It aimed to build the capacity of members of the committee to coordinate, monitor and respond to child protection issues in the Region effectively.

The training was also to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders in advocating for the protection and well-being of all children, especially those without parental care.

Mr Avona Mohammed Akape, the Chief Director of the VRCC noted that children were the most important asset of the country, therefore, the country must do all it could to ensure their protection and safety.
He called on the older generation to give proper guidance to children to enable them to avoid making mistakes that would jeopardise their future and retard their development.

Mr Anthony Owusu Gyamfi, the National Programmes Director, SOS Children’s Village, stated that equipping members of the RCPC with the requisite knowledge and skills was paramount to ensuring that they could properly and effectively carry out their mandate.

He said the organisation would continue to strengthen child protection structures at both the district and regional level to become more responsive in meeting the needs of children.

Mr Gyamfi said the organisation engaged in two main programmes – provision of alternative care and services for children who fall out with their families, and provision of support for vulnerable children in the communities.

The Director said the organisation’s project currently being carried out in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region was based on research conducted and targeted at 500 families.
He said the research showed that most caregivers in the district were vulnerable, and child protection mechanisms and practices needed support.

“The project seeks to address the vulnerabilities among caregivers by giving them financial support and helping them improve their parental skills, and 2000 children are expected to benefit directly,” he said.

Mrs Stella Agbezuhlor Mawutor, the Volta Regional Director of Social Welfare, asked religious organisations to show great care for the most vulnerable members of society and to help them with what little they had.
She stated that the media was an important partner in child protection issues, therefore journalists must use their platforms to educate the public.

Mrs Mawutor who took the participants through child protection case management and referral pathways, called for stronger collaboration between various stakeholders in child protection systems.

Mr Israel Akrobortu, Volta Regional Director, Department of Children, noted that the child protection issue was growing increasingly challenging daily, necessitating a concerted effort to address it.
He mentioned a lack of coordinated approach to data management as one of the challenges bedeviling their quest and effort to tackle child protection issues.