By Albert Futukpor
Nangbagu (N/R), Mar 02, GNA – Some children under the Child-Friendly Accountability Mechanism (CFAM) platform in the Sagnarigu and Kumbungu Districts have appealed to parents to prioritise the education of their children by providing their school needs.
They also called for an end to all forms of abuse against children such as child marriages, child labour, and neglect, among others, saying such abuses affected their well-being and development.
Master Mohammed Kamil, a form one student of Nangbagu Junior High School in the Sagnarigu Municipality, who read a statement on behalf of the CFAM members at the CFAM District Level Forum at Nangbagu, called for equal opportunities for all children at all levels to attain their potentials.
The CFAM members were drawn from Nangbagu, Garizegu, Katariga, Zagyiri and Gbaynamli in the Sagnarigu Municipality, and Bognaayili in the Kumbungu District of the Northern Region.
The forum, attended by schoolchildren, parents and representatives of some state institutions, including Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, Department of Child, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, and chiefs, was to enable children to identify child protection gaps in their communities and advocate ways to address them.
The forum was organised by Markaz-Al-Bishara Child Development Programme (MABCDP) with support from Children Believe, an international non-governmental organisation.
As part of the forum, the children staged a drama to showcase the problems they faced in their communities regarding access to education, which included parents’ inability to provide their educational needs leaving some to drop out of school and others becoming deviants in society.
Madam Ann Kurugu, Director of Finance and Administration, Sagnarigu Municipal Directorate of Education, acknowledged the issues raised by the children and urged parents to always endeavour to provide for their children’s needs, especially food to eat before leaving for school.
Mr Samuel Abdul-Rahman, Programme Officer, Sponsorship and Child Protection, Children Believe encouraged all stakeholders to come together to work to address the issues raised by the children.
He said laws governing the protection of children must be enforced to punish those who abused children.
Mr Joshua Sayibu, Programme Manager of MABCDP, urged all stakeholders to put in place plans to address issues of child protection in their communities.
GNA