UDS BRINGS DEVELOPMENT TO WA MUNICIPALITY (PAGE 20)

THE establishment of the Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has brought in its wake a number of positive developments to the Wa municipality in particular and the Upper West Region in general.
The developments include, first and foremost, improvement in economic activities, housing, fashion, among others.
On the economic front, store owners, market women and food vendors have all been beneficiaries of the establishment of the campus.
With a population of almost 7,000, the students purchase various items from the market and this has boosted commercial activities in the municipality.
A trader in the municipality, Hajia Aminata Issifu, said, “The establishment of the campus has helped in the expansion of my cabbage business. I can now confidently go for a loan from the bank which I can repay within the shortest possible time.”
Hitherto, she said, she relied on middlemen for the supply of the vegetables, but “now I go to Leo in neighbouring Burkina Faso to purchase them because of my income level”.
That is why the recent disturbances on the Wa campus nearly affected the businesses of many people, particularly market women.
All those who had placed orders for the supply of vegetables had to put them on hold because there was no ready market for them.
Another area that has benefited many people in the region is the introduction of big commercial buses on the Wa- Kumasi route.
Before then, commuters had to wait till evening before getting vehicles to board to Kumasi.
The new buses leave Wa anytime of the day, since they readily get passengers. Once again, the establishment of the Wa campus of the UDS is the cause.
There are many more positive developments brought about by the siting of the university campus in Wa. They include the construction of buildings to serve as hostels for students and the introduction of tro-tro services in the municipality, which never existed until late last year.
A first-time visitor to the quiet town of Wa cannot differentiate a “local” girl from a female student of the UDS, since the students have influenced the way people see life, especially with regard to dressing, although there are some reservations about some of the dresses worn by the students.
Girls who formerly shied away from trousers because of their Muslim background have now joined the vogue.
Furthermore, many young girls see the female students as role models and aspire to also enter university.
This is also affecting parents who think that a girl’s place is in the kitchen and she must therefore be given out in early marriage to change their thinking and thus encourage their children to study hard.
By and large, the Wa Campus of the UDS has imparted positively on Wa people.