Ghana joins global community to observe International Day for Street Children

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), through the Department of Social Welfare in collaboration with Cherish a Child Foundation, has joined the global community to commemorate the International Day for Street Children under the theme: “Protect, Not Punish.”

The event highlighted the urgent need to shift societal and institutional responses to street children from criminalisation to protection, care, and inclusion.

In an address delivered on behalf of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Chairperson of the event, Dr Prince Boamah Abrah, emphasised that street children are among the most vulnerable in society and deserve compassion, not condemnation.

He noted that many of these children are driven to the streets by factors such as poverty, neglect, abuse, and limited access to basic social services.

According to him, the theme calls for a fundamental shift in mindset—from criminalising vulnerability to protecting dignity, and from neglecting needs to restoring hope.

Dr Abrah stressed that government programmes such as LEAP and the School Feeding Programme continue to support vulnerable households to reduce the economic pressures that push children onto the streets.

He called on stakeholders to choose compassion over indifference and protection over punishment in addressing the plight of street-connected children.

Speaking on behalf of the Chief Director of MoGCSP, Dr Marian W. A. Kpakpah, a Principal Programmes Officer from the Department of Children, Madam Angela Kangah stated that justice means creating systems that listen to children and respond to their needs rather than punishing them for their poverty.

“In doing so, we are choosing to invest in a brighter future for the entire country,” she added.

Delivering a goodwill message, the Chief Executive Officer of Cherish a Child Foundation, Madam Salome Delali, emphasised that street children are not criminals but victims of circumstance who need protection and support to rebuild their lives.

She called for stronger collaboration among institutions to help successfully reintegrate children living on the streets.

A moving segment of the programme featured a testimony from Nicholas Mawunyo, a street-connected child, who shared his daily struggles and aspirations. His story reinforced the central message of the theme, urging society to see street children as children in need of care rather than punishment.

The commemoration ended with a collective call to action for all stakeholders to intensify efforts to protect vulnerable children and ensure that no child is left behind.