MDAs urged to help eliminate child right abuses

18-05-2010
Narration: Major stakeholders at a day’s evaluation workshop at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, have tasked Municipal and District Assemblies MDAs of Northern Ghana to partner child right NGOs and organisations to eliminate all worse forms of child labour and child migration. They also urged MDAs to include in their long term development plans, adequate steps in ensuring that child rights are respected by all. Participants at the workshop organized by Afrikids Ghana with support from Comic Relief, include representatives from the various assemblies, heads of departments, health officials, and child right activists among others. Isaac Asare and Susuana Ago were there for Radio Ghana and have filed this report.
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Report

Established five years ago, Afrikids Ghana as a grassroots organisation has been working in Northern Ghana to improve the lives of most vulnerable and deprived children. In view of this, Afrikids over the years has provided continuous assistance and support to most disadvantaged children living in deprived communities of the region. The external evaluation workshop was therefore aimed at bringing on board all stakeholders to evaluate and assess the impact of their service delivery on beneficiaries and also deliberate on issues affecting vulnerable and disadvantaged children in the three regions of the north. In an address, the Country Director of Afrikids Ghana, Nicholas Kumah said despite the daunting challenges, Afrikids-Ghana with support from the various stakeholders has made significant strides in changing the lives of some vulnerable and disadvantaged children in the society. He mentioned spirits child phenomenon as one of the major challenges affecting children of deprived communities in the Talensi-Nabdam district. On the achievement chalked so far, Mr Kuma said about 160 children who migrated down to Kumasi for non-existing jobs are currently receiving formal education after they were made to resettle with their families back home. About 155 children have been rescued from the various mining sites in the region. Moreover, 400 women had also been given micro-finance loans to set up businesses whilst 34 child right clubs have been established with a total membership of 1,960 across the region. According to Mr. Kumah, Afrikids is currently collaborating with soothsayers and concoction men to handle special cases relating to 27 children accused of being spirit children in Talensi-Nabdam District. These achievements he noted has impacted on the lives of theses vulnerable children and however called on all stakeholders in the region to collaborate with Afrikids to achieve its set objectives. Speaking to Radio Ghana, An Independent evaluator, Madam Paulin Wilson said recommendations and contributions from relevant stakeholders would help the external evaluators come out with credible and comprehensive evaluation report. She emphasized the need for awareness creation on dangers of child labour and migration to reduce its widespread. Madam Wilson charged stakeholders to strengthen their collaboration with Afrikids in fighting child right abuses in the society. Representatives from banking institutions, the Ghana Police service, transport unions, and vocational traders association among others, pledged to support Afrikids in ensuring that deprived children are given the needed attention and assistance they deserve.
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