Saturday, October 25, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 12)
By Rebecca Kwei
When political parties started choosing presidential candidates and running mates, many women activists advocated that women should be selected for such positions.
Perhaps, the People’s National Convention (PNC) could be described as a ‘listening’ party since it has selected a woman, Petra Maria Amegashie, a 49-year-old evangelist as the running mate to the party’s flagbearer, Dr Edward Mahama.
“It was a sense of awe and humbling experience when I got to know I had been selected. The first thing that popped out of my mouth was ‘To God be the glory’, she told The Mirror in an interview.
About a fortnight ago, Petra was in the news that she wanted to run for President as an independent candidate so why the turn around?
According to Petra she took the decision to run for president because she felt a divine calling to do something for her country and felt very strongly that it was about time Ghana had a female at the highest office of the land but after several consultations and having followed Dr Mahama’s political activities she decided to partner him.
She insists “I have not settled for second place and I am not playing second fiddle. I and the PNC, and for that matter, Dr Mahama are joining forces to face the challenge”.
Of course there are big challenges ahead but Petra believes she is up to the task.
She indicated that she was aware of the political terrain and the fact that it had not been too friendly to women but she was ready to face the challenges.
She said she wanted to renew the Ghanaian spirit and sense of purpose as well as unify the country.
She said she represented a voice for women, children, the youth and the disadvantaged in society.
Although she did not give concrete plans on what she would do in the area of women empowerment, Petra only said empowering women will be by example since the PNC’s manifesto has it that 50 per cent of cabinet ministers will be women and also her selection sends strong signals.
She said the PNC was committed to gender empowerment and mainstreaming of gender issues into politics and national policy.
She appealed to women to stand up and be counted, believe in themselves and showcase their values. “Politics is not a man’s world. After all it is women who give birth to men,” she added.
As an evangelist, Petra does not see any conflict with her present role as a politician.
In fact she says God enjoins all Christians to be ‘the salt of the earth and light of world’ and she believes her new political role will help her to brighten the corner wherever she was.
She said her Christian values will come to bear in all that she does which will impact positively on the nation.
Born on September 4, 1959 in Dzodze in the Volta Region to the late Togbe Amegashie Apeku III and Agnes Amegashie, Petra attended Keta Convent School and then to the Ola and Tema Secondary Schools for her secondary education.
Growing up, Petra said she wanted to be a nun but that goal did not materialise.
She did her national service with the Ghana News Agency in Tema from 1986 to 1987.
She also worked with the Novotel Hotel in Accra and also undertook an evangelisation course at the School of Evangelisation in Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana.
Apart from evangelising, Petra also had brief stints working with the Standard Newspaper, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and Bayswater Contract Mining.
Petra has a son, Peter Quarshigah, a fresh graduate from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Some political analysts have observed that the selection of a female running mate by the PNC will win the party some votes but certainly not the December 7 elections.
But Petra is not perturbed. She says the chances of the PNC are very bright. “The PNC stands for change — real change from the usual way of doing things, from the notion that women are not ready for the highest political office,” she added.
Ms Rosemond Abraham
Ms Rosemond Abraham, a Cape Coast-based business woman has been chosen by the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD), as the running mate of the party’s presidential candidate, Mr Kwabena Adjei.
Her selection came 24 hours after the People’s National Convention (PNC) had selected Petra Amegashie as the running mate of Dr Edward Mahama.
Ms Abraham who until her selection was the Women’s Organiser of the RPD, said she was well groomed to partner the flag bearer of the party to victory because of my passion for women.
She said the urgency to get more women involved in the development of the country had become more crucial now than before and indicated that her selection was in recognition of that fact.
“I’m aware that women are a formidable force to reckon with in national development and I will not fail,” Ms Abraham added.
She called on the electorate to vote for the RPD and gave the assurance that under her leadership, and with the support of Mr Adjei, women would be seen at the forefront of many issues in the country “because it is through this that we will see real growth”.
On health, she said doctors and nurses had been demotivated under the NPP administration and pledged her desire to ensure that that sector, which dealt with the health of the nation, was given the needed attention.
Ms Abraham also expressed her resolve to end the challenges that teachers went through.
“Our teachers have suffered for far too long and that is why we have experienced many strikes by them,” she said, and pledged to end that pattern.
She said the RPD was in to win the election and would not toy with its chances, adding, “I will put in my all to ensure a resounding victory that will surprise many.”
Born to Mr Kwaku Agyapong, Kyidomhene of Mampong and Madam Adwoa Konadu on July 31, 1968, Ms Abraham describes herself as a courageous, self-driven, inspiring and passionate about the plight of women, children and the vulnerable in society.
She attended Toase Secondary School in the Ashanti Region and a dental technician course at Bennette Hospital, Accra.
A native of Asante Mampong and resident in Cape Coast, Ms Abraham has two children.
Patience Ameku
Ms Patience Ami Ameku is the vice-presidential aspirant of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) for Election 2008. The 61-year-old chubby-faced and exuberant politician hails from Mafi-Sasekpe in the North Tongu District in the Volta Region.She was the District Chief Executive for Kadjebi from 1983 to 1993.
Mrs Ameku who believes she is a born politician has since then been in politics. In 1996, she ran as an independent parliamentary candidate for North Tongu, and was determined now to go to parliament as an independent candidate until she was invited to become the running mate of the DFP flag bearer, Mr Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi.
“I naturally like politics as it gives me the opportunity to serve people. Although there have been other females selected as vice-presidential aspirants for their political parties before me in Ghana’s history, I believe I am going to make a difference,” she said.
The DFP vice-presidential aspirant said she was very much concerned with pushing forward the agenda for industrialisation when she got into government, particularly the aspect of adding value to agri-products.
“When this is done, it will be possible to feed industries with produce and at the same time employ more people on the farms to work continuously to feed the factories. The outcome is that there will be more money in everyone’s pocket so that the situation where some people have and others do not, is avoided,” she said.
With regard to education, the one-time DCE, now a DFP kingpin, is of the view that structures must be in place and efforts made to retain girls in school.
She believes that if girls are early on in life introduced to mathematics and science, they will grow to like the subjects. She finds it unacceptable that only a few girls in school went ahead to do technology-based courses and professions in the university.
Ms Ameku said her aspirations as a politician found convergence with the liberal ideals put forward in the manifesto of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), and that she sees her new position as very challenging.
“As a woman in politics there have been many challenges, including social, economic and financial difficulties but I have never wavered. Ever since I began politics, my supporters have stood with me because they believe that one day there will be light at the end of the tunnel and would prosper through the creation of jobs ,” she said
According to her, it was important that the vice-president had a close and harmonious relationship with the president. They must understand each others feelings or ideas and communicate well if their tenure of office was to be successful.
She said if the DFP won the election she would bring to the table as a vice-president an ethic of hard work and sincerity, and carry all on board to make sure that the work gets done.
She said based on Article 24 of the country’s constitution that talks about the right to work, the DFP would harness agriculture to support industrialisation in order to create jobs for the people.
“While men look at the big picture, women concern themselves with the nitty-gritty and make sure to fill in the gaps in order to make the picture much clearer,” she said, smiling.
Ms Patience Ameku was born at Mafi-Sasepke in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region on April 12, 1947 to the late Herbert Tamekloe Ameku and Madam Cecilia Yemexor Kudze.
She had her primary and middle school education at Mafi-Sasekpe and Mafi-Anfoe respetively after which she continued to the EP Training College at Amedzope.
By dint of hard work she studied privately for her ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level GCE exams, passed and entered the University of Ghana in 1979 and graduated in 1982 with BA Hons, having majored in English.
Ms Ameku is married to Mr Victor Akude with whom she has four children, three girls and a boy.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Step up fight against malaria
Saturday, October 25, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 34)
By Rebecca Kwei
The Director of the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC),Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei, has called on the media to step up its advocacy role in the fight against malaria.
He noted that the media was central to packaging and tailoring important research findings and information needed for attitudinal change to address public health issues.
Dr Owusu-Agyei was speaking at the inauguration of the Ghana Chapter of the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), a group made up of African journalists and scientists working together to reduce malaria on the continent.
The occasion was also used to launch a magazine, ‘Eyes on Malaria’ produced by the group as an advocacy tool.
He said the use of insecticide-treated nets, indoor spraying and anti-malaria drugs were some of the tools available, and called on the public to take up the challenge of eradicating malaria within their communities by using the control tools available.
Dr Owusu-Agyei said the KHRC was among several research institutions across Africa researching into a malaria vaccine.
Dr Constance Bart-Plange, Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme, who launched the magazine, said malaria was an unnecessary hazard because it could be avoided if every one took pains to change attitude and lifestyles.
“The mosquito cannot create its own maternity homes but humans do it for them, then they turn around to destroy our maternity homes,” she said.
She said education was key to any change in behaviour and that was why the Ministry of Health was very serious about information, education and communication using multiple approaches and channels in the fight against malaria.
She commended the AMMREN for coming up with a well-written magazine, adding that the title ‘Eyes on Malaria’ was appropriate.
The Executive Secretary of AMMREN, Mrs Charity Binka, said the network was set up to become a leader in the provision of information for the prevention and control of malaria.
She said the group was formed in November 2006 in Accra with support from the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA) of the Indepth Network.
AMMREN has about 50 members from 10 African countries.
‘Eyes on Malaria’, she said, was an attempt to find an innovative way of taking needed information about malaria from the laboratory, field and health institutions to those who need it most.
“The current missing link in malaria research and reporting is to have an advocacy lens that captures the breakthroughs in science and reported in the language of the household, the community and policy makers. ‘Eyes on Malaria’ will bridge this gap,” she said.
Mrs Binka said AMMREN received support from the Malaria Consortium and Indepth Network to produce the magazine.
Dr Bernhard Ogutu, a Kenyan researcher with the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA), said the production of the ‘Eyes on Malaria’ was a good way for the media to partner scientists in a global move towards the eradication of malaria.
By Rebecca Kwei
The Director of the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC),Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei, has called on the media to step up its advocacy role in the fight against malaria.
He noted that the media was central to packaging and tailoring important research findings and information needed for attitudinal change to address public health issues.
Dr Owusu-Agyei was speaking at the inauguration of the Ghana Chapter of the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), a group made up of African journalists and scientists working together to reduce malaria on the continent.
The occasion was also used to launch a magazine, ‘Eyes on Malaria’ produced by the group as an advocacy tool.
He said the use of insecticide-treated nets, indoor spraying and anti-malaria drugs were some of the tools available, and called on the public to take up the challenge of eradicating malaria within their communities by using the control tools available.
Dr Owusu-Agyei said the KHRC was among several research institutions across Africa researching into a malaria vaccine.
Dr Constance Bart-Plange, Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme, who launched the magazine, said malaria was an unnecessary hazard because it could be avoided if every one took pains to change attitude and lifestyles.
“The mosquito cannot create its own maternity homes but humans do it for them, then they turn around to destroy our maternity homes,” she said.
She said education was key to any change in behaviour and that was why the Ministry of Health was very serious about information, education and communication using multiple approaches and channels in the fight against malaria.
She commended the AMMREN for coming up with a well-written magazine, adding that the title ‘Eyes on Malaria’ was appropriate.
The Executive Secretary of AMMREN, Mrs Charity Binka, said the network was set up to become a leader in the provision of information for the prevention and control of malaria.
She said the group was formed in November 2006 in Accra with support from the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA) of the Indepth Network.
AMMREN has about 50 members from 10 African countries.
‘Eyes on Malaria’, she said, was an attempt to find an innovative way of taking needed information about malaria from the laboratory, field and health institutions to those who need it most.
“The current missing link in malaria research and reporting is to have an advocacy lens that captures the breakthroughs in science and reported in the language of the household, the community and policy makers. ‘Eyes on Malaria’ will bridge this gap,” she said.
Mrs Binka said AMMREN received support from the Malaria Consortium and Indepth Network to produce the magazine.
Dr Bernhard Ogutu, a Kenyan researcher with the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA), said the production of the ‘Eyes on Malaria’ was a good way for the media to partner scientists in a global move towards the eradication of malaria.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Book on feminine strengths launched
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 (Daily Graphic Pg 11)
Story: Rebecca Kwei
A BOOK titled ‘Feminine Strengths: Our Asset, Our Worth’ has been launched in Accra with a call on female students and women in general to cultivate the habit of reading.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee, who made the call when she launched the book said many people had ignored one aspect of empowerment, which was reading.
She said “nothing beats reading. There is so much information out there” and encouraged students to use computers to search for information rather than playing games.
The 32-page book which was authored by Mrs Joyce Sika Twum, an educational psychologist and guidance counsellor, challenges females by identifying and celebrating 12 unnoticed female strengths.
The author in simple language uses four elements — earth, water, fire and air to describe these unique strengths that females must tap into to regain their worth.
Ms Aryee said the book would enable females to know more about themselves, adding that the sky should not be the limit for women.
“Women are on top and still rising . There is no end to what women can achieve,” she said.
Ms Aryee reiterated that female empowerment was no more a question of one sex advocating equal recognition as human beings but was now a question of equipping the female to be able to lead a meaningful life in this knowledge-based and fast moving world.
She said it was about time that the country looked for ways to derive the optimum from men and women, adding that Ghana deserved to have the best in both genders.
She said the book was not supposed to turn females into man-hating machines but to enable them to discover who they are and tap into their unique strengths in order to become the assets they have been created to be.
She encouraged heads of schools to ensure that each student had a copy of the book.
For her part, the author, Mrs Twum, said the book talks about what females are endowed with.
She said she used the symbols of earth, water, fire and air to tell females that the world could not live without them.
Mrs Twum who is also the CEO of Self Search Foundation, noted that the world perceived females in a certain way, and they had unconsciously accepted them, adding that “how you perceive yourself to a far extent determines what you would be.”
“The symbols in the book depicts assets and worth, and challenges females to look within themselves, identify with a symbol and tap into those qualities so that they can begin to shine” she said.
The acting Director of the Department of Women of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, Francesca Pobee-Hayford, who chaired the function, said statistics showed that girls were excelling in school and becoming more assertive and confident.
The President of the Forum of Heads of Girls Senior High Schools (FOGHSHS), Mrs Sylvia Asempa, said the simplicity of the book would entice girls to read more as well as encourage them to discover themselves and the potential they had.
The CEO of Foundation for Future Leaders, Mr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, who auctioned the book bought the first copy for GH¢500.
Story: Rebecca Kwei
A BOOK titled ‘Feminine Strengths: Our Asset, Our Worth’ has been launched in Accra with a call on female students and women in general to cultivate the habit of reading.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee, who made the call when she launched the book said many people had ignored one aspect of empowerment, which was reading.
She said “nothing beats reading. There is so much information out there” and encouraged students to use computers to search for information rather than playing games.
The 32-page book which was authored by Mrs Joyce Sika Twum, an educational psychologist and guidance counsellor, challenges females by identifying and celebrating 12 unnoticed female strengths.
The author in simple language uses four elements — earth, water, fire and air to describe these unique strengths that females must tap into to regain their worth.
Ms Aryee said the book would enable females to know more about themselves, adding that the sky should not be the limit for women.
“Women are on top and still rising . There is no end to what women can achieve,” she said.
Ms Aryee reiterated that female empowerment was no more a question of one sex advocating equal recognition as human beings but was now a question of equipping the female to be able to lead a meaningful life in this knowledge-based and fast moving world.
She said it was about time that the country looked for ways to derive the optimum from men and women, adding that Ghana deserved to have the best in both genders.
She said the book was not supposed to turn females into man-hating machines but to enable them to discover who they are and tap into their unique strengths in order to become the assets they have been created to be.
She encouraged heads of schools to ensure that each student had a copy of the book.
For her part, the author, Mrs Twum, said the book talks about what females are endowed with.
She said she used the symbols of earth, water, fire and air to tell females that the world could not live without them.
Mrs Twum who is also the CEO of Self Search Foundation, noted that the world perceived females in a certain way, and they had unconsciously accepted them, adding that “how you perceive yourself to a far extent determines what you would be.”
“The symbols in the book depicts assets and worth, and challenges females to look within themselves, identify with a symbol and tap into those qualities so that they can begin to shine” she said.
The acting Director of the Department of Women of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, Francesca Pobee-Hayford, who chaired the function, said statistics showed that girls were excelling in school and becoming more assertive and confident.
The President of the Forum of Heads of Girls Senior High Schools (FOGHSHS), Mrs Sylvia Asempa, said the simplicity of the book would entice girls to read more as well as encourage them to discover themselves and the potential they had.
The CEO of Foundation for Future Leaders, Mr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, who auctioned the book bought the first copy for GH¢500.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Rythmz rides high
Saturday, October 11, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 3)
By Rebecca Kwei
The TV magazine programme that is aired on GTV every Saturday at 8:30pm has steadily developed a huge fan base as a result of the exciting features and celebrity interviews that are aired on the programme.
Meet the presenters, Pamela and Chris, who make the programme a delight to watch.
Pamela and Chris are both seasoned presenters who bring their exuberant nature into their presentation, making the show fan to watch.
Pamela-Shavonne Blackmore
Pamela-Shavonne Blackmore was born on August 13, 1987 to John Derek Blackmore and Adeline Boateng.
She started school at the Ridge Church School and then to Holy Child School in Cape Coast for her secondary education.
While in school, Pamela was interested in academics and was also very much involved in extra curricular activities.
“At Ridge Church School, I was involved in sports, writing competitions and performed prefectorial duties, particularly when I was appointed the Assistant Head Girl of the primary department. I was also an active member of the Red Cross and other social clubs,” she said.
No wonder she was appointed the class prefect in her first year at Holy Child till the third term of the second year, when she was made the entertainment prefect.
After completing Holy Child, Pamela applied for a job as a trainee copywriter at Origin 8 Saatchi & Saatchi, where she learnt how to write creative scripts for TV, radio and print advertisement.
Pamela is presently in her third year at the University of Ghana, Legon, studying French and Sociology.
She saw the Rythmz programme on TV and thought she could be a presenter on it, so she walked into Charterhouse and shot an audition tape which obviously impressed the producers because she was chosen to be the co-presenter for the show.
Hosting Rythmz does not come as a surprise to her. “ Would anybody be surprised if they were told that the former entertainment prefect of Holy Child School is now hosting an entertainment show on television? I wouldn’t be, and that is why I think that where I find myself now is not by chance. All that is left for me is to make the best out of everything that comes my way, both good and bad. Such things make me more experienced; they help me learn a lot. I love music, and I’m proud to be on Rythmz!” She said.
On how she handles the challenges of being in the spotlight, Pamela had this to say “ I’ve had my fair share of people letting me down and slandering me. I’ve heard all the gossip and deception, but the thing is, once you have your head screwed on right, you know where you’re heading and you aren’t doing anything wrong, all those things really don’t mean much. It’s not an easy task though being in the spotlight, and every single presenter or anyone in the media goes through the motions. I’m just playing a role in being who I’m destined to be and I take each day as it comes.”
Pamela and Chris have ‘good chemistry’ when presenting Rythmz and for most people they were an ‘item’, but Pamela says that is far from true. “A lot of people thought Chris and I were dating; they still think so, to this day but the funny thing is, they couldn’t be more wrong! I mean can’t two people just host a great television show? We are good friends, and I love him as a sister would. A lot of the time I laugh all these rumours off, because they are really ridiculous. But I guess it comes with the job, so I take it in my stride.”
On a very regular day, you can catch Pamela in her room watching some hot new TV series! She also loves to spend time with her family. “They are my everything and I owe them so much,” she says.
Pamela loves to read and dance and she is grateful to everyone at the Charterhouse, and every sincere person who would love to see someone progress in life.
Chris Attoh
With about seven years experience in his career, Christopher Nii Attoh needs no introduction in entertainment circles, both locally and internationally.
He is a seasoned presenter/MC who has been plying his trade with some of the best in Ghana.
His eloquence and dynamism, both on and off stage and on the screen has made Chris a real force to reckon with and one of the most sought-after presenters.
Chris has presented shows such as Miss Malaika, Rythmz, Stars of the Future, Mentor II, among others. He Ghana’s??? anchor to Big Brother Africa 3 in South Africa and has also worked with OBE TV in the United Kingdom, where he covered the MOBO Awards at which Ghana’s Samini won an award.
He attended Achimota Secondary School, now Achimota High School, and Accra Academy, where he sat for his Sixth Form. He is a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and continued to study Banking and Security in London.
Chris began his career in the media at Groove FM, where he did his national service, after which he moved to Choice FM and was later poached by Metro TV to host the show — Links.
He also hosted few episodes of Smash TV as well GTV’s “Show Time”. He was later at Capital Radio in Kumasi, where he presented the Jazz Night.
Chris recently unveiled another side of himself. He has featured in some of the best movie productions to come out in Africa. He was in "Life and Living it" and the international series Tinsels, which is aired on MNet.
Rythmz is an hour’s music programme produced by Charterhouse that features all that is going on in the music and entertainment industry in Ghana and the world over.
Some of the music awards festivals covered by the programme include the South African Music Awards and The Hip Hop Music Awards, which was held in Nigeria.
The various exciting segments in the programme, like Rythmz in the Studios, where the presenters catch up with celebrity musicians in the studios as they perfect their songs for release keeps music lovers up-to-date on who is preparing to release.
There are other segments like Rythmz on the Lounge, where the presenters interact with celebrities in the music industry. This segment has featured artistes like P. Square from Nigeria, Nameless from Kenya, Ja Rule and recently Brick and Lace when they visited the country. Most Ghanaian artistes have had their day in the sun on this programme.
The one-hour music programme does not only feature music and the latest gossips going on in music circles, but is also an interactive show for viewers.
The segment Meet the Fan, allows viewers to text in to the MTN short code 1765, their eagerness to meet the celebrity of the week and the higher texter gets to hang out with their favourite artistes, have dinner and ask all the questions that they always wanted to ask.
For instance, The King of Streets, Kwaw Kese, shared some fun time with one of his favourite fans.
The interactivity of the show also allows viewers to call the short code MTN 1756 to listen to songs and to send these songs to their friends. The same short code is also used to record voice messages that can be sent to friends and family.
By Rebecca Kwei
The TV magazine programme that is aired on GTV every Saturday at 8:30pm has steadily developed a huge fan base as a result of the exciting features and celebrity interviews that are aired on the programme.
Meet the presenters, Pamela and Chris, who make the programme a delight to watch.
Pamela and Chris are both seasoned presenters who bring their exuberant nature into their presentation, making the show fan to watch.
Pamela-Shavonne Blackmore
Pamela-Shavonne Blackmore was born on August 13, 1987 to John Derek Blackmore and Adeline Boateng.
She started school at the Ridge Church School and then to Holy Child School in Cape Coast for her secondary education.
While in school, Pamela was interested in academics and was also very much involved in extra curricular activities.
“At Ridge Church School, I was involved in sports, writing competitions and performed prefectorial duties, particularly when I was appointed the Assistant Head Girl of the primary department. I was also an active member of the Red Cross and other social clubs,” she said.
No wonder she was appointed the class prefect in her first year at Holy Child till the third term of the second year, when she was made the entertainment prefect.
After completing Holy Child, Pamela applied for a job as a trainee copywriter at Origin 8 Saatchi & Saatchi, where she learnt how to write creative scripts for TV, radio and print advertisement.
Pamela is presently in her third year at the University of Ghana, Legon, studying French and Sociology.
She saw the Rythmz programme on TV and thought she could be a presenter on it, so she walked into Charterhouse and shot an audition tape which obviously impressed the producers because she was chosen to be the co-presenter for the show.
Hosting Rythmz does not come as a surprise to her. “ Would anybody be surprised if they were told that the former entertainment prefect of Holy Child School is now hosting an entertainment show on television? I wouldn’t be, and that is why I think that where I find myself now is not by chance. All that is left for me is to make the best out of everything that comes my way, both good and bad. Such things make me more experienced; they help me learn a lot. I love music, and I’m proud to be on Rythmz!” She said.
On how she handles the challenges of being in the spotlight, Pamela had this to say “ I’ve had my fair share of people letting me down and slandering me. I’ve heard all the gossip and deception, but the thing is, once you have your head screwed on right, you know where you’re heading and you aren’t doing anything wrong, all those things really don’t mean much. It’s not an easy task though being in the spotlight, and every single presenter or anyone in the media goes through the motions. I’m just playing a role in being who I’m destined to be and I take each day as it comes.”
Pamela and Chris have ‘good chemistry’ when presenting Rythmz and for most people they were an ‘item’, but Pamela says that is far from true. “A lot of people thought Chris and I were dating; they still think so, to this day but the funny thing is, they couldn’t be more wrong! I mean can’t two people just host a great television show? We are good friends, and I love him as a sister would. A lot of the time I laugh all these rumours off, because they are really ridiculous. But I guess it comes with the job, so I take it in my stride.”
On a very regular day, you can catch Pamela in her room watching some hot new TV series! She also loves to spend time with her family. “They are my everything and I owe them so much,” she says.
Pamela loves to read and dance and she is grateful to everyone at the Charterhouse, and every sincere person who would love to see someone progress in life.
Chris Attoh
With about seven years experience in his career, Christopher Nii Attoh needs no introduction in entertainment circles, both locally and internationally.
He is a seasoned presenter/MC who has been plying his trade with some of the best in Ghana.
His eloquence and dynamism, both on and off stage and on the screen has made Chris a real force to reckon with and one of the most sought-after presenters.
Chris has presented shows such as Miss Malaika, Rythmz, Stars of the Future, Mentor II, among others. He Ghana’s??? anchor to Big Brother Africa 3 in South Africa and has also worked with OBE TV in the United Kingdom, where he covered the MOBO Awards at which Ghana’s Samini won an award.
He attended Achimota Secondary School, now Achimota High School, and Accra Academy, where he sat for his Sixth Form. He is a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and continued to study Banking and Security in London.
Chris began his career in the media at Groove FM, where he did his national service, after which he moved to Choice FM and was later poached by Metro TV to host the show — Links.
He also hosted few episodes of Smash TV as well GTV’s “Show Time”. He was later at Capital Radio in Kumasi, where he presented the Jazz Night.
Chris recently unveiled another side of himself. He has featured in some of the best movie productions to come out in Africa. He was in "Life and Living it" and the international series Tinsels, which is aired on MNet.
Rythmz is an hour’s music programme produced by Charterhouse that features all that is going on in the music and entertainment industry in Ghana and the world over.
Some of the music awards festivals covered by the programme include the South African Music Awards and The Hip Hop Music Awards, which was held in Nigeria.
The various exciting segments in the programme, like Rythmz in the Studios, where the presenters catch up with celebrity musicians in the studios as they perfect their songs for release keeps music lovers up-to-date on who is preparing to release.
There are other segments like Rythmz on the Lounge, where the presenters interact with celebrities in the music industry. This segment has featured artistes like P. Square from Nigeria, Nameless from Kenya, Ja Rule and recently Brick and Lace when they visited the country. Most Ghanaian artistes have had their day in the sun on this programme.
The one-hour music programme does not only feature music and the latest gossips going on in music circles, but is also an interactive show for viewers.
The segment Meet the Fan, allows viewers to text in to the MTN short code 1765, their eagerness to meet the celebrity of the week and the higher texter gets to hang out with their favourite artistes, have dinner and ask all the questions that they always wanted to ask.
For instance, The King of Streets, Kwaw Kese, shared some fun time with one of his favourite fans.
The interactivity of the show also allows viewers to call the short code MTN 1756 to listen to songs and to send these songs to their friends. The same short code is also used to record voice messages that can be sent to friends and family.
Adopt healthy lifestyles
Saturday, October 11, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 30)
By Rebecca Kwei
The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), Dr Alex Dodoo, has called on Ghanaians to adopt healthy lifestyles in order to prevent non-communicable diseases which may lead to premature death.
He said statistics show that the number of lifestyle diseases including??? was increasing and there was the need to stem the tide.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on lifestyle diseases in Ghana, Dr Dodoo said non-communicable diseases in Ghana constitute public health and developmental challenges requiring the same intellectual and financial commitments afforded to communicable and infectious diseases such as malaria and HIV AIDS.
The discussion was a collaboration among the PSGH, the Health Communications Institute (HCI) and Novo Nordisk.
Giving statistics, he said diabetes prevalence studies in southern Ghana recorded a steady increase from 0.2 per cent in a population of men in Ho in the 1960s through 2 to 3 per cent prevalence in urban areas in southern Ghana in 1990.
Additionally, in the late 1990s, a prevalence rate of 6.4 per cent for diabetes and 10.7 per cent for impaired glucose tolerance was recorded in a community in Accra.
At the Korle Bu Hospital, the percentage of medical admissions due to diabetes increased from 3.5 in the mid 1970s to 6.4 per cent in the mid 1980s.
In the 1970s, the World Health Organisation (WHO) sponsored Mamprobi Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) study recorded hypertension prevalence of 13 per cent in the community. A non-communicable disease survey conducted in 1998 recorded a national prevalence of 27.8 per cent for hypertension.
Childhood obesity has also increased 3.8 fold from 0.5 per cent in 1988 to 1.9 per cent in 1993/94.
The Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) demonstrate that prevalence of obesity or overweight among adult (non-pregnant) women across the country increased 2.5 fold in 10 years from 10 per cent in 1993 to 25.3 per cent in 2003.
According to Dr Dodoo, the DHS data showed that there were more obese women (25.3 per cent) than malnourished women (9 per cent).
He said increasing obesity rates in Ghana have been linked to urbanisation, modernisation, affluence and changing lifestyles.
He said what was worrying that people who had acquired non-communicable diseases were going about their normal duties without knowing they were at risk.
Dr Dodoo said it was very expensive to treat non-communicable diseases and called on people to live healthy by eating balanced diet, regular exercise, regular check-up and ensure low fat, salt and sugar intake.
He said the PSGH was serious about tackling the increasing rates of lifestyle diseases and the discussion with health journalists was one of steps it was embarking on.
The Chairperson of Public Health of the PSGH, Mrs Ellen Sam expressed concern about the way obesity and eating junk food was associated with beauty and wealth.
She appealed to fast food joints to come up with alternatives of cooking their foods to make it more healthy such as baking chips rather than frying.
Another concern was the increasing number of aphrodisiacs on the market which many people have taken to and are smoking adding that too much alcohol and smoking had a negative impact on one’s health.
Mrs Sam said it was about time Ghanaians took a second look at the various drinks they provided for their kids to take to school.
“Most of these so called fruit juices are just water, sugar and artificial flavour,” she cautioned.
The country representative of Novo Nordisk, Mr John Allotey, said the prevalence rate for diabetes in 1958 was 0.4 per cent and in 2002 was 6.4 per cent.
He also emphasised the need for people to be educated on healthy lifestyles since the rate at which non-communicable diseases were increasing was alarming.
The President of the HCI, Ms Eunice Menka called for more collaboration between journalists and health professionals in order to disseminate health issues accurately.
By Rebecca Kwei
The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), Dr Alex Dodoo, has called on Ghanaians to adopt healthy lifestyles in order to prevent non-communicable diseases which may lead to premature death.
He said statistics show that the number of lifestyle diseases including??? was increasing and there was the need to stem the tide.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on lifestyle diseases in Ghana, Dr Dodoo said non-communicable diseases in Ghana constitute public health and developmental challenges requiring the same intellectual and financial commitments afforded to communicable and infectious diseases such as malaria and HIV AIDS.
The discussion was a collaboration among the PSGH, the Health Communications Institute (HCI) and Novo Nordisk.
Giving statistics, he said diabetes prevalence studies in southern Ghana recorded a steady increase from 0.2 per cent in a population of men in Ho in the 1960s through 2 to 3 per cent prevalence in urban areas in southern Ghana in 1990.
Additionally, in the late 1990s, a prevalence rate of 6.4 per cent for diabetes and 10.7 per cent for impaired glucose tolerance was recorded in a community in Accra.
At the Korle Bu Hospital, the percentage of medical admissions due to diabetes increased from 3.5 in the mid 1970s to 6.4 per cent in the mid 1980s.
In the 1970s, the World Health Organisation (WHO) sponsored Mamprobi Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) study recorded hypertension prevalence of 13 per cent in the community. A non-communicable disease survey conducted in 1998 recorded a national prevalence of 27.8 per cent for hypertension.
Childhood obesity has also increased 3.8 fold from 0.5 per cent in 1988 to 1.9 per cent in 1993/94.
The Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) demonstrate that prevalence of obesity or overweight among adult (non-pregnant) women across the country increased 2.5 fold in 10 years from 10 per cent in 1993 to 25.3 per cent in 2003.
According to Dr Dodoo, the DHS data showed that there were more obese women (25.3 per cent) than malnourished women (9 per cent).
He said increasing obesity rates in Ghana have been linked to urbanisation, modernisation, affluence and changing lifestyles.
He said what was worrying that people who had acquired non-communicable diseases were going about their normal duties without knowing they were at risk.
Dr Dodoo said it was very expensive to treat non-communicable diseases and called on people to live healthy by eating balanced diet, regular exercise, regular check-up and ensure low fat, salt and sugar intake.
He said the PSGH was serious about tackling the increasing rates of lifestyle diseases and the discussion with health journalists was one of steps it was embarking on.
The Chairperson of Public Health of the PSGH, Mrs Ellen Sam expressed concern about the way obesity and eating junk food was associated with beauty and wealth.
She appealed to fast food joints to come up with alternatives of cooking their foods to make it more healthy such as baking chips rather than frying.
Another concern was the increasing number of aphrodisiacs on the market which many people have taken to and are smoking adding that too much alcohol and smoking had a negative impact on one’s health.
Mrs Sam said it was about time Ghanaians took a second look at the various drinks they provided for their kids to take to school.
“Most of these so called fruit juices are just water, sugar and artificial flavour,” she cautioned.
The country representative of Novo Nordisk, Mr John Allotey, said the prevalence rate for diabetes in 1958 was 0.4 per cent and in 2002 was 6.4 per cent.
He also emphasised the need for people to be educated on healthy lifestyles since the rate at which non-communicable diseases were increasing was alarming.
The President of the HCI, Ms Eunice Menka called for more collaboration between journalists and health professionals in order to disseminate health issues accurately.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Suicide among aged high — Research reveals
Saturday, October 4, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 34)
By Rebecca Kwei
A research carried out in the middle belt of rural Ghana showed that suicidal intention among the elderly is high.
However, attempts to commit suicide was low due to the stigma attached to it.
Suicide ideation is the intention or wish to die, and the mental formulations and strategies to accomplish it.
Mr Bright Akpalu, a research officer at the Kintampo Health Research Centre, who made this known at the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the Indepth Network in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, said the study was done in the Kintampo North and South districts among 400 elderly people. The age range was between 65 and 102 years.
The suicidal ideation prevalence rate in the districts was 4.2 per cent.
He said, the study was to conduct an exploratory survey of suicidal ideation among the study population and also find out the risk and protective factors that exist.
He said if people's economic and social circumstances were not the best or were tired with life, the tendency for them to have suicidal thoughts were high.
Mr Akpalu said elderly people who developed psychological, depression, physical disability, sexual problems and had a gloomy perception of the future also had suicide ideas.
He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) ranked suicide among the 10 highest causes of death in the world and elderly people, 65 years and above, commit suicide more than any other age group.
He said although suicidal thoughts were high, the attempts were low among the study population because religion and culture frowned on it.
He said pre-burial activities for people who committed suicide in some communities were embarrassing hence most people would not attempt suicide.
Mr Akpalu said there was the need for the aged to be taken good care of by their families and not neglected.
Additionally, he advocated relief measures to be put in place for the aged ,especially. those who have no one to take care of them to enable them live meaningful lives .
In another development, the board chairman of Indepth Network, Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei, called on scientists and researchers to renew their commitment towards work in order to achieve the best results for development when he gave his remarks at the closing ceremony of the 8th Indepth AGM.
He said the network had already passed through its honeymoon phase, and there was the need to deliver, show prominence and relevance durings its next phase of activities so that the funders would continue to support.
The Executive Director of Indepth Network, Dr Osman Sankoh, urged members to continue to collaborate in order to generate health information that would inform health policies.
The award for Best Poster went to Oscar Bangre of the Navrongo Health Research Centre.
The 8th AGM of Indepth Network also marked the 10th anniversary of the network. More than 200 scientists, researchers and funders attended the meeting.
By Rebecca Kwei
A research carried out in the middle belt of rural Ghana showed that suicidal intention among the elderly is high.
However, attempts to commit suicide was low due to the stigma attached to it.
Suicide ideation is the intention or wish to die, and the mental formulations and strategies to accomplish it.
Mr Bright Akpalu, a research officer at the Kintampo Health Research Centre, who made this known at the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the Indepth Network in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, said the study was done in the Kintampo North and South districts among 400 elderly people. The age range was between 65 and 102 years.
The suicidal ideation prevalence rate in the districts was 4.2 per cent.
He said, the study was to conduct an exploratory survey of suicidal ideation among the study population and also find out the risk and protective factors that exist.
He said if people's economic and social circumstances were not the best or were tired with life, the tendency for them to have suicidal thoughts were high.
Mr Akpalu said elderly people who developed psychological, depression, physical disability, sexual problems and had a gloomy perception of the future also had suicide ideas.
He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) ranked suicide among the 10 highest causes of death in the world and elderly people, 65 years and above, commit suicide more than any other age group.
He said although suicidal thoughts were high, the attempts were low among the study population because religion and culture frowned on it.
He said pre-burial activities for people who committed suicide in some communities were embarrassing hence most people would not attempt suicide.
Mr Akpalu said there was the need for the aged to be taken good care of by their families and not neglected.
Additionally, he advocated relief measures to be put in place for the aged ,especially. those who have no one to take care of them to enable them live meaningful lives .
In another development, the board chairman of Indepth Network, Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei, called on scientists and researchers to renew their commitment towards work in order to achieve the best results for development when he gave his remarks at the closing ceremony of the 8th Indepth AGM.
He said the network had already passed through its honeymoon phase, and there was the need to deliver, show prominence and relevance durings its next phase of activities so that the funders would continue to support.
The Executive Director of Indepth Network, Dr Osman Sankoh, urged members to continue to collaborate in order to generate health information that would inform health policies.
The award for Best Poster went to Oscar Bangre of the Navrongo Health Research Centre.
The 8th AGM of Indepth Network also marked the 10th anniversary of the network. More than 200 scientists, researchers and funders attended the meeting.
Ghana, Tanzania share knowledge in health systems
Thursday, October 2, 2008 (Daily Graphic Pg 32)
Story: Rebecca Kwei, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Ghana and Tanzania are exchanging health system innovations especially at the district level to help accelerate progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The initiative is the effort of the Ministries of Health in Ghana and Tanzania, which have decided to take up the global challenge of improving health systems to deliver the available technologies and interventions to achieve the health-related MDGs.
Dr Frank K. Nyonator, the Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the Ghana Health Service, announced this at the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the In-depth Network in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It was on the theme, “In-depth at 10: From Knowledge Generation to Improved Health Policy and Practice”.
He explained that the Tanzania Essential Health Interventions Project (TEHIP) had provided districts the tools to make informed decisions about the allocation of healthcare resources and enabled them to provide services to tackle common diseases.
These efforts, he said, led to dramatic declines in child mortality and that the number of districts benefiting from TEHIP had been increased to 120, adding that Tanzania was on target to achieve the MDG of reducing childhood mortality by two thirds from 1990 to 2015.
He said Ghana was looking at the Tanzanian model, which focuses on the burden of disease and how to allocate money for effective disbursement of resources.
Dr Nyonator said Ghana had also already started with delivering health service to the community using the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) and by importing TEHIP it would help strengthen the roll-out of CHPS.
He said in Tanzania, the project would build new capabilities into the country’s existing interventions while integrating Ghana’s strategies for providing community-based health services according to the country’s strategic plan.
In Ghana, the project will add Tanzania’s systems for strengthening the management of district-level health systems into its existing CHPS programming in order to accelerate the scale-up of such programmes.
Five districts in Ghana, namely Kintampo, Dodowa, Nkwanta, Kassena-Nankana and Dangme West, and three districts in Tanzania will be involved in the pilot project.
Dr Nyonator was optimistic that the project would help improve the health of Ghanaians as well as achieve the MDGs.
Story: Rebecca Kwei, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Ghana and Tanzania are exchanging health system innovations especially at the district level to help accelerate progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The initiative is the effort of the Ministries of Health in Ghana and Tanzania, which have decided to take up the global challenge of improving health systems to deliver the available technologies and interventions to achieve the health-related MDGs.
Dr Frank K. Nyonator, the Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the Ghana Health Service, announced this at the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the In-depth Network in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It was on the theme, “In-depth at 10: From Knowledge Generation to Improved Health Policy and Practice”.
He explained that the Tanzania Essential Health Interventions Project (TEHIP) had provided districts the tools to make informed decisions about the allocation of healthcare resources and enabled them to provide services to tackle common diseases.
These efforts, he said, led to dramatic declines in child mortality and that the number of districts benefiting from TEHIP had been increased to 120, adding that Tanzania was on target to achieve the MDG of reducing childhood mortality by two thirds from 1990 to 2015.
He said Ghana was looking at the Tanzanian model, which focuses on the burden of disease and how to allocate money for effective disbursement of resources.
Dr Nyonator said Ghana had also already started with delivering health service to the community using the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) and by importing TEHIP it would help strengthen the roll-out of CHPS.
He said in Tanzania, the project would build new capabilities into the country’s existing interventions while integrating Ghana’s strategies for providing community-based health services according to the country’s strategic plan.
In Ghana, the project will add Tanzania’s systems for strengthening the management of district-level health systems into its existing CHPS programming in order to accelerate the scale-up of such programmes.
Five districts in Ghana, namely Kintampo, Dodowa, Nkwanta, Kassena-Nankana and Dangme West, and three districts in Tanzania will be involved in the pilot project.
Dr Nyonator was optimistic that the project would help improve the health of Ghanaians as well as achieve the MDGs.
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