Collaborate to safeguard education of the girl-child - Director

Mrs. Dora Fosu, Sekyere East District Director of Education has called for closer collaboration between parents and teachers as well as community members to provide a conducive environment that could safeguard the education, growth and development of the girl-child.

She said the girl-child, especially those in the rural communities were mostly vulnerable to various forms of abuses and they would require the guidance and support of parents, teachers, family and community members to ensure that their rights were protected at all times.

Mrs Fosu made the call at a community durbar at Bomso to discuss the issue of early child marriage and steps that could be taken to fight against the menace in rural communities.

The durbar, which was organised by Optimal Change Partnership (OCP), a community-based NGO with financial support from the World Vision Ghana (WVG), was attended by chiefs, faith-based leaders, officials from the Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, teachers and others.

Mr Kwabena Fosu, the integrated development facilitator of the Sekyere East Cluster of WVG, said his organisation had established District Child Protection Committee and Community Child Protection Committees in communities in the district to strengthen stakeholder coordination to promote effective child protection in their areas.

He urged community members to lead the crusade against child abuse in their areas.

Mr Cyril Adajawah, the Operations Manager of OCP, urged community members to unite in their efforts to end early child marriages in their communities.