Eight-year-old- girl speaks against smoking and alcoholism

Miss Mary Boahemaa, an eight-year-old girl of Christ Lutheran Church at Bechem, capital of Tano South District of the Brong Ahafo Region, has appealed to the youth to shy away from smoking to prolong their lifespan. Contributing to a Bible teaching session at a new year party organised by the church and Hope Development Foundation, a Christian non-governmental organisation (NGO) at Bechem, Miss Boahemaa also expressed worry about alcoholism among the youth in the area especially during the yuletide. She asked parents to enrol their children of school-going age and provide them with the basic learning and teaching materials so that they would feel happy and stay in school. Mr John Lambon, Co-ordinator of the NGO said the goal of the foundation was to support needy children in basic and senior high schools. He appealed to public-spirited individuals and organisations to assist the foundation to ensure the proper upbringing and development of children. Reverend John Andoh, Pastor in charge of the church urged the youth to lead honest lives in order to promote their spiritual and physical growth. He tasked churches to design educational programmes especially on health to guarantee the good medical condition of their members. Rev Andoh expressed worry about the political crisis in neighbouring La Cote d’Ivoire and appealed to the clergy to pray unceasingly for peace to prevail in the country. He challenged Ghanaians to avoid the politics of insults and support the government’s “better Ghana agenda” for development.