Akwatia, Jan. 3, GNA - The Akwatia Royal Club which aims at promoting education and good sanitation in the town had been inaugurated at Akwatia in the Kwaebibrem district on Sunday. The Club intends to mobilize funds to cater for some of the basic needs of poor pupils to encourage them to remain at school. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, the Chairman of the Club, Mr. George Ampofo, noted that though education at the basic level was now free, pupils from very poor homes felt embarrassed and rejected as soon as they got to school.

This, according to him, was because such pupils might have torn uniforms or went to school without any stationery as their colleagues laughed and teased them.

On sanitation, Mr Ampofo said the club aimed at combating preventable diseases such as malaria and children by through regular clean-up exercises in the township.

The Kwaebibirem District Chief Executive, Mr Yaw Yiadom-Boakye, expressed satisfaction that the club, made up of mainly the youth, had come to play a worthwhile role in the community. He pledged the support of the District Assembly for the Club's activities and asked them to use their youthful exuberance to improve conditions of their community. Mr Yiadom-Boakye said 2006 would be a year of action for youth empowerment since the government had lined up a number of interventions to create jobs for them.

Osabarima Kofi Boateng, III, Akwatiahene and life patron of the club, said he was happy that the youth have formed an association to promote education and improve environmental sanitation. He noted that indiscriminate dumping of refuse which resulted in the pollution of the environment and streams was creating health hazard which should stop and promised that the traditional authority would collaborate with the Club to clean up Akwatia.