‘Let’s end violence against children’
The Nkwanta Cluster Manager of the World Vision Ghana, Mrs Salomey Yeboah, has appealed to Ghanaians to end violence against children since that is against the country’s future.
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According to her, every child has the right to live and thrive in a safe and caring family environment, free from all forms of violence but unfortunately, some children suffered from abuse, neglect and exploitation on a daily basis at home, school and care institutions in some communities, stressing that the consequences could be lifelong and trans-generational, and in worst cases, could lead to the death of the child.
She made the appeal at a programme at Poase-Cement in the Kadjebi District of the Volta Region to mark the celebration of this year’s Day of the African Child involving pupils drawn from 14 basic schools in the district.
The celebration was on the theme: “End Violence against Children”.
Annual celebration
The annual celebration of the African Union Day of the African Child, which comes off on June 16 every year, has been celebrated every year since 1991 when it was first initiated by the then Organisation of African Union to recognise the relevant role of the African child, and the call for action against the neglect of some children.
In this connection, the Nkwanta Cluster office of the World Vision Ghana in the Volta Region, in partnership with the Kadjebi District Office of the Ghana Education Service (GES), marked the event to highlight the right for children to live and thrive in a safer environment.
Mrs Yeboah said the World Vision frowned on all forms of violence against children, including exposing them to vulnerable acts, and thus called on all to work towards a zero tolerance for violence against children.
Essence of education
The Deputy Director of Planning of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Madam Vida Adjedu, appealed to parents to show interest in the education of their children because their future depended on the kind of education they would receive.
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She said education was a right and not a privilege and therefore, called on parents to send the children to school since those in the rural communities also had the same God-given talents as those in the cities.
The Kadjebi District Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr Benjamin-Bert Yakah, called on the citizenry to create safe and conducive environment of the child to grow up.
Delivering a paper on the theme: “End Violence against Children”, he said the child had the right to life, dignity, respect, leisure, liberty, health, education and shelter from his or her parents.
He said every child had the right to the same measure of special care, assistance and maintenance as it was necessary for his or her growth and development from their parents, except where those parents had effectively surrendered their rights and responsibilities in respect of the child in accordance with law.
Mr Yakah appealed to the citizenry to help protect the child from neglect, discrimination, violence, abuse, exposure to physical and moral hazards, and oppression.