Roll out policies to help developing countries to be independent - Akufo-Addo to donors

President Akufo-Addo has charged NGOs and International donors to roll out policies that will help developing countries to be independent rather than relying on aid and handouts.

Speaking at the 4th District meeting of the Rotary International in Accra, the President said developing countries will be better served if dynamic programmes are implemented to help the poor stating that it is not enough to get help to feed your family.

The President stated that programmes designed to help the poor and vulnerable must have clear-cut exit strategies, and is, therefore, urging the citizenry not to be unduly reliant on long-term aid projects.

Rotary Club International brings a global network of volunteers who have dedicated time and talent to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.

Rotary has more than 1.2 million members from over 200 countries.

The club has carved a niche for itself as an NGO which has been at the forefront of solving problems in the areas of health, water and sanitation, disease prevention, maternal and child health and peace and conflict prevention among others.

Ghana has not registered any case of polio for the past nine years due to the activities of the club.

Rotarians in the country are also carrying out boreholes projects in rural and some parts of the cities where potable water is not accessible.

The President, Nana Akufo-Addo lauded Rotary for the continuous support in the areas of health, education and sanitation.

Touching on the six areas of Focus of Rotary, President Akufo-Addo noted that members of the Rotary have always been well placed to influence events and policies in Ghana.

In the area of health, he stated the infection rates of poliomyelitis, one of the six childhood killer diseases, had been reduced from an annual worldwide infection rate of 350,000 cases in over 125 countries, to a mere 75 cases in only 3 countries.

This feat, he noted, has been achieved thanks to the efforts of Rotary. “You have taken on the other great killer of our part of the world, malaria, and I wish to congratulate Rotary on your Roll Back Malaria project.

It does look as though we are finally making headway in the fight against malaria. This is also the result of collaboration between government and non-governmental organizations.

Touching on the Water and Sanitation area of focus, President Akufo-Addo stated that “I am pleased to learn that you have started the second phase of a US$6 million Rotary International/USAID Water Collaboration. We could not ask for a better partner than Rotary as we seek to implement our government’s programme to provide potable water and good sanitation to all our people”.

On Basic Education and Literacy, another area of focus of Rotary, the President stressed that “education is the only way to give a good head start and provide equal opportunities for all our children.

This, government believes that a lot hangs on the success of our education programmes, and we welcome enthusiastically all the help that we can get from organizations such as Rotary in delivering quality education to our people.”

The first lady, Mrs Rebekah Akufo-Addo was inducted as fellow of the Paul Harris club which is affiliated to Rotary Club international.