HelpAge presents awards to six pupils

Accra, Dec. 14, GNA- HelpAge Ghana, on Tuesday presented awards to six school children who were adjudged the winners out of 186 other competitors in a drawing competition organised by HelpAge in October this year.

Thirty-two schools participated in the competition, which was between pupils between ages of seven and 13, and 14 and 18 years. The drawings of the two groups reflected on the themes - Older People Supporting People Living with HIV/AIDS and orphans; The Faith of Older Women When Their Husbands Die.

Master Ben Bessie-Denta, 12, from Osu Salem Road Junior High School won the best in the first age group followed by Adolphus Augustus Lokko, 10 years from South La Estate "3" Primary school and Kennedy Yaw Baah, 13, from Gray Merial Primary School.

Desmond Anaosu, 15, from Calvary Methodist, was the winner in the second group, followed by Albert Nii Nortey Dowouna, 17, from Presbyterian Secondary School Osu, and Paul Abugah, 16, Police Depot 1, JSS.

The best in each group received 350,000 cedis, the second best 300,000 cedis and the third 250,000 cedis in addition to mathematical sets, pencils and pens.

The schools were also given wall clocks with the HelpAge logo. Prof. Nana Apt, President of HelpAge Ghana, said the best two drawings would be presented for Africa Wide Competition in Kenya Nairobi.

Prof. Apt said there was the need for schools to form clubs to sensitise people on issues affecting older persons and help fight for their rights.

She said aging was something that every young person would experience and it was therefore important for the younger generation to learn and know more about the issues that affected the aged and plan for the future.

Prof. Apt said research showed that older people especially women were still overburdened as some were made to look after their grand children.

She said there was the need for a policy that would help address the problems of the aged in Ghana "otherwise a time will come when we will find a large number of old people begging for alms and that would be a shame".