World Vision International Poised To Protect Ghanaian Children Against Exploitation

Management of World Vision International (WVI), a Child rights sensitive organization working in Ghana to assist communities, institutions and government to protect children against exploitation has reaffirmed its continues commitment to protect children in the country.

The Child Protection Manager at WVI, Mr Gregory Dery, announced the International Non-governmental Organisation's plan to continue its protection activities for children, and said even though communities are beginning to appreciate the sensitization drive being pursued by the NGO, there was the need to rally more support to respond appropriately to issues that affect children.

Mr Dery announced WVI's intentions at a three-day training workshop on Child Protection and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for journalists operating in the Brong Ahafo Region and called on duty bearers to refocus their work plans and be keenly interested and involved in activities related to children.

He said Ghana's commitment to signing the ratification of the children's rights charter in 1998, obliges Ghana to re-tune its laws to achieve the basic and important rights children are enjoined to enjoy by the content of the charter that seeks to protect them from exploitation and other abuses.

According to Mr Dery, WVI has empowered a number of institutions in Ghana including the media and some community structures, faith based leaders, and child protection committees to enable them respond appropriately to issues confronting children and to attempt to prevent the half-hearted effects it has on society.

The participants who were drawn from various media houses in the region, were taken through topics such as 'the overview of Child protection and child marriage in the Brong Ahafo Region', 'Improve sanitation now: the role of the media', WASH: a panacea for a healthy nation and creating wealth through improved WASH', 'Child Online Protection', 'Media investigations and report on child marriages' and the role of cultural leaders in the fight to end harmful practices' among other topics.

The Child Protection Manager emphasized the urgent need for the media to appreciate the importance of child protection and to develop the interest in child protection and child related issues to enable them manage cases connected to child protection.

Mr Dery expressed regret at the manner some media personnel handle minors and juvenile related cases and further expressed the hope that the training would whip up the participants' interests to accept the challenge to advocate for child protection and influence the community to understand their roles better in the response against child abuse and related problems.

He said WVI would continue to partner the GJA to sensitize media practitioners in the country to sanitize issues confronting children in the country and called on stakeholders including community leaders, faith based organizations and institution responsible for the protection of children to ensure that abuse against children is curtailed.

Source:GNA