Ahanta West celebrates Day of the African Child

Asemkow (W/R), August 1, GNA - Mr John Hackman, Western Regional Director of Ghana National Commission on Children (GNCC) has urged parents to invest in their children's education, saying, it was the only way to prepare them adequately to become efficient future leaders. He also asked them to support government efforts at eradicating child trafficking and child labour, and other forms of abuses that infringe on the rights of children. Mr Hackman was speaking at a ceremony to mark the Africa Union Day of the African Child at Asemkow, a fishing community near Takoradi on Tuesday.

The event was jointly organised by the GNCC and the Ahanta West Area Development Programme of the World Vision International. Mr. Hackman said parents should provide the needs of their children in order to discourage them from engaging menial and excessive labour such as illegal mining and stone crushing. Mr. Ernest Ofori Asamoah, Ahanta West District Programme Officer of World Vision, said a survey conducted by his outfit revealed that teenage pregnancy and incidents of child neglect were on the increase in many communities.

Because this was considered a norm, girls as young as 13 years, were impregnated by "irresponsible" men, resulting in the abrupt ending of the girls' education, he held. These, he noted, had resulted in high school dropout rates, truancy and gambling among the youth and widespread child labour. Mr Asamoah called for closer collaboration between the chiefs and other community leaders, and stakeholders to address the issues. 01 Aug. 07