Women from various communities across the Nadowli-Kaleo District gathered at Gyile for a Mother-to-Mother Health Programme aimed at promoting healthcare, sanitation, and hygiene among families. The event brought together health professionals and district authorities who educated participants on practical ways to improve their living conditions and reduce the burden of disease in their homes.
Health experts took the women through essential topics on healthy living, stressing the importance of personal hygiene, proper sanitation, and safe food preparation. They explained that maintaining clean surroundings and adopting hygienic practices would not only prevent common illnesses but also help reduce the high cost of healthcare faced by many households in the district. Participants were encouraged to see these practices as daily responsibilities that directly affect the well-being of their families.
Addressing the gathering, Madam Mary Haruna, the District Chief Executive for the Nadowli-Kaleo District urged the women to take the initiative seriously and translate the knowledge acquired into practical action. She emphasised that sanitation must remain a priority in every home and community, noting that a clean environment is fundamental to good health. She particularly highlighted the need for quality and hygienic food preparation, explaining that healthy meals are key to building strong families and preventing avoidable diseases.
Touching on family planning, the DCE acknowledged the cultural value placed on having children, especially in Ghanaian society where they are regarded as a source of wealth and continuity. However, she cautioned couples against giving birth without proper planning, stressing that responsible parenthood ensures that children receive the care, education, and development they deserve.
She further encouraged women to form and register groups that would enable them to benefit from district-level support and capacity-building programmes. According to her, such organised groups would be considered for skills training and assistance to venture into income-generating activities. She announced that women who had already received training in various handicrafts would be supported to start production, while others would be given opportunities to learn trades such as soap making, batik tie and dye, bread baking, pastry production, and other vocational skills.
The DCE also used the occasion to advise parents to enrol their children in the government’s apprenticeship programme, which is designed to equip the youth with employable skills. She noted that many young people are eager to learn trades like weaving, welding, and hairdressing but are held back by financial constraints. The programme, she said, would provide the needed support to help them build sustainable livelihoods.
In a lighter but thought-provoking remark, she called on men to support their wives in household chores and environmental cleanliness. She explained that when women are left to handle all domestic responsibilities alone, they become exhausted, which affects family life. Shared responsibility at home, she noted, promotes harmony, strengthens marriages, and ensures that couples have the energy to enjoy their time together, especially at night.
The programme ended with renewed commitment from the participants to practice the lessons learned and to serve as ambassadors of good health and sanitation in their respective communities. The Mother-to-Mother initiative is expected to contribute significantly to improved family health, women’s economic empowerment, and overall community development in the Nadowli-Kaleo District.
The Trial News
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