She said the NGO was established in 2012 but with full implementation in 2016 where she raise funds from her singing career to embark on the projects.