By Caleb Kuleke
Ho, Sept. 9, GNA – Mr Israel Akrobortu, the Volta Regional Director, Department of Children, has advised religious leaders to use their platforms to promote child protection issues to minimise the occurrence of abuses in the public space.
He appealed to the leaders to be champions of the Ghanaians Against Child Abuse (GACA) campaign.
Mr Akrobortu made the remarks during a two-day intensive training for religious leaders in the region on the issue of child protection.
The training aimed at deepening the understanding of children’s rights by highlighting the link between the convention on the rights of the child and religious views on how to treat children.
It was also to equip the religious leaders to contribute to addressing the issues of misinterpretation and harmful application of religious text, values and principles related to children.
Mr Akrobortu said building the capacity of religious leaders was key in the quest to prevent and respond to violence abuse and exploitation suffered by children.
The Director underscored the importance for society to protect and promote the well-being and holistic development of children, encourage them and create an enabling environment for them to realise the potential to become responsible future leaders.
“The way a society treats its children reflects not only its qualities of compassion and protective caring but also its sense of justice, its commitment to the future and its urge to enhance the human condition for coming generations,” he said.
Reverend Dr Ebenezer Tetteh Kpalam, a Lecturer at the Pentecost University, said child protection was the business of God and that the believers in God needed to take child protection issues seriously.
The Lecturer said during the Apostolic Era, child protection was considered a sign of righteousness and knowledge of the truth.
Dr Tetteh said leaders of the Church at the time were much more concerned about vulnerable children and had, therefore, developed mechanisms to protect and promote their welfare.
“They interpreted the Scripture to support a view of children that saw them as precious in God’s sight and worthy of being nurtured in a loving and safe environment to become mature, productive and valuable Christian members of society,” he said.
Ibrahim Anyass Alhassan, Youth and Gender Advocacy Officer, Office of the National Chief Imam, said the Qur’an and Islam as a religion had respect for the children.
He said maintenance of a child was neither a gift nor a favour but an obligation on the parents or guardians to the child, adding that response parenting was a primary factor in determining the future of a child.
Rev Benett Nana Ayisi, Leader of the Children Ministry of the Pentecost Church, Ho Area, told Ghana News Agency the training had broadened his mind concerning issues affecting children.
He said it had exposed some of the gaps in the Church and that there was the need for the Church to collaborate with government departments responsible for children’s welfare to protect the interest of children.
The Reverend Minister advised his colleagues to avail themselves of such training and to seek more knowledge in child protection and the promotion of children’s rights and wellbeing.
GNA