RAINS COMMENDED FOR SUPPORTING NEEDY (PAGE 29)

THE Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, has expressed appreciation to the management and collaborators of a Tamale-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Regional Advisory, Information and Network Systems (RAINS), for the immense support it offers to the underprivileged in the area.
He said such assistance over the years had significantly contributed to the empowerment of the youth, creation of educational opportunities for the underprivileged and also accelerated the socio-economic development of most deprived communities in the operational areas of the organisation in the Northern Region.
The minister gave the commendation during a presentation of a new 33-seater bus to the Yumba Special School in Tamale for the mentally retarded children.
The bus was purchased by RBC Dexia Investor Services through the collaboration of RAINS and their UK partners, Hope for Children.
RAINS also intends to construct a 10-seater place of convenience fitted with water closets, shower facilities and an overhead tank for the school through the support of its sponsors.
The school, which was established about two years ago with support from the Barclays Bank, is the first of its kind in the northern sector of the country.
The minister said the school still lacked a number of amenities to ensure its effective running and, therefore, entreated other corporate bodies, organisations and individuals to also contribute to the sustenance of the inmates, who were there through no fault of theirs.
The programme manager of RAINS, Mr Alhassan Musah, expressed his organisation’s commitment to further source funding to support the school.
‘‘We will work closely with the school, the Ghana Education Service and other agencies to source further support to tackle other equally pressing infrastructure and development needs in the school,’’ the manager assured.
Mr Musah, however, implored the school’s authorities to endeavour to use the bus solely for its intended purpose to address the needs of the children.
He said RAINS recognised the importance of the underprivileged and also shared the philosophy of putting children first.
‘‘Every child has a fundamental right to education and every child has unique characteristics, interest, abilities and learning needs,’’ Mr Musah acknowledged.
The manager further indicated that special education had the capacity to accomplish a great deal for Ghanaian children but it required openness to criticism and fresh ideas, a willingness to entertain reforms and a capacity to change.