Bolgatanga: Mrs Georgina Aberese-Ako, Upper East Regional Director of the Department of Children, has reiterated the need to prioritise rights and welfare of children in Ghana's development agenda. Speaking at this year's celebration of the Day of the African Child in Bolgatanga, Mrs Aberese-Ako emphasised the importance of strategic planning, policy integration, and adequate budgeting to address challenges confronting children.
According to Ghana News Agency, the event, held on the theme 'Planning and Budgeting for the Rights of Children,' was organised by the Upper East Regional Department of Children, with funding support from ActionAid Ghana, a non-governmental organisation. The Day of the African Child, first commemorated in 1991 by the African Union, honours the memory of the hundreds of children killed during the 1976 Soweto Uprising in South Africa. It also serves as a call to action to improve the living conditions and future prospects of children across the continent.
The event brought together school children, educators, parents, and child protection advocates. During the event, the pupils performed poetry, plays, and songs to highlight the challenges facing children, including abuse, neglect, and inadequate access to quality education. Mr Yakubu Akuka, Programme Officer at the Upper East Regional Operational Area of ActionAid Ghana, described the theme as timely and called on all stakeholders to recommit to protecting children's rights. He highlighted education as a fundamental right and stressed the need for all children, regardless of location, to have access to quality education, decent infrastructure, and adequate learning materials.
Mr Akuka expressed concern over rising cases of teenage pregnancy and child marriage in the region. 'Twenty-one girls were pregnant while writing the BECE, and this is very worrying,' he lamented, calling for collective efforts to reverse the trend. Madam Yvonne Wonchua, Assistant Director at the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, urged Municipal and District Assemblies to mainstream child-related issues in their Medium-Term Development Plans to ensure children's needs are addressed effectively. She also encouraged children to be obedient, disciplined, and focused in their education to secure a brighter future.
