CARE leaders meet in Accra

Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - Africa-based leaders of CARE, one of the world's largest humanitarian organizations, are meeting in Accra to discuss and share solutions to common challenges, including HIV/AIDS. Participants are also discussing economic development, women's empowerment and children's Rights, according to a statement issued by CARE on Thursday in Accra.

It said the meeting was the international organization's major gathering in West Africa and was intended to chart the future direction of CARE in the region.

Dr Helen Gayle, CEO and the first African-American to head CARE, is joining the meeting of the Country Directors from throughout West and Southern Africa.

CARE Gulf of Guinea (GoG) is a three-country mission with the headquarters in Ghana, including Togo and Benin. CARE has been in Ghana since 1996.

The humanitarian organization has, over the years undertaken developmental projects in 34 districts in the country in two areas, namely, sustainable livelihoods, which include agricultural and natural resources and economic development, and basic social services, such as health, education, HIV/AIDS and gender. CARE has worked with over 33 partners in all the 10 regions in Ghana.

The statement said CARE was helping over 60 villages develop plans to stop child trafficking and as a result 575 children had been removed from exploitative work and 637 victims of child trafficking had been reunited with their families.

The release said CARE had enrolled 6,254 Togolese youth at risk of becoming victims of child trafficking in schools.

As a result of CARE's support in all communities, over 286 civil society organizations have learnt how to effectively organize themselves, develop advocacy agenda reflecting their natural resource and land concerns and make their voices heard by policy makers. In its effort to make sure that every member of society has access to credit, CARE has assisted 95,636 people including 13 micro-finance institutions in Benin in providing financial services and credit to those who otherwise would have lacked access to the chance to increase their livelihoods.