Widows and orphans receive 400 million-cedi fund

Agogo (Ash), April 24, GNA - The Church of Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS) with the support of UNICEF and Geneva Global, a US-based Christian Non-Governmental Organisation, has since 2003 supported 109 orphans and widows at Bolgatanga in the Upper East region with 400 million cedis as poverty alleviation fund.

The amount has enabled them to embark on income-generating activities including guinea fowl rearing, cloth weaving, soap and pomade making and batik, tie and dye to enhance their incomes.

Apostle Joseph Albert Mensah, Madina Area Head of the Church of Pentecost and National Board Chairman of PENTSOS, disclosed this at the opening of a five-day trainer of trainers workshop for 50 health and non-health personnel selected from the country at Agogo in the Asante-Akim North district on Monday.

The workshop, organized by PENTSOS and sponsored by the Gateway Christian Fellowship of the United Kingdom (UK) through Links International, also a Christian NGO in the UK, was aimed at equipping the participants with the requisite skills and knowledge in the fight against diseases.

He said the beneficiaries of the fund were expected to play exemplary roles and serve as peer educators in the training of other members in their communities.

Apostle Mensah stated that PENTSOS has planned to scale up the poverty alleviation programme in the Upper West and Northern regions as well as some of the poverty endemic regions in Southern Ghana. He said the Church of Pentecost believes in the holistic development of individual families and communities and it was therefore its policy to assist the needy in society.

Apostle Mensah noted that PENTSOS, as part of its development programme, has since 1980 established its services to cover 80 basic and five senior secondary schools and vocational institutes to sensitise them on health issues.

Dr Yao Yeboah, Director of PENTSOS, expressed concern about the increasing spate of ailments, including malaria, diarrhoea, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases and called for intensive campaign to change the situation.

He was optimistic that the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) would help to ensure quality health care delivery in the country and therefore called on the citizenry to embrace it.

The Reverend Peter Doherty, leader of the Gateway Christian Fellowship, urged the participants to consider the workshop seriously to boost their work. 24 April 06