Miz Pimple

THE CINDERILLA SLIPPERS
By Freda Appiah

How much could a pair of shoes cost? Well, the world's most expensive pair of women's shoes costs a cool $2 million!
The one-of-a-kind 4½-inch stiletto sandals are studded with 565 platinum-set Kuwait diamonds (which include 55 carats of clear diamonds and one big 5-carat stone).
This most expensive shoe in the world is called “Cinderella slippers”byStuart Weitzman. This pair of shoes was worn by singer Alison Krauss (who was nominated for best song for the film Cold Mountain) at the 76th Annual Academy Awards on February 29 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California in 2004. The Stuart Weitzman-designed shoe, which cost 2 million dollars, is on display in Beverly Hills, California.
The creation of the shoes is a dream for many women in the world over. The shoes are widely seen adorning celebrity feet across the globe and invariably make headlines.
The founder of Stuart Weitzman Inc has been hailed as a master craftsman who meshes technological expertise with a rare eye for beauty. He creates more than 300 new styles of shoes and handbags a year. Each pair of shoes he creates takes about six to seven weeks to produce, with 80-odd craftsmen involved in the making of the final product.
Stuart Weitzman will make a replica pair, with crystals instead of diamonds, for Krauss to keep after the Oscars. The designer traditionally gives away 200 pairs of shoes to actors during Oscar week.


THE POWER OF SMILE AND LAUGHTER

By Freda Appiah

Smiles bring people closer to you; it can bring a lifetime opportunity. Smiles acts like a spice to once appearance. Do you agree with me or not. Smiles make you to see the good side of your colleagues and make you beautiful.

There are different ways one can laugh. These are some of them, CACKLE, to laugh in loud unpleasant funny way especially in high voice. CHUCKLE, to laugh quietly especially because one is thinking about something funny. GIGGLE, to laugh in a silly way because you are amused, embarrassed or nervous. GUFFAW, to laugh noisily. ROAR, to laugh very loudly. SNIGGER/ SNICKER, to laugh in a quiet unpleasant way especially at something rude or at someone’s problems or mistakes.

You can also be convulsed with laughter or dissolve into laughter when you find something very funny and people shriek with laughter. Scientists have calculated that only half a minute of joyful laughter is worth 45 minutes of static rest .A spontaneous burst of laughter is comparable to three minutes of aerobic exercise, whereas ten warm
Smiles equal ten minutes of intensive rowing.


The other benefits of laughing include a three-fold increase in the amount of air drawn into the lungs as well as improved circulation, digestion, metabolism, brain function and elimination of harmful substances .To help put yourself in the right mood, YOU MUST PUT ON A SMILE AND LAUGH ALWAYS.

Environmental Concerns

THE PLASTICS OF OUR ATTITUDES

By Ruhiya Issah

May be science and environment teachers in our schools do not teach a lot about the harmful effects of plastics when they are improperly disposed or is not even part of the curriculum.

The environmental policy of the Ministry of Science and Environment on plastic waste on the land is not working. The plastic waste menace in Accra and some other parts of the country is simply terrifying. It looks like we are in a country where we all know what to do but we refuse to do them.

As we think and get anxious of our beloved Ghana, we must take some few minutes to look at our environment and the way we live. The indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste is an emerging danger we have to confront.

Devastatingly, quite a number of Ghanaians discard rubbish anyhow. Obviously, we cannot continue to meaningfully live like this. We have to change our attitudes towards littering.

Plastic wastes do not decompose given a century. Obviously wind blows these wastes into water bodies and gutters. When the rubbish finds its way into a gutter, it gets chocked and therefore becomes a breeding environment for mosquitoes. It also causes soil degradation and decreases the aesthetic appeal of the city due to its visibility everywhere.

On the other hand plastic waste that gets into the seas is swallowed by the big fishes, which cause their death. The plastic waste that is blown ashore makes our beaches very dirty. This is a huge disincentive to the tourism industry.

To all the above-enumerated problems, only an unnoticed effort on every individual can turn the tides. When in moving vehicle, just drop your litter in the car, when on the streets; just find a litter bin where you can gracefully lay your litter to rest or put them in your bags or pockets. Waste collection and disposal is often seen as being the responsibility of the government or municipality. In many cases the municipality is unable to fulfil this role effectively.


In order to develop appropriate technical solutions to the problem of plastic waste there is the need to examine the causes and consequences of plastic waste management. Between 1500 to 1800 tons of solid waste is generated in the Metropolis everyday. An average about 1200 tons is collected daily. Statistics from waste collectors for the month of April 2005 show that 32,187.66 tons of waste was collected from the central containers and 3,210.5 tons was collected through the house-to-house service. The total amount of solid waste collected for April was 35,398.16 tons. The waste collected from Accra is disposed of at landfill sites and also at the compost plant, to be separated and turned into organic manure.

There is therefore the need to recycle plastic waste in order to reduce in the volume of waste for land fills, to create extra income, to have cleaner and healthier environment, to solves the problem of seeking for landfill sites, to serve as source of raw materials for industries, to create jobs for the youth and to reduce imports

Economic Actions

Poultry Farming in Ghana –
The thick Dilemma and mine

BY Ruhiya Issah

My page talks about economic issue and its related concerns. My research on finding the core problems of economic independence in any business in Ghana brought me to the poultry farmer’s fight against principalities that walk by day. I wish to share my research.

“The scene was quite moving. Old men and women, some with babies on their backs, students and other rights activists wrenched through the scorching sun of Monday 11 April in Accra to send the right signals to the IMF and World Bank that poor countries are tired of being reduced to punching bags.This peaceful procession, comprising rice and poultry farmers from various parts of the country formed part of activities marking this year's Global Week of Action."Our eyes are red, save our farms, save our livelihoods", was the song that greeted the officials of the World Bank, who braced out of their offices to receive the petition.John Akparigu, a rice farmer from the Upper East Region told the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Freddie Blay who received the petition that every plate of imported rice sends 100 children out of the class to the streets because, many rice farmers, as other farmers have been compelled to abandon their farms due to the killing effects of trade liberalization. In 1992 domestic poultry farmers supplied 95 percent of the Ghanaian market, but by 2001 their market share had shrunk to just 11 percent. The imported chicken is available (wholesale) at a price that is only slightly more than half of the wholesale price of local chicken. The accompanying loss of jobs has also been remarkable. The industry has lost 150 jobs in the past few months alone, say the Farmers Associations. Commercial poultry farms -- which do not include small rural producers -- employ up to 5,000 people. Any job loss has far reaching implications for Ghana's 20 million people because each worker often provides support for numerous others in their household. Foreign producers currently pay a 20 percent tariff or tax on the poultry they send to Ghana. Two years ago, the Ghanaian Parliament passed a law allowing an additional 20 percent tariff to be imposed on imported chicken, bringing the overall tariffs to 40 per cent. The National Association of Poultry Farmers, a body representing small and medium-sized local poultry farmers, has cried foul and has taken the CEPS to court, in order to force application of the law.But Kumajor and his fellow poultry farmers in Ghana did not know the power of the IMF. Although it is an unelected body, it can overrule judicial processes in their country. The Ghanaian government let go of the new tariffs because it had already reached an agreement with the Fund to suspend the higher tariffs on poultry during the government's Article 4 consultations - an annual dialogue the IMF has with member countries. The IMF made it clear that it was opposed to the higher tariffs on the grounds that it will hurt Ghana's poverty reduction program. Alphecca Muttardy, the IMF's current representative in Ghana claimed that Ghana could only increase the tariffs under a special dispensation provided to successful businesses only. Speaking to Olivia McDonald from the non-governmental organization (NGO) Christian Aid in Ghana, Muttardy said, "we pointed it out to government that this [raising of tariffs] was not a good idea, they reflected on it and we agreed."

Moreover, as Ayine argues, the action of the Ghanaian government, under pressure from the IMF, has greatly undermined the tenets of good governance and the rule of law, which are said to be promoted by world financial institutions all over the world. "Overriding a judgment obtained through normal judicial processes does nothing but undercut the confidence with which citizens perceive the judicial process," he adds.To be continued latter

Arts and Culture Spirits

sTREET aRTs festival – Join Us

BY Patricia Arthur

That was the end of another art exhibition where the Foundation for Female Photojournalists (FFP) facilitated the participation of 15 young women at the end of the evaluation meeting, the next on the foundation’s art project was the street art festival 2005.Among the materials gathered were canvas, brushes, different kinds of paints, fixer, glue, wooden frame, clay, water, knife, and it continues.


35 young women registered from different art schools. Akwele Suma-Glory, Lydia Ezuo Dike and Amoah Adjoa was available to share their rich experiences with the participants. Given that it was an art event, the choice of materials had to be artistic to compliment what was going to be shared.
The activities included an art exhibition, workshop, discussions, lectures, job counseling and informal interactions.

The festival provided space foe women artists to work within a development concept of art, encourage artists to create a friendly learning environment for children in deprived communities as well as promote self-reliance and economic independence.

Among the focuses of the festival included the grooming of women artists to produce works that meet world standards. The artists were encouraged to use materials produced by local rural women in their various communities in their works.


Some of the topics they handled were, what about art, photography, naming of art works, making of art, choosing colours, selling of art works and sculptures.

Membership of the Infonin gallery is open to all women artists, which is designed to create the platform for women artists to work with a developmental agenda. The festival was organized with financial support from Mama Cash of Netherlands and the African Women Development Fund (AWDF) based in Accra. When you read this story kindly ask female artists to send e-mail to ffpnet@yahoo.com asking the membership of the Infonin gallery programme.

Our Rights

Education – Do We Really Care

By Mardey Ohui Ofoe

Education is the light of darkness. A nation cannot dream of development if education is less thought of.

Quality education delivery remains Ghana’s hope of reducing the high level of poverty in the society as well as becoming competitive in today’s knowledge driven globalized economy.

This isn’t the talk about completing Jss and finding work to do, even thought if this offer was available, to the citizenry, then it will be obvious that the employees of the state are working on behalf of the people.

The combination of education youth and sports issues into one ministry needs explanation to free the thinking that this has not greatly compromised literacy level in Ghana. Government schools have become outlets for poor and violence children.

In spite of the fact that Ghana’s education system has come far and made the nation what it is today, the increasing challenges of the twenty-first century demands that we re-engineer our educational system to make it more developmental. The education system of developing countries cannot afford but the training of professionals and entrepreneurs to build a workforce that manufactures.

One of the strategic stakeholders of education are teachers who are neglected and unfortunately are among the poorest people on the African continent. If a country has 41% of male and 34% of female educated at the secondary level, which is not a guarantee of one’s ability to read and write then we are retrogressing to our graves.

Most sociologists have said that the best way of accessing a society is the number of its people in prisons. How do we expect democratic development if the citizens cannot read nor write. How can communities make inputs if they cannot bridge the communicating barrier?

The World Bank structural adjustment program in developing countries came with the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education policy, which has not succeeded in eliminating illiteracy in Ghana.



The task before the Educational Sector Review Committee and the Presidential Review Committee on Education to make education free is laudable. Yet we should not be left deeper into the waters by trumpeting free education and yet providing zero logistics to enhance basic teaching and learning
Some of the laws, policy documents and reports, that were supposedly designed to provide accessible quality education includes .The Education Act of 1961, The Dzobo Report of 1973 (Recommended the JSS Concept), The New Structure and Content of Education 1974, The Education Commission Report on Basic and Secondary Education 1987/88. The Education Reform Programme 1987/88, The University Relationalization Committee Report 1988, The Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education Programme, 1996. (1992 Constitution) The FCUBE Policy Document and Programme of Operations, 1996 and The Ghana Education Trust Fund - GET Fund Act 2000. (Act 581) have made their contributions and yet failed the people of Ghana in providing them basic education. What good has been done when the average Ghanaian student who has completed JSS can neither read nor writes a language?


Thank you to all those who have worked to make Ghana’s educational system a basic working one. Yet we cannot be proud of what we have. I have countless times met young women who are willing to read and write a book, yet they are so limited and lost of the ability to do so.


For about 90% of students, the completion of JJS and SSS is only a mere formality. A procedure to petty trading, a license to impregnate a woman and an opportunity to become mothers of children who’s future are liabilities to the country that made them.
Education is the key to development and teachers are the key to education. Any country that does not recognize its teachers, not by just giving award to a few ones who have worked hard to make impacts, but by seeking the total welfare of teachers, then we must be seeking the end of our times.

World Matters

Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is
By Mardey Ohui Ofoe:

Apparently the information about the Africa lunching of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) in Accra in 2001, La palm was available to very strategic women, development workers, and the media and donor community just to cut the list.

The glamour, beauty and modesty swept my feet .At the end of the room, which is the entrance of the ceremonial hall where I stood, the lift carried invited guests to the hall smoothly like the falling breeze of the sea waves back into the sea.

The network of women and the sectional representative proved the groundwork done and the untold success that the African fund could chalk.

The celebration of a five-year success of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) has just ended with one million dollars from the Nelson Mandela Foundation and a launch of the prestigious women of substance awards. Within these five years of hard work, joy, frustrations, uncertain movements, progress and energy to place African women above the roofs of their buildings, all African women could finally say happy birthday to their organization and to the women who made to possible.

The assurances by Africa Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) to millions of African women who do not have references yet have the credibility and the commitment to women‘s development has groomed a formidable and mass women’s movement in Africa.

The AWDF has since its inception has awarded 2.2million dollars $2,200,000.00 in grants to 240 organizations in 34 African countries. It has changed lives, given hope and has placed value on lives. Given the outstanding things that happened to Africa since the liberation of the continent from slavery, among others have been the great Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela and the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF).

Organizations that have supported the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) must be proud of themselves. African women in telling their stories remember their names. Long live African women and their movements.

It is not common to hear donors make statements like, “We are willing and happy to be working with you and will continue to fund you” said Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi the Executive Director of AWDF. Thank you Joana Foster, Hilda Tadria and Bisi Adeleye – Fayemi for your dream. The staff of AWDF, its international and national advisers as well as the board has been progressive. The diverse faces that Ndey Joberteh and Abigail Burgesson brings to AWDF is a classic balance and bravo to you.