The Head of State Awards Scheme (HOSAS) at Saint Roses Senior High School (SHS) has presented treated mosquito nets and curtains to school children between the ages of five and ten at Kwae in the Kwaebibirem District.
HOSAS, formerly known as the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Awards Association, is an international award for young people from age fourteen and twenty five and was formed in 1975.
The items worth GH¢ 5,000.00 was part of their action plan to contribute in the eradication of infant mortality, one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Ms Monica Quarshie, President of the scheme, presenting the items at a durbar to commemorate the Independence Day anniversary at Kwae, said the gesture was their social responsibility gesture to the community.
She stated that the group aspires to reach out to 5,000 children within five years to make sure that children do not die from malaria.
Ms Quarshie urged parents to ensure that their children sleep in treated bed nets.
She also advised pregnant women to sleep in the treated bed nets to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
Receiving the items on behalf of the children, the assemblyman for Kwae Adiembra electoral area, Mr Charles Okai, expressed profound gratitude to the students for their gesture.
Earlier in a speech read on his behalf, the Kwaebibirem District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr E.R Aboagye Osae, said the occasion was an opportunity to reflect on the political history of the country.
He said the issue of development, democracy, unity and peace were intricately linked and therefore in the absence of one, others cannot be realised.
Mr Osae noted that it did not take the efforts of one person to sustain those achievements, but all in the spirit of oneness irrespective of tribe, race, religion and political affiliation to work towards maintaining that noble record in the sub-region.
He therefore urged all to contribute towards sustaining peace and democracy for the realisation of the “better Ghana agenda”.
Mr Osae also encouraged people 18 years and above to patronise the biometric voter registration exercise.