The programme is designed to strengthen the awareness on culture, foster the exchange of rewarding ideas and bridge the digital divide by reinforcing the use of technology in educational institutions. The Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr. Samuel Sarpong, disclosed this when officials of the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) visited the metropolitan assembly. Among them was Professor Jeffry Sachs, co-founder of the Millennium Promise Alliance and Director of the Earth Institute at the Columbia University, and Mr Kofi Annan, a former United Nations Secretary-General. Giving a brief history of the MCl, Mr Sarpong said Kumasi was launched as one of the first seven millennium cities in the African sub region in January, 2006. That, he noted, was followed in July that same year, by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the MCI and the commencement of the assessment of the Millennium Cities in 2007. He said the programme was going to be of great benefit to Kumasi as it would accelerate the pace of its development and reduce poverty among the people. Mr Sarpong said in close collaboration with some organs of the United Nations (UN) in April 2007, an Investors Guide for the city was launched in London, at which over 120 people from both the private and public sectors participated. Currently, he said, Kumasi had four uncompleted MCI projects that had reached various stages of completion. Mr Sarpong said the metropolitan assembly had provided 15 computers for the Opoku Ware School to facilitate the School-to-School Partnership Programme, while three computers had also been released to the health sector for the Mother and Baby Unit of the Suntreso Hospital for record keeping. Other benefits include the sponsorship of five pre-school teachers to Israel, maternity clinic and ward and kil1lkrgarten blocks with ancillary facilities for five communities.
"The KMA believes that these modest achievements and remarkable efforts will go a long way to help make the Millennium Development Goals achievable in the metropolis", he stressed, and expressed the assembly's gratitude to the entire MC] team for their commitment to the initiative. Prof. Sachs in his reply said the MCI delegation was in Kumasi to work together with the assembly to connect schools in Kumasi with their counterparts in New York and Washington. "We have a lot of great things ahead. It is time for Ghana to improve investment and technology", he stated. He also commended Mr Kofi Annan for mooting the idea of the Millennium gaols
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