By Daniel Agbesi Latsu
Kadjebi (O/R), July 24, GNA – Mrs Beatrice Siaw-Yeboah, Child Protection and Psychosocial Support Specialist at Right To Play, has called on Ghanaians to work collectively to protect the rights and welfare of children to enable them to realise their full potential.
She said every child deserved protection, care and opportunities to thrive, stressing that safeguarding children’s rights remained a shared responsibility among parents, communities, traditional authorities, civil society organisations and government institutions.
“Every child is important. Their rights and interests must be protected,” she said.
Mrs Siaw-Yeboah made the call at a review meeting on the implementation of a one-year Action Plan under the “My Rights, My Future” project at Kadjebi in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region.
The project is being implemented by Right To Play, the lead consortium, in partnership with the Partners in Community Development Programme (PACODEP) and the Alliance for Community Resilience and Development (ACRAD), with funding support from the European Union (EU).
The three-year intervention seeks to reduce child labour and promote child protection in selected cocoa-producing and fishing communities in the Kadjebi, Krachi East and Krachi West districts of the Oti region, as well as the Kpando Municipality in the Volta region.
Mrs Siaw-Yeboah underscored the need to give children opportunities to express their views and participate in decisions affecting their lives, noting that their voices were essential in promoting their wellbeing and development.
She urged community members to promptly report cases of child abuse, neglect, exploitation, and child labour to the appropriate authorities for swift intervention.
Presenting a progress report, Mr Anthony Nkesiah, Project Facilitator of ACRAD, said the Community Child Protection Committees (CCPCs) successfully handled 24 child protection cases during the review period through their case management mechanisms.
He said 20 children at risk of dropping out of school received learning materials to support their education and encourage them to remain in school.
Mr Nkesiah said one boy had been successfully reintegrated into formal education, while three older children had been enrolled in apprenticeship programmes of their choice to acquire employable skills.
He noted that the CCPCs continued to facilitate remediation processes for all reported child protection cases by working closely with families, schools, and relevant institutions.
Mr Anthony Ankutse, Deputy Kadjebi District Coordinating Director, speaking on behalf of the District Assembly, commended the implementing partners for complementing the Assembly’s efforts to promote child welfare and development.
He reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to collaborating with development partners to improve the wellbeing of children and other vulnerable groups in the district.
“Our doors remain open to every organisation willing to partner with us to accelerate the development of the district and improve the lives of our people,” Mr Ankutse said.
Participants reviewed achievements, identified challenges and proposed strategies to strengthen child protection systems and sustain interventions aimed at eliminating child labour and ensuring that every child enjoys a safe, secure and enabling environment.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah