Ghanaian children’s rights and dignity are not negotiable
Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, First lady, has called on Ghanaians to sanctify children’s rights and dignity to ensure the safety and development of children.
“Every child deserves a safe and loving environment in which to thrive. Every child has God given talents to be nurtured to make their dreams come true, “she said.
Mrs Akufo-Addo was visiting the SOS Village at Tema where she was made the First patron of SOS Children Villages, Ghana.
According to her, caring for children had become her life passion and that she would do everything within her power to ensure that children were set free from abuse and neglect.
“In the course of my work, I have seen pain, I have seen dejection, I have seen neglect and I have seen gross abuse and then again, I have seen hope, joy, recovery and a second chance because somebody stood to be counted.”
She commended SOS for giving hope, shelter, education and a home to vulnerable children without consideration for their skin colour, religion or culture.
Mr Kojo Atta-Krah, Board Chairman, SOS Children Villages, Ghana, said, “We are committed to working for children who have lost, or are risk of losing parental care. These children as a result, become vulnerable to all kinds of mal-treatment, suffer injustice and lose their basic rights as children.
We ensure the quality of their childhood which we believe sets the platform for their future development and that of the community.”
According to him, the International SOS Children’s Villages Federation, had aligned itself to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which laid out the global path to more prosperity and equality in the world by 2030.
“We have the strongest conviction that working effectively on these initiatives, through our programmes and in partnership with others, will lead us to surmount our goals and bring to reality our strategy, ‘No Child should grow up alone.’”
According to him, the goals of the strategy: zero poverty, quality education, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities and promote peaceful and inclusive societies, directly aligns SOS with government as partners of development of the country.
SOS Children Village, Ghana is a non-profit, non-governmental, non-denominational social development organisation which focuses on the welfare of underprivileged children by providing care and support to children who have lost or at risk of losing parental care.
Established in 1974, it provides support in basic care, education, good nutrition, shelter, healthcare, strengthening of their families and advocating for their human rights.
Source: GNA