Items donated included 320 spectacles to the Northern Regional Directorate of Education to be distributed to pupils with refractive errors, and 22 motorbikes to the Northern Region branch of the Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) to aid the implementation of its maternal and child health project.

The provision of the spectacles to be distributed to pupils formed part of the Action Against Childhood Blindness (AACHIB) programme to increase coverage and equitable access to eye services to preserve and restore sight for children aged between zero and 15 years.

The AACHIB programme was initiated in 2006 and so far over 350,000 children were reached where over 95,000, who were identified with eye defects, were assisted free of charge to undergo treatment.

The provision of the motorbikes was also to enhance the activities of Mothers’ Clubs Facilitators under the Mother, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) project, which began this year, to contribute to reducing maternal and child mortality in four districts including Saboba, Tatali/Sanguli, North Gonja and Kpandai in the Northern Region.

The Mothers’ Clubs Facilitators sensitize communities on the Ghana Health Service’s (GHS) approved behaviour change messages including family planning and danger signs in MNCH behaviours as well as on danger signs in MNCH to ensure the well-being of pregnant women, lactating mothers and newborns.

The AACHIB programme and MNCH project are being implemented by the GRCS in partnership with GHS and supported by Swiss Red Cross. Mr. Thomas Oyugi Okollah, Country Representative of Swiss Red Cross, who presented the spectacles to the Northern Regional Director of Education in Tamale, said refractive errors and or vision impairment should not prevent children from acquiring education hence the donation. 

Mr. Okollah was happy that a number of children were benefiting from the AACHIB programme as they were being screened and treated in the communities, calling for strengthened collaboration amongst partners to support education of especially visually impaired children.

He spoke about the presentation of the motorbikes to the GRCS, saying they were to help the Mothers’ Clubs Facilitators to visit hard-to-reach communities to educate pregnant women and lactating mothers on maternal and child health issues.

Alhaji Mohammed Haroun, Northern Regional Director of Education, expressed gratitude to the Swiss Red Cross and its local partner GRCS, for extending valuable support to pupils with visual impairment to enable them read for improved education outcome.

Mr. Shaibu Wilberforce Adams, Chairman of the Northern Regional branch of GRCS, expressed appreciation to the Swiss Red Cross for the support, pledging the motorbikes would be put to good use to achieve the intended purpose.