Child Protection Campaign Launched In Asuogyaman District, Project Facilitator Calls For More Collaborations

The Compassion International, Ghana’s Asuogyaman Cluster announced last Saturday at Juapong a new child right advocacy campaign, “Every Child Must Be Known, Loved and Protected”. The campaign is an urgent call to leaders including chiefs, parents, security agencies and the entire Ghanaian community that all children regardless of age, sex, race, gender, ethnicity and religion have a right to be loved, protected and giving identity.

The campaign aims to advocate and empower grassroots efforts in collaboration with the Compassion International and churches, and petition stakeholders to take action for children to receive a quality of life upbringing devoid of abuse and all forms of violence, and live free from exploitation and the shackles of intergenerational poverty.  

Every child is a child of God; precious, unique, and filled with incredible potential. However, poverty, marriages at young ages, inequality, disability, defilement and many other factors are keeping an unacceptably high number of children under developed.

Following these occurrences, The Project Cluster Facilitator for Asuogyaman, Mr. Alex Mensah Denyo is calling for greater investments and more collaborations in child right advocacy nationwide and increase quality of life for all children.

It’s time that more human right advocacy groups come and join us to make child right advocacy a top priority so that every child can fulfill their God- given potential,” Mr. Alex Denyo said when addressing over 500 club members and other participants.

A large part of the campaign is focused on empowering children as agents of change through children’s clubs and participation in Child Protection and social life management

 Parents in project communities were offered training on child right laws to work with community members to improve living conditions children especially for the most vulnerable families.

In most parts of Ghana, external threats to children such as, deep-rooted child neglect practices which can impact their emotional, nutritional, educational status cannot be silence over. These issues, when coupled with medical neglect, a lack of hygiene, inadequate supervision and non-registration of children at birth adds to the challenges children face to survive and thrive and, in fact, often hinder their physical, intellectual and spiritual development.

However, the Asuogyaman Cluster of Child Right Club believes children can be actors of transformation, hence equipping and training youth to work for social transformation by addressing various social norms, practices and attitudes that inhibit individuals including children.

 Some children Rite News spoke to after the launching expressed joy and readiness to influence their respective communities for a positive attitude towards children.

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The Project is running in 14 communities in 3 districts; Lower Manya Krobo, Asuogyaman and North Tongu. Meanwhile, the club communities include Anum, Bosso, Akosombo, Jekiti, Ajina, South Senchi, Atimpoku, Labolabo, Apegusu and Esukuma. The rest are Empakadam, Kpong and Juapong. A total of 560 children are in the fourteen clubs while, 4016 children are the beneficiaries for various Compassion programs

Some key speakers were representatives from the Human Right Advocacy groups, Social Welfare and Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU).

Mr. Gordon Amevor, human right advocate and speaker, advised members of the club to obey their parents and take life one at a time.

Compassion International is a Christian humanitarian aid child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world.

Compassion child sponsorship works with Millions of children who have “graduated” from various programs and are now responsible, fulfilled Christian adults and have overcame poverty.

Compassion partners with churches around the country to help them provide the children of Ghana with the opportunity to rise above their circumstances and become all God has created them to be.

Currently, more than 75,000 children participate in more than 285 child development centers.

  Source: Omanba Kodwo Boafo/ritefmonline.org