BY: Akpabli Daniel Yao I Voltaonlinegh.com |
The President for the National Society of the Ghana Red Cross Society, Lawyer Kwame Gyimah-Akwafo, has acknowledged the effects of Covid-19 pandemic situation on their planned activities for 2016/2021 and said, strategies are made ahead of 2021/2025.
He made this observation at a council meeting of Ghana Red Cross Society to draws five-year strategic plan for 2021 to 2025 in Ho, Volta regional capital.
He said, the society has its aim of alleviating human sufferings through their programs and activities specially targeted at the vulnerable within the community
“The council of the Red Cross society is the second highest decision making body of the national society and we are obliged periodically to meet to take stock of all our activities, update the council on the activities done in the past and also seek the mandate of the council to be able to do a lot of the planned activities ahead” he stated
He mentioned that, the past one year has been a very trying moment for the country especially with the Covid-19 pandemic and as a national society, the Red Cross needed to have this council meeting to be able to update and brief the council as to their roles and interventions.
“Targets for 2016/2021 obviously were affected throughout the later part of the year due to Covid situation which we all run into. Naturally we had to change focus a bit and concentrated on what was not actually planned but by and large, yes, we did achieve significantly with the targets that we planned within 2016 up to 2021”
He said, stocks have been taken from the Covid-19 pandemic situation, shortfalls identified and the gaps, especially in the resource mobilization which are the driving factors, have actually been planned afresh for the 2021-2025.
He noted that, the society had a lot of stakeholder engagement including the Ministry of health to be able to make these plans sustainable.
“We are here to plan for 2021 to 2025 and seek the council’s opinion concerning the strategic plans for 2012 to 2025”
According to him, the society is able to take stock and be able to see the demands of community in the years ahead
He said, some key areas which the council is looking at to enable them to draw the five-year development is a National society development which included all aspect of youth development, human resource development, capacity building among others
He further mentioned resource mobilization, risk management and disaster management as other key areas that the council shall be focusing on in the next five years so as to provide the needed support should there be any disaster in the country or any community.
He however thanked all donors for their supports and called on all stakeholders to collaborate with the society to assist them to have the capacity to develop the community.
Abel Augustinio from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Ghana office, noted that, even with the limited resources, the Ghana Red Cross Society is having a very big achievement as it has offices doted in all the regions of the country as well as various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies and about 60,000 volunteers who are mobilizing to provide resources for free.
He said having noted such great efforts, we should also acknowledge that, the Ghana Red Cross needs supports, especially, from the citizens of Ghana, Government and other stakeholders.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com
