Photo exhibition by the youth opens

Accra, Oct. 5, GNA - A photo exhibition, which is a form of an advocacy tool giving a pictorial representation to the voice of children on issues of health, safety and sanitation that affect them, opened at the British Council on Friday.

The exhibition, dubbed "Images for Development" was mounted by students of the Link Social Youth Club and Newells Academy situated at Oyarefa in the Ga West District of the Greater Accra Region. It is also a means of calling the attention of policy-makers and educating the public on issues they believe must be addressed for the prosperity of all.

Some of the exhibited photographs were uncompleted roads, exposed electrical cables, uncovered sewage and drainage systems, poor source of water supply and sanitation problems. Mr Bennet Martey, Founder of the Link Social Club and Proprietor of Newells Academy, in his welcoming address explained that the exhibition represented an opportunity for the youth of Ghana to have their voices heard, saying this was a right under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

He stressed that Article 12 of the Convention stated that children did not only have the right to express their views on all matters that affected them, but those voices should be given "due weight". Mr Martey said using the photo voice methodology images were created by 21 youths between the ages of 10 and 16 years. He said this methodology had been proved to be an effective advocacy tool in most developed countries to create awareness and educate people on pressing issues and urged other youth clubs to adopt the approach to evoke changes in pubic attitude.

Mr Daniel Christian Dugan, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC), noted that pictures in whatever form told stories that could not be distorted. They could also be termed as the most reliable form of communication if well preserved. He expressed worry about the increasing rate at which lands, rivers and forests were being degraded due to human activities. "Environmental sanitation has become a big issue on the table of policy makers, while societies continue to battle with diseases and poor sources of drinking water, bad roads and many other unfavourable conditions including child labour and poor educational infrastructure," he said. He commended the organizers of the exhibition and called on the public to patronize art exhibitions, since they "present the story as it is". Mr Dugan urged the youth to adopt the photo voice approach to tell their stories, saying, this could also serve as a great source of income for your future livelihoods. 05 Oct. 07