Governor-General of Canada visits Tamale

Tamale, Nov. 30, GNA- Ms. Michaelle Jean, Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, arrived in Tamale on Thursday on a day's visit to the Northern Regional Capital.

Alhaji Mustapha Ali Iddris, Northern Regional Minister, Mayor of Tamale, Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, District Chief Executives and representatives of civil society organisations, as well as heads of government departments and agencies met her on arrival at the Tamale Airport.

Eight-year-old Primary Three pupil of Halprin International School in Tamale, Master Iddrisu Tasoba, presented her with a decorated calabash amidst drumming and dancing by a traditional dancing group. The Regional Minister ushered Ms. Jean into the Tamale Metropolis business centre where she met with members of "The Collaboration with Women in Distress Project" (COLWOD), a Canadian government-funded NGO and interacted with them to have first-hand information about the constraints and challenges facing the organisation.

The project provides training for widows, divorced women and single mothers to enable them engage in income-generating activities such as the production and sale of handicrafts to empower them economically. It also works to create awareness of human trafficking among the local communities to help prevent girls from falling prey to the slavery.

Sister Jacqueline Picard, Manager of the COLWOD project said the project was reaching out to women and girls who had escaped the sex trade in Northern Ghana.

While in Tamale, Ms. Jean is expected to visit the Canadian-funded "Farmer mechanism for extension and research project" at Golinga in the Tolon/Kumbungu District.

She would also be hosted to a luncheon with Canadians working in the Northern Region.