Barclays Bank supports poor Children

Bolgatanga, July 6, GNA - Barclays Bank has presented a cheque for 47,310 Ghana cedis to Afrikids Ghana, a child rights non governmental organization that supports children and empower communities to make a sustainable change in their lives in the Upper East Region. The beneficiaries are 40 street children who were withdrawn by Afrikids from streets and mines and resettled them with their parents and are being provided with vocational skills. Presenting the cheque to the management of Afrikids Ghana in Bolgatanga on Friday the Managing Director of Barclays Bank, Mr. Benjamin Debrah, said the presentation of the cheque was part of the bank's resettlement programme. The programme is aimed at targeting the most marginalized young people who struggle to survive on daily basis and are trapped in illegal labour, living in street or in abusive and most dangerous circumstances.

He said the problem of streetism in urban areas and its attendant problems was an issue that many governments in Africa are grappling with and said Ghana is not an exception. "That is why Afrikids' efforts must be applauded and supported to prevent young people from migrating from the north to the south." Mr Debrah said the project fell in line with one of the pillars of the bank's Community Sustainability Programmes. He pledged the support of Barclays Bank to Afrikids Ghana and said it would continue to support Afrikds to take care of the deprived children. The Country Director of Afrikids, Mr. Nicholas Kumah commended Barclays Bank for its support.

He said many of the withdrawn children were working in very deplorable conditions in the mines and the slumps in the southern parts of Ghana. He said one of the challenges facing Afrikids was lack of funding since its major donor, Afrikids UK, had difficulties raising funding as a result of the current global recession. The Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awuni, commended Barclays Bank and Afrikids Ghana for complementing government's role in addressing child labour issues. A beneficiary of the Afrikids who is a student of the Bolgatanga Women's Training Institute, Jennifer Ayamga, thanked the bank for the donation. 06 July 06