Aids Awareness Games in Bimbilla

The Christian Children's Fund of Canada (CCFC), an NGO, is using the medium of sports and quiz competitions to spread the message of HIV/AIDS among the youth.

Children affiliated to its five-partner project schools in the Northern Region competed in sporting activities and quiz competitions to facilitate social interaction among them and test their knowledge on HIV/AIDS.

The theme for the second annual games and quiz competition which ended over the weekend was: "HIV/AIDS awareness, peace and development".

The schools, which competed in the games were, Tuma Kavi Development Association, in the Savelugu/Nanton District, Presbyterian Farmers Training Programme, in the East Gonja District, the Ghana Baptist Convention, in the Tolon/Kumbungu District, Assemblies of God Relief and Development Service in the Nanumba District and Markaz Al Bishara in the Tamale Municipality.

Madam Sanatu Nantogmah, Country Director of CCFC said the games and quiz competition demonstrated the determination and commitment of its partners to the holistic development of the child.

The Country Director said the games were to promote HIV/AIDS awareness among children between the ages of 10 and 15 years whom she described as the "window of hope for the country".

She advised the youth to desist from early sex since they could be putting their future at risk. Madam Nantogmah said the prevalence rate of the disease in the country was 3.6 per cent, with six regions reaching six per cent, warning that the Northern Region should not be complacent about the low level of the disease because information gathered about it might be inaccurate.

Alhaji Saani Iddi, Nanumba District Chief Executive commended CCFC for promoting the development of education in the area and promised that his administration would give its support to the NGO to bring more development to the district. He appealed to other NGOs to emulate CCFC and avail the youth with quality education, saying that the future of the Nanumba District Assembly depended on the quality of the children being groomed in the schools.

In the boys football competition, Nanumba beat Gumani 2-0 to lift the trophy.

Nanumba also came first in the quiz competition with 59 points, followed by Markaz Al Bishara with 57 points, Tuma Kavi 55 points, Baptist 44 points and Presby, came third, fourth and fifth with 55, 44 and 38 points respectively.

The schools, which won the first, second and third positions were presented with trophies and certificates.

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