By Philip Tengzu, GNA
Gwollu (UW/R), Dec. 17, GNA – The Millennium Child Support Group (MCSG) has scaled up interventions towards strengthening school-based protection systems to safeguard children in Northern Ghana, especially girls, against all forms of violence within the schools and communities.
This followed incidents of violence against children in Northern Nigeria, including gender-based violence, child marriage, child trafficking and exploitation, which were particularly affecting the lives of girls in the area.
A statement signed by Dr Godfrey Ato Parker, the Chief Executive Officer of MCSG, to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa, said the Group believed that proactive protection and prevention measures were critical in safeguarding children in Ghana from such violence.
The statement indicated that as part of the interventions, MCSG conducted a school health and hygiene campaign in some communities and schools in the Sissala West District, Upper West Region, including the Muftul Ulum English & Arabic School and Nuriah English & Arabic School in Gwollu.
The outreach, which included community sensitisation and deworming, benefited about 420 school children and helped improve their health, while strengthening safeguarding knowledge and confidence among the children.
The statement emphasised that every girl must be given the opportunity to learn without harassment or fear, and that Ghana should not be complacent regarding dangers facing schoolgirls, particularly in rural communities.
“We are working to ensure that the violence affecting girls in some parts of Northern Nigeria does not occur in Ghana.
“Our girls deserve dignified protection, strong support, and the freedom to pursue their dreams,” Dr Parker indicated.
The statement also referenced Mr Benin Yakubu, the Acting District Director of Health Services, who stressed that improving children’s health was a key strategy for building children’s resilience against abuse.
He urged the children to speak up and seek help anytime they feel threatened or harmed and stressed that “a healthy child is more confident to report wrongdoing.”
The statement said Mr Chakurah Dramani, the Sissala West District Director of Education Service, commended MCSG and its partners for prioritising girls’ safety within the education system.
He emphasised the need for community vigilance to stop child marriage and school-related abuse before they occurred.
He gave the assurance that the leadership of the Gwollu community was committed to partnering with MCSG to keep girls in that community safe and in school.
The statement said some of the pupils expressed appreciation for the outreach and said they now felt more empowered, informed, supported, and confident to speak about violent issues they might experience.
The outreach forms part of the School Feeding and Child Nutrition Improvement Programme, led by MCSG in partnership with the ECOWAS Commission, through its Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) and funded by the Spanish Cooperation.
The statement indicated that by combining health, nutrition, and gender-responsive interventions, the programme would enhance school attendance, confidence, and long-term educational outcomes, particularly for girls.
It reaffirmed MCSG’s commitment to implementing similar protective interventions across Northern Ghana, to help secure a future where every girl was healthy, protected, and empowered to achieve her full potential.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/ Christabel Addo