NGO presents orphans with educational items

Koforidua, Oct. 17, GNA - The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Nana Adjei Boateng has expressed concern at the rate of children selling at traffic lights in the municipality. He said, such children, if not educated, would be liabilities not only to the parents alone, but also to the whole society, hence, the need for parents to take advantage of the free basic education policy to send their children to school.

Nana Adjei Boateng was speaking at a ceremony in Koforidua on Saturday, when the Provident Social Services, a non-governmental organization presented educational items to 150 orphans. Nana Adjei Boateng noted that the issue of children not being taken proper care of was due to irresponsibility on the part of parents. The MCE pointed out that government was committed to the rights of the child, especially their education, adding that, government by this policy was playing its part well by absorbing the fees to minimize the responsibility of parents.

He said for that reason, the provision of school uniforms, books, food and a conducive environment for the children to learn rested on the parents and any thing short of that amounted to a "breach of contract" on the side of parents, which was punishable by law.

Nana Adjei Boateng noted that it was high time couples planned the number of children they could take care of, because once they brought them to the world they were required by God and the laws of the land to take good care of them.

The Municipal Director of Education, Ms Felicia Duku, said the gesture was for children, who needed to be resourced and not for parents, who did not have because it was the responsibility of every parent to provide for wards in schools.

She said since government was now absorbing the fees of the children, it would not always provide for their uniforms and other needs, so parents must live up to their responsibilities. Ms Duku said orphans, who were identified to have no one to care for them would be provided with their needs to ensure that they were kept in school.

She thanked the NGO for the donation.

The 150 needy children, who were identified from the various schools in the municipality, received a package that included school bags, uniforms, pens, pencils and textbooks. Oct. 17, 05