WORLD Vision Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to the welfare of children and the provision of social amenities and poverty alleviation initiatives, has given an assurance that it will continue to improve the lot of the less privileged, especially, children in the rural communities.
This was contained in an address read by the NGO’s Director of Advocacy, Mrs Agnes Phillips, on behalf of the National Director, Mr Basilio Okello, at the launch of the Day of the African Child at Suhum.
The event was attended by hundreds of schoolchildren within the Suhum town and a cross-section of society including traditional rulers such as the chief of Suhum, Osabarima Aye Kofi, dignitaries such as the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Baba Jamal, and the Suhum Kraboa-Coaltar District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Samuel Fleicher-Kwabi.
It was used to educate the public on child labour, sex abuse, neglect and other acts that impact negatively on child development.
According to Mr Okello, Ghanaian children faced many challenges.
He said currently, there were 33,000 children most of whom were girls living on the streets in Ghana out of which 62 per cent were in Kumasi, adding that some of such girls normally became victims of sexual predators.
Mr Okello said apart from that, some of the girls had been forced into early marriages, others neglected or engaged in hazardous jobs in quarries, cocoa farms or sold into prostitution.
Mr Okello stated that currently, World Vision was working in 34 Area Development Programmes (ADPs) in 36 districts, executing initiatives in water and sanitation, health and nutrition, food, agriculture and livelihood, advocacy, gender, child rights and protection and HIV and AIDS.
He said the NGO had also provided classroom blocks, all of which were aimed at improving the lot of children.
Mr Okello stated that World Vision would continue to fight for the welfare of children, and expressed the hope that the government would also continue with its child welfare programmes to further improve the lot of the children.
He added that such initiatives would make it possible for Ghana to achieve the United Nations health–related Millennium Development Goal with respect to reduction in child mortality and improvement in maternal health.
Mr Baba Jamal urged parents to invest in their children, particularly in the field of education, which is the pivot of development, adding that education was the most valuable legacy to bequeath to children.
The deputy regional minister expressed concern about the mysterious killings of people in the Suhum town as a result of which about GH¢5,000 was being spent monthly on security operations.
He announced a GH¢2,000 reward for any information that would lead to the arrest of the criminals.
Earlier, the Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar ADP Manager, Mr Reginald Darko, had appealed to parents to allow children to take part in decisions that would affect their welfare.
