NGO slam parents who hide children with disabilities

Navrongo (UE), June 7, GNA - A child-development oriented non-governmental organization (NGO), has condemned parents, particularly those in the Upper East Region, who hide their disabled children from the public.

Mr Conrad K Balig, Programme Manager of the NGO in charge of the Region, consequently advised parents to take good care of such children and help them to acquire education or a vocation.

He said these at the maiden Speech and Prize Giving Day of Saint John Integrated Senior/Technical School, at Navrongo in the Region, where he donated carpentry and masonry tools and ten sewing machines costing 5, 500.00 Ghana cedis to the school.

Mr Balig lamented that Saint John is the only Senior High School in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions that admits deaf students.

He called on traditional authorities, district assemblies, the Ministry of Education, Child's Right Organizations and Civil Society Organizations to help protect the right of children with disabilities.

Mr Balig pledged that the NGO would continue to remove barriers hindering the development of disadvantaged children, by supporting them to acquire education, vocational skills and healthcare among others.

He said Youth Alive has released funds for the organisation of a five-day training workshop on sign language interpretation for teachers, and provided vocational skills training equipment for the School's Technical Department.

The Headmistress of the school, Madam Kazeresam Gamma, commended the NGO, the Kassena-East District Assembly and the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese of the Catholic Church for contributing to the development of the school.

She appealed to individuals and organisations to assist to the school to build a dinning hall and staff accommodation and acquire bus, teaching and learning materials, and interpreters.