Rotary Accra commits to support children with disabilities
Dr Juliette Tuakli, President of Rotary Club of Accra, has committed the premier Rotary Club of Anglophone West Africa, to the service of children with disabilities.
She reechoed Rotary’s commitment to serve others at a Presidential Ball of the club in Accra.
Dr Tuakli said the minority, by virtue of being different and stigmatised by cultural taboos, or ignored on account of lack of means, feels acutely, the pain of non-inclusion.
“So we have chosen to create awareness of a wonderful programme, working with wonderful children, who happen also to be disabled,” she said.
Dr Tuakli said some of the prior outreach of the club to this group has been supported by personalities like Mrs Jeanette Ndhlovu, South African Ambassador, whom she described as a “firm stalwart”.
She said Rotary International’s theme for 2013 was: “Engage Rotary, Change Lives,” stressing: “This is what we are about. The life you change most may well be your own!”
Dr Mrs Angela Ofori-Atta, a Rotarian, Medical Doctor and former Minister of State, gave the keynote speech about the importance of emotional health dubbed: “Why bother with happiness?”
She noted that positive emotions are linked with good health, longevity and quick recovery from illness.
Dr Ofori-Atta said: “Being happy means that you are more able and willing to practice healthy lifestyles; exercise, healthy eating, participate socially in events that lead to happiness, share affinity with others, give and accept support from others, and so on, thus ensuring that you are healthy.”
She said positive emotions are thought to generate happy hormones and enervate dopaminergic pathways, which make one more active and also lead to other preserving physiological reactions in the body.
“In sum, being happy is good for your body, your mind and therefore your health and wellbeing.”
Dr Ofori-Atta said: “If we believe that we need to be happy to survive, then we need to take steps to be happy. Only we are responsible for our happiness.”
She said bbelief in God has been found to be protective of one’s health and to help people to recover fast from illness, explaining that faith is a wonderful coping mechanism, “not to mention the power of God to heal and make us happy”.
Dr Ofori-Atta cited the recent World Health Organisation global health risks report, which lists eight modifiable risk factors for improving health for life comprising unsafe use of alcohol, tobacco use, high blood pressure, high body mass index, low intake of fruits and vegetables, and physical inactivity.
“Together these account for 60 per cent of all global cardiovascular deaths. There is also evidence that exercise can actually reverse age-related degenerative changes,” she said.
She said resolving conflict in one’s life is always a good step towards happiness.
Source: GNA