The Honorary Consul of the Republic of Indonesia in Ghana has made a huge donation of Indonesian products and educational materials to four (4) basic schools at Adentan and Madina in the Greater Accra region to mark the 78th Independence Day of Indonesia in Ghana.
Indonesia has always played an active role in maintaining world peace and security.
The items were donated by some Indonesian companies in Ghana namely the United Foods Indo Ghana Limited in Accra, manufacturers of the popular Indomie noodles, Peace Indo Ghana Limited in Tema, producers of the old-age Medisoft soaps as well as the Wings Group Indonesia or First African Brand at East Legon, manufacturers of the Soklin powdered soaps, Santex and other detergents.
The others were the Rois Group of Companies Limited in Accra as well as the Ghana Country Director and Deputy Africa Regional Representative of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), Mr. Yurdi Yasmi and the wife.
The beneficiary schools were the Holy Rosary R.C Basic Schools and De Youngsters’ International School at Adentan and the British Columbia College (BCC), Madina as well as the Bettle Presbyterian Basic School, Otanor.
Each of the schools and some of the school children received products such as Indomie noodles, Medisoft soaps, Soklin powdered soaps, Santex hand sanitizers and other detergents, body lotions as well as learning materials like pencils, pens, exercise books as well as whiteboard markers. The rest of the products included mosquito repellants, stationeries and school bags.
The Rois Group of Companies Limited donated a projector to the host school, Holy Rosary R. C. Basic Schools. The presentation was done by the Managing Director (MD) of Rois Limited and wife of the Honorary Consul, H.E. Mrs. Gifty Etsa Rois to address a major challenge being faced with Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) studies in her alma mater, the Holy Rosary School where she was a Student Chaplain during her basic education period. Mrs. Rois used the projector donation as an opportunity to encourage the young ones especially the girls to aspire to greater heights not only in life but also in their educational pursuits.
Scores of school children numbering more than three hundred and fifty (350) and about twenty (20) teachers from the various schools were joyfully present to witness the occasion. It was the first time the Indonesian Independence Day in Ghana has been held in such a manner, bringing together all the top level government and educational leaders to grace the occasion.
The celebration was held under the theme, ‘”Terus Melaju untunk Indonesia” or “Continue Advancing for an Advanced Indonesia”. The theme reflects a sense of stability and unity in harmony towards the advancing of Indonesia.
Speaking at the event, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Indonesia in Ghana, H.E. Paskal A. B. Rois noted that the Independence Day in Indonesia has always been of joy, patriotism and unity, adding that the celebration of the event in Indonesia was exactly what was being done in Ghana through the donation of the items. ‘For us at the Consulate in Ghana, we have decided together with the Indonesian companies and community in the country to touch the lives of our future leaders of this country ‘, he stressed.
He announced that more than thirty (30) Ghanaian students are currently pursuing various partially funded degree, masters and doctoral programmes in Indonesian universities with scholarship. According to him, some students are also studying other fully funded courses with the KNB scholarship scheme. He added that about four (4) students have qualified for further studies in Indonesia this year and also due to leave for the Asian country by September, 2023 to begin their degree courses in various academic fields.
Mr. Rois used the occasion to call on all Ghanaians including students, university lecturers and their faculty to be part of what he described as ‘an exciting support from Indonesia towards strengthening the human resource base of the developing world of which Ghana is no exception’.
The Honorary Consul also spoke about the forthcoming 38th International Trade Exhibition dubbed Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) at the BSD City of Tangerang, Indonesia from Wednesday, 18th to Sunday, 22nd October, 2023 and stressed the need for Ghanaians including buyers and traders, manufacturers, importers, distributors and wholesalers, hoteliers and restaurateurs, business and trade associations and the media to take advantage of this fair to travel to Indonesia for such a business opportunity including travelling to Bali which is the most visited site on the globe in the year 2022 according to fox news.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Adentan Municipal Assembly, Alexander Nii Noi Adumuah lauded the initiative of the Honorary Consul, describing the move as one that would open up several areas of collaboration between Indonesia and Ghana as well as the Adentan Municipality and the Consulate. He commended the pupils for showing interest in the event and also the schools for attending the event in their numbers.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Adentan Constituency, Mohammed Adamu Ramadan congratulated the people of Indonesia for the 78th Independence Anniversary celebration and for attaining such a height on their development as a country. He was hopeful that the celebration of the day in Ghana would go a long way to benefit the two countries.
The Municipal Director of Education, Gifty Mussey noted that such stakeholder supports and engagements are prerequisites for the promotion of quality education in schools. According to her, the Basic Schools in the Adentan Municipality are doing their best and expressed the hope that the teachers would continue to give off their best to their pupils. Ms. Mussey stressed the need for the teachers to continue to offer their best for the total development of their pupils.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Headteacher of the Holy Rosary R. C. Junior High School (JHS), Esther Bonney was overwhelmed by the kind gesture from the Indonesian Consulate and its partners in the country. She was grateful that their schools had the opportunity to be selected for such an honour. She mentioned lack of projectors and computers as well as whiteboard markers as some of the major challenges facing their schools.
The Municipal Directorate of Education led by its Director, Gifty Mussey later presented two artworks made by the host school about Indonesia to the Honorary Consul, H.E Rois. The artworks which were a practical project of one of the classes of the school, was to appreciate the Consulate and Indonesia for their contribution to the promotion of education in Ghana.
Indonesia is the world’s third largest democracy, hosting 13% of the world’s Muslims and currently chairing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey, Australia (MIKTA).
Indonesia is also an active member of the D-8 Group with the following members, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkie.
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