The Amanonehene of Akyem Awisa in the Birim South District of the Eastern of Ghana has called on all Ghanaians to promote and project adolescent health right among adolescents in the country. According to the chief “most adolescents have little or no knowledge about their stages of growth and their health rights.” A situation which is worrying.

He is therefore calling on “the Ghana Health Service, the Ghana Education Service, Religious bodies, District Assemblies, social welfare centers not forgotten the media to help safeguard and promote” this all important subject matter since a “recent research conducted in our area indicates that rights to information on health care is important and highly appreciated.”

Nana Nuako Oppong Kwakye was speaking at a ceremony at Akyem Awisa to Commission a Herald Foundation Youth Information Center.

The Akyem Awisa Youth Center is the third of its kind built in the Eastern Region by the Herald Foundation with support from Umea, Ghana Union, a Swedish sister organization of Herald Foundation. The youth information center is stuffed with playing tools as well as research tools such as draft, Oware, ludu, Computer games and computers with access to internet as well as materials on Adolescent Health Right where the youth in the community can go to play and to learn. The center is to promote studies on health related issues as well as playing and learning grounds for the youth of Akyem Awisa.

Nana Nuako Oppong Kwakye who is himself also the director of Herald Foundation said the coming into existence of the youth center is a dream come true for him since it was a pledge he made to the people of the town and he is happy that the dream has been fulfilled. “In the July 2012 I was enstooled as Awisa Amanonehene, and that day I promised to create a center for our Youth. Today the 11th day of November 2016 and at this hour, we are all here to witness the promise and at the same time share the story and write a history together.” He said.

Mr. Mikael Lundgren, President of Umea, Ghana Union- the Swedish sister group of Herald Foundation- expressed his happiness for the completion of the youth center. According to Mr. Lundgren, the youth centers created in Akyem Oda and Akyem Anamase have contributed a lot to the wellbeing and health of the youth in those towns and he is hopeful that same positive response will replicate itself at Akyem Awisa.

On behalf of Umea, Ghana Union, Mr. Lundgren presented a portrait of a panorama view from the Swedish mountains, a national park known as Sarek with cold Snowy Winter and a hot tropical summer to the center. According to him, the portrait will be “a reminder of the long lasting friendship and cooperation for people’s health and wellbeing.”

Speaking at the Commissioning, the Member of Parliament for the Akyem Swedru Constituency, Hon. Kennedy Osei Nyarko thanked Herald Foundation for a good job done. According to the MP, the devil finds job for the idle hand, it is therefore timely the coming into existence of the youth center which will keep the youth busy and restrain them from engaging in defiant deals. The MP admonished the youth to make good use of the Center especially the ICT section since ICT is the back bone of the growth of every country now. He advised them to use the internet facilities to research more to broaden their knowledge base in other to be useful beings to the society.

On his part, Nana Kwarteng Karikari I, chief of Akyem Awisa reiterated the appeal of the MP for the youth to make effective use of the center. Commenting on the impending general election, Nana Kwarteng Karikari advised the youth to desist from any form of actions that has the potential to foment problems for the country.

In attendance during the commissioning were the Chiefs and People of Akyem Awisa, District Chief Executive, the District Director of Ghana Health Service, The District Director of Education, etc

  Kwasi Frimpong