About 1000 children scattered across the 25 districts of the Volta Region, aged between zero to 15, who hitherto could not access health care due to poverty, will soon benefit from free health care.
This would be made possible through the efforts of a Ghanaian-based NGO, “Se Eye Wo Ba Aka” (SEWA )Foundation with sponsorship from Ideal College and the support of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Zoomlion Ghana Limited and Padia Photos International.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SEWA, Jones Owusu Yeboah, noted that the initiative formed part of a nationwide drive to put 10,000 children on the National Health Insurance Scheme. He noted that so far, the Greater Accra Region has had its fair share of 1000 children registered and the Volta Region would be the second in line.
He revealed that the number would increase should their donors and supporters come through with more funding.
Mr Yeboah disclosed this at Abutia-Kpota in the newly-created Ho-West District of the Volta Region where the project was launched.
SEWA used the occasion to donate boxes of clothing to the over eight communities that were present at the launch.
He explained that the initiative was part of SEWA’s greater agenda to fight the booming child sex trade canker, which is a by-product of child trafficking, poverty and irresponsible parenthood.
According to him, the survey by SEWA in three regions of the country indicated that in the next 10 years, majority of Ghanaian children would have no future if the number of children engaged in prostitution are not saved now.
He said the growing number of children engaged in commercial sex trade was very worrying.
Most of the girls, the research indicated, sleep with an average of 12 men in a week in exchange for an average of Ghc2 to Ghc5 per man.
In 2003, the UN estimated that 1.2 million children are trafficked annually around the world and their most recent global estimate dates from 1995.
The Public Relations Officer, Rita Nana Esi Quist, noted that this worrying phenomenon had prompted the NHIS registration for poor communities where these children mostly become vulnerable to these activities.
She added that it is the hope of SEWA to help reduce child prostitution and build a multipurpose home for street children and trafficked children, as well as delinquents who need reformation and reintegration.
She said the registration is intended to relieve the parents in such communities from the huge financial burden that entangled them and hence reduce the temptation of handing them over to others for trafficking.
SEWA which started its activities in 2005 and was officially launched in 2010, had come to the rescue of over 300 trafficked children, including those sent into prostitution.
The chief of Abutia Kpota, Togbe Tsali IV, and the Ho West District Chief Executive, Samuel Ewoade commended SEWA for the initiative and assured them of their unflinching support to ensure the success of the programme.
SEWA also gives scholarships, educational materials and other items to schools, communities and children in need.
