SOS Children's Villages to rescue abused children
SOS Children's Villages in Ghana has secured funding of €600,000 to rescue 400 children at some selected fishing communities in the country.
The communities include Senya Bereku in the Central Region and Sege in the Greater Accra Region.
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Heimstade Bostal A.S, a Scandinavian real estate company, signed the partnership agreement with SOS Children’s Villages for the implementation of the project, in collaboration with the Challenging Heights Network, a civil society organisation.
Under the three-year pilot project, children who desire to go back to school will be rehabilitated to realise their dreams.
It will also fight child exploitation through outreach programmes by empowering and mobilising community-based organisations and local authorities to respond to issues affecting the welfare of orphans and vulnerable children.
The National Development Manager of SOS-Ghana, Anthony Oswin Gyamfi, announced this at a forum to celebrate this year's ‘Day of the African Child’ at Asiakwa in the Eastern Region last Monday.
The forum was on the theme: "Eliminating harmful social and cultural practices affecting children: Our collective responsibility”.
Policies
Mr Gyamfi said SOS Children's Villages had aligned its internal structures and community interventions to address all forms of child abuse.
It had also formulated and adhered to child protection policies, child safeguarding reporting and responding processes, as well as internationally accepted policies.
"These guidelines have yielded positive results in ensuring the safety of children and young people participating in our alternative care programmes, as well as those we support within the communities," he added.
Mr Gyamfi said SOS Children's Villages was currently working with the African Union to conduct a continental study on children without parental care.
"Let us explore opportunities that enrich the skills of children and make it possible for them to attain basic care. Let us involve traditional authorities, opinion leaders and the community at large because they play a key role and, therefore, need to be empowered to be initiators of change," he said.
Mr Gyamfi thanked all stakeholders for supporting "our cause towards reaching out to vulnerable children and their families".
Commendation
The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Acheampong, commended SOS Children’s Villages for its role in protecting children from abuse and the implementation of child-centrered interventions.
He said the government would continue to support the well-being of children in the country.
