The Islamic Council for Development and Humanitarian Services (ICODEHS) has constructed school blocks, wells and mosques in some towns and villages in the country. It has also offered interest-free loans to several women. Some of the projects completed this year are a six-classroom block at the ICODEHS Senior High School (SHS) in Tamale in the Northern Region, a six-classroom block at a basic school at Kasoa in the Central Region, and another six-classroom block constructed at ICODEHS SHS in Accra. The other projects are a mosque at the Moshi Zongo in Tamale and 30 hand-dug wells in the various regions of the country. ICODEHS has offered interest free-loans to 400 women petty traders to support their trading activities. Among the beneficiaries are 50 widows. The projects are funded by the Dubai Charity, the Red Crescent of the United Arab Emirates, the Kuwait Zakat House, the Kuwait International Charitable Organisation, Bin Rashid Al-Maktoub Foundation of Dubai, Qatar Charity and some Ghanaian philanthropists. According to the Executive Chairman of ICODEHS, Sheikh Mustapha Ibrahim, the council intended to focus on the development of educational facilities this year, hence the construction of the school blocks. He said ICODEHS would construct more school buildings this year to complement government's efforts in increasing school facilities. Sheikh Mustapha said ICODEHS had gone far in its plans to construct a teacher training college and a nursing school in the country. Besides, he said, ICODEHS was finalising documentation for the establishment of a university at Tuba. Sheikh Mustapha said the decision to put up the teacher training college, the nursing school and a university was to promote education in the country, especially among the poor and vulnerable in society. He noted that it was through education that the country could churn out professionals who would contribute to the socio-economic development of the country. Sheikh Mustapha appealed to beneficiaries of projects to maintain them well to allow future generations to also use the facilities. He asked those who requested for projects to bear with the council as their requests were being considered. He said asked people interested in the projects to endeavour to make small contributions towards the projects. Source: Daily Graphic