Diaspora News of Wednesday, 19 September 2007

Source: Ghana Embassy, Berne, Switzerland

Kinawas Clubs to assist blind

ONE THOUSAND NEEDY CHILDREN FROM NORTHERN GHANA THREATENED BY BLINDNESS TO BE ASSISTED BY KINAWIS CLUBS OF SWITZERLAND AND LIECHTENSTEIN

The Kinawis Clubs of Switzerland and Liechtenstein on Saturday, 8th September, 2007 promised to mobilize enough funds to assist about one thousand needy children from Northern Ghana, who are threatened by blindness.

This was disclosed by Mrs. llse Oehler, President of the Club at a well-attended Annual Convention of the Club, which was held in Fribourg, Switzerland and was addressed by H.E. Mr. Kwabena Baah-Duodu, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ghana in Switzerland.

Ambassador Baah-Duodu had appealed to the clubs to continue to extend a helping hand to the poor and needy and to turn pain into joy. He thanked the members of the clubs for the good work they were doing in the developing world.

The President of the club Mrs. Oehler had earlier disclosed that a strategic partnership had been forged between the club, the Swiss Red Cross Societies and the Ghana Health Service (which will be responsible for the implementation of the project). The club aims to collect CHF 50,000 for the project and already the Kinawis Club, Fribourg – Sense – See has made a donation of CHF 15,000 whilst the Swiss Kinawas Foundation has also set aside CHF10,000 for the campaign.

The Patron of the Club, Mrs. Roswitha Merz and members of the organizing committee will visit Ghana in November, 2007 to monitor the implementation of the campaign.

Present at the function were Mrs. Edith Baah-Duodu, spouse of the Ambassador, Mrs. Roswitha Merz, Patron of the Club and spouse of the Swiss Federal Minister of Finance, Dr. Samuel Stress, Ophthamologist and President of the Social Committee and Mr. Robert Neun, Chairman for Communication.