Training programme for Central Region orphanage care-givers

Cape Coast, Jan. 27, GNA- Mr. Joseph Benle Arkhurst, Central Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, on Friday announced that 105 Orphanage and children home care givers in the Central Region would be given the needed training to enhance their work.

He said proprietors of the 21 private orphanages in the region would also be given orientation in their work to ensure that they keep and maintain the rules and regulation pertaining to the operation of orphanages.

Mr Arkhurst, who made the announcement in an interview with the GNA at Cape Coast, said the training has become necessary in view of the fact that many of the proprietors of orphanages and homes engaged untrained personnel to manage the facilities.

He said orphanages and homes were run in seven out of the 13 districts in the region and expressed concern that due to the lack of training for the care givers it was greatly affecting the welfare of the children put in their care.

Mr Arkhurst, in this regard, called on all proprietors of Orphanages who have engaged untrained care-givers to endeavour to patronize the training programme when it takes off.

He said, last year, the department was able to place six orphaned and abandoned children on adoption and that 201 girls, including JSS leavers and school drop-outs were also provided with vocational training.

The director was also unhappy that many day care centres in the region were not registered with the department and called on the heads of such centres to register with the department.

He said last year, a total of 210 day care centres were visited by the department but expressed concern that facilities at some of the centres were not conducive for the proper growth and development of children, adding that everything would be done to address the situation. Touching on child labour, he said 26 children between the ages of 13 and 16, who were engaged in surface mining popularly known as "galamsey" in the Upper Denkyira district last year have been stopped and made to go back to school.

The Regional Director said, as much it was the responsibility of the department to take care of the needs of children, vulnerable and the under-privileged

in society, it was constraint by inadequate staff, logistics, means of transport and insufficient and irregular financial support and appealed to government and NGOs to assist, at least at the district level. According to him, in some cases the districts offices have just one person, making it difficult for them to do efficient and effective work and appealed for more social workers to be posted to the districts, especially the newly created ones. 27 Jan. 07