Asuogyaman: Children urged to report cases of abuse

The Asuogyaman cluster of compassion-assisted child development centers (CDCs) has launched its Child Rights Club (CRC) to facilitate children's participation in child protection matters by identifying and reporting cases of child abuse.

The youngsters were not only educated on their rights as children but also on their responsibilities to themselves, their families, and society in general.

Fourteen projects located at various project centers within the Asuogyaman district in the Eastern Region, including Adjena, Akosombo, Atimpoku, South-Senchi, Akwamufie, Juapong, Apegusu, Asikuma, Mpakadan, Fintey, Labolabo, Boso, Gyakiti, and Kpong, accompanied by their teachers, converged at the Presbyterian Church at Akwamufie for the launch.

Each project consisted of 40 children, made up of 30 club members and 10 from the respective communities.

The children, particularly the girls, were also sensitized to be careful by not allowing themselves to be abused by irresponsible men, as well as the need to lead responsible lives themselves.

The project director of the Labolabo CDC (Child Development Center), Mr. Baah Richard, who coordinated the day's activities, explained that the children, through the project, were encouraged to report all abuses to the appropriate quarters for the necessary action, adding that most victims of abuse are forced to keep their ordeal to themselves due to threats from their abusers.

He stressed that the empowerment being given to the kids was a unique exercise that would go a long way toward empowering them to report cases of abuse and thereby address the practice of covering up such abuses.

"We're bringing these children together to form ambassadors to teach them their rights and responsibilities, so when they go into the communities, they'll be able to teach their parents that this is what they've got to do to protect them and that they should not be afraid of reporting abuses, be it rape, defilement, physical abuse, or any of the abuses," said Mr. Baah.

Speaking on some disturbing discoveries in the communities, the project director furthered, "What we're also seeing in the communities is that some of the children are being abused, and they're being threatened that when you mention my name, I'll kill you... So we're empowering the children to have that kind of power to report abuse cases to us so that we'll take action against the perpetrators."

According to him, the project isn't only targeting children in the club but also other children in the community.

He intimated that though the CDC is investing hugely in the training of the kids, abuses suffered by some of them made it impossible for them to complete their cycle, a situation that has necessitated the training of the kids as ambassadors for their rights and responsibilities.

He said, "Some of the children are not able to complete the cycle due to abuses; some are raped, some are defiled, and some have teenage pregnancies."

"We encourage them that we're behind them, the patrons are behind them, and we're going to help them. We're going to help them achieve their purpose; they shouldn't be afraid of any intimidation."

Disclosing what they learned on the day, 11-year-old Nora Asare, a student at the Royal Promise Christian School, said she learned vital lessons regarding child rights, drug abuse, and defilement.

"A child must go to school and not sell on the roads... I think that as a girl when a man sends you to take something to his room, you must run because it is very dangerous," she said, adding that she was prepared to share what she's learned with her community and friends.

Another, a fifteen-year-old JHS student of the Asikuma D/A JHS, shared similar views.

"I learned that every child has his or her rights, and as a child, you must not be selling while your friends are learning, and as a child, you must not be following boys to any place, stop drug abuse, and do not follow men to their rooms," she said.

The chairman for the occasion, Moses Faith Nyomi Nyamade, who is in charge of the EPA church child development center at Juapong in the Volta Region, urged the children to speak up about abuses and not keep the ordeal to themselves.

"I've spoken with the children that whenever any of them is abused, they shouldn't feel shy; they should not keep quiet over it but rather report to authorities," said Mr. Nyomi.

He was specific that entities like the CDC of Compassion International were a good place to report such incidents, which would take up the issue with law enforcement agencies including the Department of Social Welfare and DOVVSU.

As ambassadors of the clubs, Mr. Nyomi challenged the youngsters to embark on massive peer and community education to enable them to also appreciate what was taught to them.