By Solomon Gumah, GNA
Kpatinga (N/R), May 24, GNA – Songtaba, a women and children advocacy organisation, has called on government to prioritise enrolling inmates from alleged witches camps in Northern Ghana onto the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme to improve their welfare and access to social protection services.
The organisation said many women accused of witchcraft and living in camps across northern Ghana were elderly and vulnerable and required targeted state support to improve their living conditions.
The call was made when the organisation organised a feast to mark this year’s Mother’s Day with inmates of the Kpatinga Alleged Witches Camp in the Gushegu Municipality of the Northern Region.
The event formed part of efforts by the organisation and its partners to show solidarity and support to women accused of witchcraft and living in camps.
Management of Songtaba donated assorted food items including five bags of rice, five bags of maize, 15 cartons of water, 65 cartons of assorted Twellium drinks, two boxes of cooking oil, two boxes of canned fish, toiletries, clothing and hot meals to serve as telief to to the inmates.
Other items such as chairs and cooking utensils were also presented to support the women and improve conditions at the camp.
The event featured clean-up exercises, self-care activities, livelihood support initiatives including soap making, as well as music, drama and dance performances aimed at restoring dignity and creating a sense of belonging for the women.
Hajia Lamnatu Adam, Executive Director of Songtaba, said the celebration formed part of the organisation’s annual Mother’s Day outreach to alleged witches camps across northern Ghana.
She noted that many women at the camps had been separated from their families and communities for several years following accusations of witchcraft. “We have had some of the women staying here for more than a decade away from home and away from family,” she said.
She explained that the organisation selected the Kpatinga camp for this year’s celebration because it had one of the least populated camps and often received limited humanitarian support.
Hajia Lamnatu appealed to government to ensure inmates in alleged witches camps benefited from the LEAP Programme and other essential social interventions.
She said many of the camps lacked basic amenities including decent shelter and potable water, making life difficult for the women. “As much as we do not want the camps to exist, we must ensure that while they are there, conditions are at least habitable,” she said.
She renewed calls for the passage and enforcement of the Anti-Witchcraft Bill to curb witchcraft accusations and the banishment of women from their communities. “It is uncalled for, for women in this 21st century to be banished from their homes because of witchcraft accusations,” she said.
Hajia Lamnatu further called for intensified community sensitisation involving traditional authorities, religious leaders and the youth to help address stigma and harmful cultural practices associated with witchcraft accusations.
She also advocated policies aimed at reducing poverty and promoting women’s economic empowerment, describing poverty and illiteracy as major drivers of witchcraft accusations.
Mr Adam Baba, representative of the Chief of Kpatinga, commended Songtaba and its partners for supporting the women and appealed to other organisations and philanthropists to emulate the gesture.
Madam Zenabu Azumah, an inmate at the camp, appealed for improved living conditions and stronger legal measures to prevent the banishment of accused persons to such camps, and expressed appreciation to Songtaba and its partners for celebrating Mother’s Day with them.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh /Kenneth Odeng Adade