By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Sandema (U/E), Oct. 26, GNA – The Builsa North Municipal Assembly has adopted a children’s assembly model to promote children’s participation in local governance to ensure that their concerns are reflected in development planning.
The children’s assembly model, implemented under the Engaging Policy Makers in Intersectoral Collaboration for Children (EPIC) Project by the Centre for Learning and Childhood Development (CLCD Ghana), aims to promote children’s participation in local governance to influence development policies affecting their welfare.
The initiative, funded by the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), also seeks to provide children with an opportunity to express their views on matters affecting them and contribute to decisions that shape their communities.
During its rollout in the Builsa North Municipality, pupils from 15 public and private schools were brought together to deliberate on issues affecting their welfare and development through the district assembly’s general assembly-style debate and committee system.
The children discussed a range of issues presented by their respective sub-committees, including inadequate crèche and kindergarten facilities, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, child protection, healthcare, water and sanitation.
Dr Kwame Sakyi, the Director of CLCD Ghana, said in a speech delivered on his behalf that children’s participation in policymaking should be regarded as a fundamental right and a necessity rather than a privilege.
He said his initial scepticism about involving children in policy decisions had changed after observing their ability to identify and advocate solutions to challenges affecting their communities.
Dr Sakyi said children who participated in similar initiatives had called for clean drinking water, safe roads, streetlights, schools and recreational facilities, demonstrating that their concerns extended beyond their personal interests to the collective well-being of their communities.
“What all this meant to our objection is that children did not ask for things that serve only themselves. They asked for clean water. They asked for safe roads, lights and places to play, which are all collective goals that serve families and communities,” he said.
He said CLCD Ghana was committed to ensuring that children’s participation went beyond ceremonial engagements and that their recommendations were considered in the Assembly’s medium-term development plan.
He called on policymakers and other stakeholders to listen to children and provide them with opportunities to express their views without intimidation.
Mr Solomon Akogti, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Builsa North, said the initiative gave practical meaning to inclusive governance by creating a platform for children to deliberate on issues concerning their development and welfare.
He said children were not only the future but also an important part of the present, making it necessary to involve them in discussions on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation.
Mr Akogti said the concerns and resolutions presented by the children would enrich the Assembly’s medium-term development plan and deliberations at the General Assembly.
He commended CLCD Ghana for partnering with the Assembly to deepen children’s participation in local governance and assured the organisation of the Assembly’s continued support.
Mr Timothy Aparagoa, a representative of the Builsa North Municipal Education Directorate, described the initiative as timely and called for its continuation to equip children with the confidence and skills to participate in public discussions.
Ms Georgina Aberese-Ako, the Upper East Regional Director of the Department of Children, said the initiative was crucial to the children’s development because it had not only empowered them but also encouraged them to speak up and demand attention to their welfare.
She encouraged parents to make time to play with their children, emphasising that doing so would help build stronger relationships and create opportunities for children to share their concerns with adults.
The EPIC Project, which runs from 2024 to 2029 in selected five assemblies in Ghana and parts of Argentina, seeks to improve early childhood care and development outcomes for children aged zero to eight through stronger collaboration among sectors responsible for their welfare.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Email: [email protected]