The University of Cape Coast (UCC) Co-operative Credit Union has handed over a high-powered delivery bed to the University Health Services.

The advanced bed can be adjusted to the comfort and sleeping positions of heavily pregnant women for successful deliveries.

The humanitarian gesture was to show love as part of the UCC Credit Union’s social responsibility activities.

 Presentation

At a short ceremony held at the premises of the University Hospital Maternity Block to present the delivery bed, the Chairperson of the UCC Co-operative Credit Union, Mrs. Charity Abraham, said providing a delivery bed for admission of expectant women formed a critical part of maternal health.

She said management of the University alone would not be able to provide the needs of the UCC Hospital and, therefore, corporate organisations need to come on board to support in that regard.

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Dr. James kojo Prah conducting the delegation from UCC Credit Union around the maternity block

Mrs. Abraham used the opportunity to appeal to the Hospital to take good care of the bed to ensure a longer life span, since its maintenance would go a long way to improve maternal and child health at the Hospital. 

Appreciation

The Director of University Health Services, Dr James Kojo Prah, who received the item, expressed the Hospital’s appreciation to the UCC Credit Union for the kind gesture, which he said would augment health delivery.

He said the donation came to them as a surprise and, therefore, appealed to UCC Credit Union to continue with its good surprises.

Dr. Prah gave the assurance that the bed would be put to its intended use so it benefits the society. 

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Some board and management members of UCC Co-operative Credit Union after the donation

He said the doors of the Hospital were always open to all others capable of supporting its operations.

Dr Prah, therefore, made a passionate appeal to internally-generated units within the University and corporate Ghana to support the Hospital with equipment to enhance quality healthcare delivery.

Source: Documentation and Information Section

The University of Cape Coast (UCC) Alumni Council has pledged to give back to the University that has nurtured and shaped their lives.

As part of its give-back agenda, the Council - made up of the leadership of some chapters of the UCC Alumni Association across the globe - tabled a raft of proposals at a meeting with management of the University.

Among the plans is the introduction of Alumni Student Support Scholarship to help brilliant but needy students of the University.

Members of the council also delved into various issues including the Management of University Alumni Hostel, Alumni Home Coming, Alumni Leadership Lecture Series, among others.

Speaking at the meeting, held at the Council Chamber, the President of the UCC Alumni Association, Mr. Samuel Akoto, reiterated the commitment of the Association to ensure that UCC maintained its enviable position as the best university in Ghana and West Africa.

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Mr. Samuel Akoto, President of the UCC Alumni Association.

On behalf of the Council, he pledged to do more for the University to enhance teaching and learning.

He praised the University for producing world-class personalities in both academia and professional disciplines.

He said the Association was poised to rally its strong alumni base across the globe in a bid to get every beneficiary of the noble institution to give back to the University.

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Prof. Rosemond Boohene, Pro Vice-Chancellor of UCC

On her part, the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rosemond Boohene, expressed gratitude to the members of the UCC alumni Council.

She said management of the University was ready to partner with the Alumni Council to achieve the vision of the UCC.

Prof. Boohene pointed out that the University had grown in leaps and bounds and accommodation for students was the major challenge facing management.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor, therefore, implored the Alumni Council to use its "networks and contacts" to woo developers to build ultra-modern hostels to reduce the increasing accommodation deficiency of the University.

At the meeting, some of the Council members recalled with nostalgia the period of their stay in the University, including the fun, values, and quality of education they received.

Present at the meeting were the Registrar, Mr. Jeff Teye Emmanuel Onyame and Provost, College of Education Studies, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis.

Source: Documentation and Information Section

The issue of plastic waste has become a global concern because of its devastating effect on the environment.

To curb this menace, TEDxUniversityofCapeCoast —  an organisation on campus committed to societal outreach —  has embarked on sensitisation programme at Kwaprow M/A Basic School to raise awareness about the harmful effects of plastic pollution on the environment and people.

The programme, which was organised in collaboration with Green Africa Youth Organisation, was also aimed at promoting recycling practices among pupils to complement national efforts at solving the menace of plastic waste in the country.

The event was dubbed: "Plastic Pollution: A Growing Threat to our Planet, Understanding the Impact of Plastic Pollution on Climate Change”.

The group believes school children have the power to influence their peers and families to drive for proper plastic waste management within the communities in which they live.

The Organiser of TEDxUniversityofCapeCoast, Mr. Tebson Haruna Mohammed, speaking to class four pupils of the school, explained that environmental pollution had dire consequences on the individual and the country as a whole.

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Mr. Tebson Haruna Mohammed speaking to class four pupils of Kwaprow M/A School

According to him, Ghanaians had become over-reliant on disposable plastic, leading to severe environmental consequences.

Therefore, he stressed that collective effort would be required to salvage the situation and bring the purely human-generated problem under control.

Mr. Mohammed called on schoolchildren to volunteer to collect empty plastic bottles and sachet water rubbers in their vicinities in order not to pollute the environment.

Speaking further, he pointed out that one serious consequence of the indiscriminate dumping of plastic waste was the pollution of water bodies, especially plastic materials in water bodies, destroying aquatic life and adversely affecting the livelihood of fisher folk.

"There is the need to segregate waste to ensure that plastic is treated separately from other waste materials. It is a fact that plastic can be recycled and put to other uses," he added.

Mr. Mohammed advised school children to be part of the fight against plastic pollution by practicing proper waste disposal to keep the environment clean and safe for generations to come.

He called on members of the public to properly manage their plastic waste and stressed the need for the nation to recycle plastic and organic waste into other useful products as a form of generating revenue for the economy.

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Executive members of TEDxUniversityofCapeCoast 

An Executive Member of TEDxUniversityofCapeCoast, Ms. Jacqueline Ballang, in a remark, noted that it was a collective responsibility for all to be involved in creating awareness about environmental protection.

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Some staff members of Kwaprow M/A and the executive members of TEDxUniversityofCapeCoast

“We must remember that this is not merely a fight against climate change or plastic pollution, we are fighting for our lives and for our future, and we all have a very important part to play. All we have is our environment and it is our responsibility to keep it clean for our own good,” she told the school children”.

She noted that TEDxUniversityofCapeCoast was targeting school children because research had shown that pupils were used as agents of change in developed countries.

Source: Documentation and Information Section

The Ghana Science Association, Cape Coast, has organised a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education workshop for science teachers in the Twifo Ati Morkwa District of the Central Region.

The one-day workshop, on the theme: “Igniting Innovation: Empowering Educators in STEM Education,” was aimed at equipping teachers with practical skills in handling science classes and supporting the students to develop interest in science.

A Senior Lecturer at the Department of Science Education, UCC, Dr. Kofi Acheaw Owusu, who took the participants through general pedagogy and specific teaching strategies, encouraged science teachers to embrace the new teaching methodology to whip up interest among pupils and students.

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Dr. Kofi Acheaw Owusu addressing the participants

He advised teachers to prepare their lesson notes regularly since that was the foremost preparation expected of every teacher who was committed to his or her work and cautioned them not to teach students as if they were teaching their co-equals in class.

“Learners should be engaged physically and cognitively in the knowledge acquisition process, in a rich and rigorous inquiry-driven environment. Just allow them to play an active role,” he said, stressing that teaching must be learner-centered.

Dr. Owusu continued: “The students should do more of the work because they require the knowledge, thus, the role of the teacher will then change from being a giver of knowledge to a facilitator and assistant in the teaching and learning process.”

He pointed out that the classroom must become discussion-oriented instead of lecture-based, indicating that teachers must craft activities in advance to engage students in the teaching and learning process.

The Cape Coast Branch President of the Association, Dr. Benjamin Aboagye, said the workshop was in line with its mandate to adopt best practices and improve on science education.

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Dr. Benjamin Aboagye

He underscored the need to equip the teachers with 21st Century teaching skills.

“This is the time we have to train the teachers to know how to get the students involved in the teaching process and get them to understand whatever they are teaching.” Dr. Aboagye added.

In a remark, the District Chief Executive, Mr. Robert Agyemang, expressed worry that STEM subjects were not popular in the District, and, therefore, it was important to broaden science education to whip interest and create more opportunities for children with potentials in the field.

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Some participants in the workshop

Mr. Isaac Ofori, a participant of the workshop and  science teacher at the Morkwa Senior High School, said the training had enlightened him about how to engage students to critically think in the classroom. Mr. Ofori said he was going to replicate what he had learnt in the classroom to get the best out of his students.

Prof. Ernest Anderson, of the Department of Physics at the UCC, also took the teachers through the rudiments of physics education in the classroom.

Source: Documentation and Information Section