Ghanaians must be self-dependent - Barima

Accra, Jan. 20, GNA - Mr Yaw Barima, Minister of Manpower Development and Employment, on Tuesday urged Ghanaians to develop the attitude of self-dependence rather than relying more on charities of non-governmental organisations, philanthropists and the donor community. He said: "We cannot continue to allow others to fish for us all the time or else we will continue to live in poverty. We should also learn how to fish for ourselves."

Mr Barima made the remarks when a four-member delegation of the World Vision International (WVI) from the United States, Canada and Australia and the Ghana 0ffice, called on him in Accra. The delegation is on a 10-day visit to assess the impact of their work and assistance to Ghana and to find out which other areas that they could give more help.

The Minister commended WVI for their tremendous contributions towards supplementing the efforts of the Government. "Continue to help the people especially those in the rural areas to develop their potentials to enable them to become self- reliant". He called for a greater collaboration between Ghana and WVI to facilitate its work.

Mr Eugene Asante, Director of Programmes WVI -Ghana, said for the past 25 years that WVI had been in the country, it had improved 868 physical structures of basic schools through out the country and drilled 1,800 boreholes. He pledged that WVI would in the next five years drill 600 more boreholes to provide potable water to reduce the incidence of water borne diseases.

Mr Asante noted that WVI had assisted in the areas of health, education, and the private sector and pledged their continuous support to the development of the nation and people, who would need their assistance to develop.