Ghana develops national child protection policy

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has developed a National Child Protection Policy, which conforms with the country’s family system, to ensure adequate protection and welfare of all Children.

The Ministry has also improved a policy dubbed “Early Childhood Care Development,” that ensures childhood care for children below eight years.

Institutions that work to stop domestic violence and human trafficking have also developed guidelines for the disbursement of funds set aside for their work, which include protection, rehabilitation and re-integration of rescued children back into society.

Nana Oye Lithur, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection disclosed this when she spoke on behalf of President Mahama during the President’s End-of-Year Party for Children in Bole.

While wishing all Ghanaian children a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year on behalf of the President, Nana Oye outlined the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), the Capitation Grant, the School Feeding Programme, Free School Uniforms, and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as some of the government’s social interventions geared towards improving the lives of the citizenry, especially children.

The Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister announced that government would also provide an amount of five million Ghana Cedis to improve the conditions of the Kumasi, Osu and Tamale Children’s Homes, as well as two other orphanages that government supports in Mampong and Jirapa.

She said all that government required from the children was for them to be disciplined, respectful, helpful, hard working, and obedient, and above all, show appreciation for all that was being done to ensure their holistic development.

Mariama Adams, a female student of the Saint Kizito Junior High School (JHS) who presented a statement on behalf of all the children, urged government to strive hard to ensure the full implementation of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (F-CUBE), as stated in the 1992 Constitution.

This, the children believed, would enable both rural and urban children who by circumstances took to farming and street hawking respectively, at the expense of their education, to also enjoy their right to education.

She pointed out that their brothers and sisters at the Kindergarten level still sit under trees to learn, despite the bad weather conditions, making teaching and learning difficult for them to cope with.

Mariama Adams, therefore, called on government and authorities in the district to factor in the provision of appropriate classroom structures for the little ones in each school, to improve on effective teaching and learning.

She said most libraries in the country did not only lack space for children but also up-to-date books; a situation she observed to be a significant contributory factor to the poor performance in both the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) and West Africa Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) in the country.

She, therefore, appealed to government to provide adequate children- friendly libraries, as well as children fun parks across all districts, to enable children learn and play.

Mr. James Jaaga, Bole District Chief Executive (DCE), also wished the children a Merry Christmas, and pledged that the district would do its best to create the necessary environment for their development.

Source: GNA