CRI Honours Teacher And Two Students

The Child’s Rights International Ghana (CRI), a child rights related organisation, has honoured Mr Jigger John Soka, a teacher and patron of the Child's Rights Club Chapter of the Ghana Senior High School (GSHS) – Tamale, as the most distinguished child rights activist.

Also honoured were two students, Sharon Anang, President of the Child Rights Club in the St. Roses Girls Senior High School and Joel Kweku Abeseabe, President of the Child Rights Club in Opoku Ware Boys Senior High School, who have also distinguished themselves in child rights activities.

They were honoured as part of the Annual Easter School for Children, recently held in Sunyani, the capital of Brong Ahafo Region.

The awards were presented by the Country Director of the Country Awards Council Ghana, Mr Kobla Asamani, who congratulated the award winners for their splendid performance over the years and called on them to keep up with their hard work.

The awards were instituted as a way to urge persons involved in child rights activities to serve the purpose.

A statement commended Mr Soka for dedicating his professional life to the course of promoting and advancing child rights in northern Ghana and other neighbouring regions.

It said he is noted for successfully nurturing almost 1000 Student Child Rights Activists between 1997 and 2010; directing and managing leadership training programmes, holding children's fora and child's rights education on the Children's Act, (Act 560) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The statement said, he has also organised inter-regional debate competitions, community services such as clean-up exercises, while, his club members have adopted the village of Jekarayili, near GSHS, and make regular donation of items such as used clothing, educational materials, toiletries, toys to children of the village.

“Under his leadership, his club has had the privilege to successfully host the 2006 Easter School for Children in Tamale. His tremendous efforts have virtually resulted in his being designated the unofficial co-ordinator of CRI activities in the Northern Region, making GSHS-CRI club the most dynamic and active club in the Northern Region for the past 13 years” the statement said.

It noted that over the years, issues of child labour, child-trafficking, child molestation and other constitutionally-guaranteed rights of the child were over looked, thereby giving no hope and future to child development, particularly in Ghanna.

This according to the statement, has necessitated the formation of child rights groups across the globe, most particularly, in developing countries like Ghana.

Touching on some of the achievements of the CRI since it was established some15 years ago, the statement said the organisation has successfully developed various child leadership training programmes, as well as directed and managed children's fora.

In addition, CRI has organised several inter-regional debates on child rights and further embarked on community services such as clean-up exercises and even adopted some less privileged villages as a way of supporting them through series of development projects.