VSO Chief Executive visits Upper East Region

Bolgatanga, April 6, GNA - The Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), a British international development agency, is providing teachers in remote communities where most schools lacked the full complement of classroom teachers.

Mr Mark Goldring, Chief Executive Officer of VSO, said this when he paid a courtesy call on the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu in Bolgatanga as part of his three-day working visit to the Region. He said apart from education the VSO volunteers were also engaged in the water and sanitation sector; agriculture; health and income generation activities.

Mr Goldring said he had been touring various parts of the Region to interact with VSO personnel and to have first hand experience of projects the personnel were undertaking.

The CEO said it was the aim of his organization to encourage the spirit of volunteerism in Ghana, and that VSO, in collaboration with the National Service Secretariat (NSS) was working towards the establishment of a National Volunteer Programme in the country.

The VSO Country Director, Mrs Adelaide Addo-Fening said there were at present 22 VSO personnel working with local non-governmental organisations and the district assemblies in various parts of the region, adding that one of their long-term goals in Ghana was to promote volunteerism as a strategy for development.

The Regional Minister praised VSO personnel for their selfless sacrifices and commitment to the development of agriculture, health and education in the remote parts of the region.

He announced that the Regional Coordinating Council in conjunction with the district assemblies was working on a plan for the creation of a permanent office for the VSO in the region.

On behalf of the chiefs and people of the Upper East, the Regional Minister thanked Mr Goldring and the entire VSO establishment for the assistance in sending development to the rural communities and urged them to continue with the good work.

Accompanying the CEO were Dr Kwesi Agyemang, Board Chairman of the National Service Secretariat (NSS) and Mr Boniface A. Gambila, Director of the NSS.