Child Rights International empowers children in cocoa-growing communities
Child Rights International (CRI), a non-governmental organization dedicated to safeguarding the rights and well-being of children, has launched a series of initiatives to empower children in cocoa-growing communities throughout Ghana.
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In a press release, CRI said through its Community Remediation and Empowerment Programme (CREP), it has provided educational opportunities and vocational training for children in various cocoa-growing communities.
This year, CRI has supported a total of 25 children across three cocoa-growing districts to embark on apprenticeships in vocations such as hairdressing, masonry, plumbing, and sewing. An additional 113 children are set to benefit across five districts.
CRI has also provided five nursery schools within the Atwinma Mponua, Ayensuano and West Akim Districts with child-friendly furniture, educational materials, and refurbished classrooms. CRI is also actively involved in the renovation of two kindergarten schools in the Atwinma Mponua and Suhum Districts.
Additionally, approximately 4,000 Junior High School (JHS) students across 35 districts within the Ashanti, Eastern, Western-North, Bono, Ahafo, and Western regions will receive textbooks, exercise books, and notebooks.
Under the CRI Tony Fofie Child Development Fund (TFDF), a total of 31 students have received scholarships, with 29 of them awarded tertiary scholarships and two given secondary scholarships.
In a resolute effort to eliminate child labor, CRI has established partnerships with eight organizations, collectively working across 1,250 cocoa-growing communities. These collaborations equip children with essential technical skills and education, protecting them from engaging in hazardous activities.
CRI's School Mobility Project (SMP) has also provided 13 modified tricycles in five cocoa-growing districts to assist school children in rural communities with their daily commute to school.
CRI's Executive Director, Mr. Bright Appiah, emphasized the significance of technical education, describing it as the key to empowering young people with practical skills and enabling them to pursue careers aligned with their passions while simultaneously safeguarding them from perilous activities.
Hon. Comfort Asante, the Municipal Chief Executive of New Juabeng North, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to CRI and its esteemed partners for their invaluable support. She urged skills tutors to remain steadfastly committed to the education of children, emphasizing that such dedication is a collective endeavour, requiring the unwavering commitment of all parties involved.
Child Rights International remains committed and dedicated to improving the lives and well-being of children, particularly in cocoa-growing communities across Ghana. Through its diverse programmes and initiatives aimed at eradicating child labour, CRI strives to ensure a brighter and more promising future for the children in these communities.
Read the entire statement below;