Kassena-Nankana group supports communities against COVID-19

DIZEMTAABA, a Kassena-Nankana group formed with the aim of mobilising resources to help communities in the area to fight the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has supported its communities with items worth over GH¢100,000.

The items included personal protection equipment (PPE), 30 Infrared gun thermometers, face masks, protective gloves, and large quantities of assorted detergents for key health facilities in the two Kassena-Nankana districts.

Other items included alcohol based hand Sanitizers, Wall mounting dispensers, Methylated spirit, Medical purpose oxygen and Veronica buckets.

In addition, a group of volunteers had been put together moving from community-to-community providing education and sensitization on COVID-19 prevention while the use of social media had been employed to provide messages in Nankam and Kasem languages on COVID-19 for education.

Colonel John Kuseh (Rtd), convener of the group told the GNA that DIZEMTAABA was a non-partisan Group of willing Kassena-Nankana people within Ghana and the diaspora with the purpose of contributing towards the fight against COVID-19, especially in poor communities.

He said the mobilization efforts were to complement government intervention in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as well as supporting the efforts of the Municipal and District Health Directorates, the War Memorial Hospital, the Navrongo Health Research Centre, the Traditional Authorities and other stakeholders in the fight against the spread of the virus in the Navrongo Municipality and in the Kassena-Nankana West District.

He said DIZEMTAABA had Dr Ayaga Bawa, a Senior Lecturer at the Regional Institute for Population Studies - University of Ghana as Coordinator of the effort while Dr Dennis Chirawura, a Senior Lecturer at the Tamale campus of UDS, was leading the Home Team responsible for coordinating with stakeholders for the implementation of programmes.

He said the gesture attracted many other people who did not hail from the place but had contributed generously to the group to fight the virus.

The convener expressed gratitude to all valuable contributors and Coordinators for their support and expressed the hope that many others would contribute in support of the good course.

"The unity of purpose on the platform is very remarkable. It is therefore important to highlight the contributions from the Kassena Nankana Development League (KNDL), the NIMORO GROUP in Manchester and Leeds, all in the United Kingdom (UK), politicians from the area and our adopted son Awiniloya Wepere", he said.

"DIZEMTAABA recognizes that we cannot do it alone and so require support especially now that some positive cases have been reported in the Navrongo Municipality. We therefore call on all sons and daughters of the homeland to rally support for a good course".

"Any assistance he said “can be channeled directly home or through DIZEMTAABA platforms. We are looking forward to having assistance from Corporate Ghana, NGOs, Religious Bodies and Philanthropists".

DIZEMTAABA is a combined word from Kasem and Nankani, meaning "Let us help one another’ It is derived from the kasem word DIZEMDAANI and its nankani version TISUNGTAABA.

GNA