Afrikids Ghana, a non-governmental organization dedicated to the well-being of children, has unveiled a five-year strategic plan to sustainably address critical issues affecting children in the five regions of the North.
The strategy will implement deliberate programmes targeted at upholding the rights of children to quality education, protection from harm and improved standard of health which has been the bane of children development.
Speaking at the launch of Afrikids 20 years celebration in Bolgatanga, Country Director of Afrikids, David Pwalua, said, the intervention will help address the pervasive inequalities affecting Northern children and respond to the menace of child marriage and school drop-outs.
“The strategy is aimed at ensuring that all children in our target communities are afforded their right to equal basic education, live free from violence, exploitation and harmful practices and also attain the highest standard of health.”
“We will listen to the local people and empower them to make sustainable changes themselves by ensuring families and young people have secure livelihoods to meet children needs and protect their rights and create child champion communities that value and protect children rights. We will improve education, child protection and health services to ensure all children can be healthy, safe and learn while advocating for more protection for children across Ghana”.
Mr. Pwalua, indicated that, the project will remove barriers to girls’ education, harmful traditional practices and end sexual exploitation and early marriage.
“It will also provide empowerment through technical and vocational training, care for disabled children education and families and providing adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities for beneficiaries”.
He stated that the project will target 320 communities in the five regions of the North and targeting at 753,660 beneficiaries in education, health and child protection.
The beneficiary districts are; Binduri, Builsa South, Mamprugu Moagduri, Lambussie-Karni, Gushiegu and Sawla-Tuna.