By Emmanuel Nyatsikor
Ho, May 30, GNA – Mr Israel Akrobortu, Volta Regional Director of the Department of Children Friday reminded Community Child Protection Committee (CCPC) members that they have a crucial role to play in helping to identify children who were at risk of abuse in their communities.
“You should respond adequately to any abuse and neglect faced by children and ensure that children have access to adequate protection,” he stated.
Mr Akrobortu gave the reminder in his welcome address at a one-day workshop organized by Friends of Adaklu (FOA), an NGO based in the Adaklu district for CCPC members drawn from four Electoral Areas in the district at the Residency in Ho.
It was on the theme “Strengthening Community Child Protection System for Effective Case Management, Coordination and Sustainable Reintegration.”
The workshop was sponsored by SOS Villages and the International Justice Mission (IJM).
Mr Akrobortu urged the participants to work closely with the Department of Social Welfare, Department of Children, and other stakeholders to strengthen child protection systems and enhanced the well-being of children, especially the vulnerable ones.
“I hope that through this training we will be able to foster cooperation, coordinate our efforts better and increase our dedication towards making our communities safer for every single child,” he stressed.
The Director hoped the training would also have a lot of impact on the realization of SDGs one, four, five, eight point seven (8.7) and sixteen.
He said these SDGs bordered on ending poverty, promoting quality education, gender equality, ending forced labour and exploitation and sustainable social development.
He intimated that by equipping the Committee members with the requisite knowledge on case identification, referral, rehabilitation, reintegration and collaboration they would be able to perform their work effectively and efficiently.
Mr Akrobortu was full of praise for SOS Villages, IJM and FOA for their efforts in strengthening child protection systems.
Mad Stella Kudah, Country Director for FOA, entreated the participants not to handle child abuse cases in the house but report them to the law enforcement agencies adding “do not protect anyone in spite of whose ox is gored.”
Topics treated at the workshop included identification, documentation and referral pathways, collaboration with DSW on rehabilitation and reintegration.
The others were accessing government schemes and community support and tracking and reporting progress on child protection.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Kenneth Odeng Adade