The St. Andrews’ Clinics For Children-Ghana (StACC-Ghana), a non-governmental organisation has held a two-day workshop for teachers in the Bongo District with the aim of improving health awareness in order to prevent parasitic diseases in the district.
Teachers from twenty (20) schools were taken through the use of interactive flip charts and a board game intended to teach children about the causative agents and preventive measures of major parasitic diseases.
Joseph Quartey, a StACC-Ghana member, demonstrated the use of the flip chart which tells the story of Mr Kwesi and his family, and their experiences with diseases such as malaria, bilharzia and Soil Transmitted Helminthes (STH). A board game originally developed by the West African Centre for Parasitic Research (WACIPAC) and adopted by StACC-Ghana, Worms and Ladders was also introduced. The worms and ladders game, which is played in the manner of snakes and ladders, is a fun interactive tool for teaching children best practices for avoiding parasitic diseases.
The District Director of Education, Duncan Nsoh, addressing participants, reminded them of the fact that “Learning is best when there is play” and encouraged them to utilise the aids in teaching the children, who, he said would become agents of change within their own communities. He advised them to not permit the aids to gather dust, but rather, turn to them often, in order to keep the children engaged and informed.
Following the sessions, the participants from each school were given a copy of the instruction manual for the worms and ladders game, as well as three copies each of the board game and flip chart to aid them teach the children in their schools.
Over the next two weeks, StACC members will visit the participating schools where they will set up school health clubs and actively observe the teachers utilising the tools in their natural element.
On November 10, 2016, the group from StACC-Ghana moved to the Asaloko community, where children demonstrated their knowledge of the game, worms and ladders to community members. While there, the group presented bags of clothing and learning aides collected by a travel company, Adventure Junkies as well as members of the NGO. Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Anafo Steven on behalf of the community, thanked the NGO for its hard work and promised they would put the knowledge and materials to good use.
Since 2008, STACC-Ghana, a volunteer-based NGO whose parent body is in the United Kingdom has been screening and treating soil-transmitted helminthiasis in both enrolled and non-enrolled children of school going age in Bongo. The NGO has also conducted research and treatment of dental fluorosis in children in the District.
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