We'll do it better when we work together-Child protectors

Bolgatanga, May 19, GNA- Stakeholders at a day's workshop held in Bolgatanga on Monday observed that the best way to deal with child migration, child labour and child abuse in the Region was through a multi-sectoral approach. The Workshop organized by Afrikids Ghana, a Child Rights Non -Governmental Organization working in Northern Ghana was aimed at evaluating and assessing the impact of the activities the NGO had underta= ken since 2005 in the Region.

It attracted stakeholders from the Ghana Education Service (GES), Gh= ana Health Service (GHS), Department of Social Welfare, the Security Agencies=

and other NGOs working in the interest of children's rights in the Region= .. The participants called for a child rights network organization involving the GES, GHS, Department of Social Welfare, traditional authorities, Afrikids Ghana and other child rights NGOs to tackle that is= sue head on. Participants called on District Assemblies to establish Child Panel W= ing in their Districts and also encourage the protection of Child Rights Club= s in schools. The Executive Director of Afrikids Ghana, Mr. Nicholas Kumah said issues relating to child labour and child migration were prevalent in the=

Region. He indicated that in 2007, Afrikids Ghana worked in collaboration wi= th the GES and Department of Social Welfare to rescue 155 children from very=

deplorable mine labour activities in the Talensi-Nabdam District.

He explained that majority of the children who were withdrawn from t= he mining sector at that time in the District were school children who were reinstated in schools to continue their education with support from Afrik= ids Ghana. The Executive Director explained that Afrikids Ghana was able to withdraw only 155 children from the communities in which it was working b= ut there were still more children in many of the communities in the area wh= o had also abandoned schooling and were engaged in mining activities. Mr. Kumah indicated that another area which his outfit was working a= t was the issue of migration and said Afrikids Ghana in 2006 brought back 1= 60 youth from the Southern Sector who had gone there to search for non-exist= ent jobs and have provided them with skills training and established them through the provision of start-up capitals. He indicated that many of the beneficiaries had in turn trained many=

people, especially the youth who might have migrated to southern Ghana to= do "kayaye" for living. Mr. Kumah said many of the youth in the Region were still migrating to southern Ghana and reiterated the need for collaborative efforts to deal with the problem since Government alone could not handle it. He noted that another issue of concern was that some communities in=

the region were killing children perceived to be "spirit children" and sa= id the practice is against the fundamental rights of the children and should= be addressed at all cost. He said that Afrikids Ghana had so far had saved 27 "spirit children= " who would have been killed in some communities in the region and that a l= ot of sensitization programmes have been undertaken but there was still the need to do more. 19 May 10