Participants express concern about expensive funerals

Bolgatanga, April 13, GNA- Participants at a day's workshop in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region on Friday expressed their concern about the expensive and prolonged days being spent on funerals by people in the area.

The workshop w as organised by Actionaid International Ghana (AAIG) in collaboration with the Centre For Community Development Initiatives (CODI).

It is aimed at reviewing and planning meetings for the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Projects in Schools initiated by the two organisations in the Region.

It was also to identify certain negative cultural practices in the region and to brainstorm and strategise to nib such cultural practices in the bud.

Participants noted that apart from the expensive nature of funerals, people spent several days performing funerals instead of being at work.

" Some citizens of Bawku spend about 12 days performing funerals and this must be stopped since it affects economic development", they stressed.

The Participants stated that the people in the region needed to be sensitised and educated on the effects of using huge sums of money and days on funerals.

They suggested that the number of days should be cut down to at least five instead of the 12 days.

They further noted that "spinning or record dance", which has been introduced in the local communities during funerals, promote promiscuity and often result in teenage pregnancy mostly among school children. "As a result many school children in the area have become dropouts and their lives jeopardised", they stated, and declared that spinning on funeral grounds should be stopped through the enactment of bylaws in the assemblies.

Participants also expressed concern about the rampant nature of bush burning by the people in the area, which was causing desertification.

Participants further noted that school children could be encouraged and motivated to plant trees in the area.

They identified traditional authorities, District Assemblies, Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Ghana Education Service (GES), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), and the media as some of the major stakeholders in environmental protection who would participate in the anti-desertification campaign to start soon. 13 April 07