Kade, Aug 31, GNA - The Kwaebibirem District Assembly is to buy sewing machines and hairdressing kits for distribution to girls who have learned dressmaking and hairdressing to enable them to establish businesses.

Addressing the District Assembly at Kade the District Chief Executive, Mr Yaw Yiadom-Boakye, said this would be in accordance with a directive from the Minister of Women and Children Affairs, Mrs Gladys Asmah.

He urged assembly members to identify two such girls in their electoral areas to benefit from the assistance. On the District Health Insurance Scheme, Mr Yiadom-Boakye said the district assembly had released 41 million cedis from its Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) to supplement the 40,000 cedis district premium already paid by each member of the scheme to make up the 72,000 cedis required under the national premium.

The District Chief Executive said the measure was to ensure that the district's arrangements were in line with the national scheme to enable the district to benefit from the government's financial package. Mr Yiadom-Boakye said whilst the National Health Insurance Scheme exempted children below 18 years and adults of over 70 years from paying the premium, the district scheme included the two categories of people and had collected the premium from them.

He said the district assembly would make available 500 million cedis towards the take-off of a citrus plantation under the Rural Enterprise Project.

The assembly would enter into a partnership with the Citrus Growers Association in the district to implement the project as early as possible.

He said the assembly would direct all NGOs and CBOs dealing with HIV/AIDs to form HIV/AIDs clubs in schools to assist in creating more awareness about the disease among the youth.