The Ghanaian family system has a great effect on children - Baisiwa Dowuona

Television personality and Executive Director of Pumpkins Foundation, Baisiwa Dowuona Hammond has said that the rights of children in Ghana are abused as a result of the flaws in the country’s family system.

According to her, social issues including child streetism, hawking and trafficking stem from the anomalies in the Ghanaian family system, a situation she believes will not exist if the issues are dealt with from the grassroots.

She believes children involved in all of activities can be better if the family system, which essentially accounts for every child’s wellbeing and future is looked at and the loopholes in there addressed.

“When we are talking about issues that affect children, we forget that the family system is a very big issue. The family system, that is where it all starts, I believe it is partly the reason why we see all the issues that we have in our system today so until we begin to look at those issues from the families where these children come from, we definitely will probably do everything but not get anywhere," she said at the 2017 National Children’s Day event held in Accra.

Madam Dowuona Hammond is hopeful of a more concerned network of all future generations if children are empowered to be each other’s keeper.

She has charged various stakeholders to address issues of violence against children, assuring Ghanaians that the Child Rights Organizations in this country will “follow up to ensure and figure out the best ways forward”.

Pumpkins Foundation, a non-government organization, is focused on promoting the general wellbeing of poor and needy children and adding value to the lives of the less privileged children in the city and rural areas. The foundation held the 2017 edition of National Children’s Day event Friday September 1, in Accra.