Increase in awareness of children's rights in Sissala West and East Districts

Gwollu(UWR), June 20, GNA - Awareness in children's rights in Sissala West and East Districts has increased from less than two per cent to about 99 per cent. This was made possible through the formation of Rights of Children's Clubs (ROC) in schools from 58 communities in the two districts by the management of Plan Ghana, an International Humanitarian Non-governmental Organisation.

Mr William Agyekum Acquah, Northern Sector Manager of Plan Ghana announced this at the second graduation for some clubs at Gwollu in Sissala West District on Thursday. He said Plan Ghana initiated the programme with management of Miidan Education Trust under its Child Centre Community Development Approach to enhance abilities and capacities of children, families, communities and partners to be active participants in their own development and address the structural causes of child's poverty. Mr Acquah said members of the clubs received training from the two organisations which assisted them to be assertive, confident and allowed to participate in decisions that affected their outlook in their communities. He said as a result of the training, enrolment in schools had increased partly due to the awareness on the rights of children to be well educated, girls were gradually gaining confidence and striving to complement their Junior High School education and continued to Senior High School.

Mr Acquah said to sustain the project, Plan and Miidan had instituted some structures at the community level. These are the formation of Rights of Children Committees in the 58 communities, comprising chiefs, unit committee members, assembly members and two opinion leaders to ensure that the children meet weekly to discuss issues that affect them and take appropriate action to address them. He said it was the main objective of Plan Ghana to ensure children could apply the UN Convention and provision in the Children's Act 560 in their daily lives.