Regional News of Monday, 9 February 2015

Source: Maxwell Okamafo Addo

2nd Lady donates to BASICS, launches Kids playing centre at West Hill Mall

Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur, wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur, has urged children in various orphanages to learn, work hard and give maximum respect to their caregivers.

Mrs. Amissah-Arthur gave the advice on Friday when she donated food items – bags of rice, cooking oil, candies, drinks, as well as some educational materials such as pens, pencils, to support some children at BASICS an NGO based in Chorkor.

BASICS is a faith-based charity organization with a mission of ending cycles of illiteracy, poverty, hunger and child labour in Ghana permanently.

She also praised BASICS for working hard to nurture the children to rise above these challenges as well as making a difference in the society.

Mrs. Amissah-Arthur, stated that she has been with BASICS for over eight years, so knows what they have done for the society in terms of education they have provided to the less privileged in society, so there was the need to encourage them to continue with their good works that they have been doing for the past fourteen years.

She took time to interact with the children there and appealed to them to learn hard and take advantage of the centre to improve on their reading skills.

Mrs. Amissah-Arthur, a friend to children and a mother for all, said it had been her practice to visit orphanages in the country that helps to bring out the best in children who are less privileged in society because they are our future leaders.

Earlier on in the day Mrs. Matilda Amissah Arthur, launched a playland road called Fun for Kids playing centre at the West Hill Mall along the Mallam Kasoa road.

She commended Ms Bram-Larbi, Chief Executive Officer of Fun for Kids for setting up the place since there are only a few playgrounds for kids in the country.

She called on the authorities of Fun for Kids to ensure that the place is maintained, and workers are periodically trained to achieve the purpose for which the land was established.

On her part, Ms Ewurabena Kobe Bram-Larbi, Chief Executive Officer of Fun for Kids said she established the playland at the mall to alert the general public on the educative and entertaining nature of the play land.

She said she is someone who stayed at the day care centre during her childhood, so learnt to love kids and everything that makes them happy.

This made here develop the zeal to establish a kids play centre whenever she found the opportunity”, she added.

She noted that parents who tend to have challenges in catering for their children due to work or other reasons can seek for their help during working days for an unlimited time at an affordable cost.

Ms Bram Larbi said the centre also assist kids in their academic assignments, help organize birthday parties for kids and provide them with the necessary attention they need until their guardians return for them.

She stressed that children who are dropped off after school can also be given skills in craft making with beads, wool and paint.

The playland has electric cars, climbers, rockers, toddlers play area, craft zone, reading lounge, mazes, ball pits, sundry play things, slides, crawling tubes and edible foods such as fresh juice, ice cream, popcorn, cotton candy, pastries and sweets.