National Partnership for Children Trust Fund launched

The First Lady, Mrs Theresa Kufuor launched the National Partnership for Children Trust Fund to promote changes in social perception and increase social awareness on the right of the child, especially the right to basic education and protection from economic exploitation.

The Trust Fund, an effort of an alliance of partners including UNICEF, is to unite all sectors of the society towards a common goal of helping children.

A 12-member board of trustees made up of renowned public-spirited personalities from diverse backgrounds would manage the fund establish by the National Partnership for Children (NPC) and Ecobank Ghana limited.

President John Kufuor launched the NPC in April. Mrs Kufuor said statistics show that more than one out of every 20 children in Ghana dies before they reach the age of one.

"It has also been established that only four out of five children in the relevant age group attend primary school."

Mrs Kufuor said it is unfortunate that these worrying revelations depict the horrifying and painful truth about children who constitute about 54 per cent of the population.

She said children's problem could not be resolved by governments alone and called on civil society to contribute to the fund to finance projects geared towards the betterment of the lot of the Ghanaian children.

Dr Jean Nelson Aka, Managing Director of Ecobank Ghana Limited, stressed the need for everybody to contribute to the fund to improve the situation of the children to ensure their survival, growth, development and continue to protect the national heritage.

"With your contributions some children who are hungry and go to bed with empty stomachs would be fed. Others who are afflicted with diseases could be vaccinated and cured.

"Some children who are in despair and filled with hatred would now understand love and have hope," he said.

Dr. Aka announced that ECOBANK has established the "Support a child" campaign as its contribution towards the success of the fund.

The campaign involves the distribution of specially made boxes to supermarkets, petrol filling stations and hotels into which people can drop coins or change after they have transacted their business.

He urged the public to find ways of sustaining the inflow of funds to help make Ghana a better place for our children.

Mr Edward Patrick Larbi Gyampoh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ECOBANK, said effective actions against children's problems require much more than political commitment and called for the creation of a broad coalition, including civil society, to pool their efforts to provide adequate resources.

He presented a cheque for 86 million cedis representing the total funds raised by the bank to the trustees.

Mrs Ellen Essilfie, Acting Director of Organisational Services, Volta River Authority, on behalf of the Management donated a cheque for five million cedis to the fund.

Mrs Kufuor and Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister for Women's Affairs, also donated unspecified amount to the fund.

Members of the board are: Ms Mary-Anne Addo (Ministry of Finance), Mr Kwasi Adu-Amankwa (TUC Secretary-general), Mrs Mary Adusei-Herbstein (Akuaba Ltd), Mrs Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie (President, GJA), Ms Agnes Akosua Aidoo (formerly of UNICEF, Tanzania) and Dr Aka.

The rest are: Mr John Klinogo (Pricewaterhouse Coopers), Prof. Akua Kuenyehia (University of Ghana), Mr Kwasi Twum (Managing Director, Joy FM), Mrs Justice Georgina Wood (Appeal Court), Mr Greg Ramm (Save the Children Fund) and Dr Derek Aryee (Plan International)